Port Blair, Mar 25: A day workshop on “Foldscope” was organized in collaboration with ICAR- National Institute of Biotic Stress Management (NIBSM), Raipur, Chattisgarh and ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute under the chairmanship of Dr. A. Kundu, Director at Harminder Bay on 20th March, 2019. The other collaborators of the workshop were Department of Biotechnology (DBT), New Delhi and Foldscope Instruments Inc. and Prakash Lab (Standford University), Standford, Califonia, USA. The programme was conducted with an objective to minimize the risk of zoonotic diseases and ensure the personal hygiene through Foldscope microscopy.
Smt. Kitri Hilton, First Captain, Tribal Council, Harminder Bay as chief guest on the occasion expressed happiness on the introduction of the novel technology among the tribal people. Mr. Festus, Secretary, Tribal Council requested the visiting team to provide the Foldscope to the group members during their next visit, so as to make use the technology effectively to meet out the objective.
The experts Dr. Pankaj Kaushal, Joint Director (Research ), Dr. P. Mooventhan, Scientist (Agriculture Extension ), ICAR-NIBSM, Raipur &PI of the Foldscope project and Dr. S.K. Zamir Ahmed, Pr. Scientist and In-charge, Social Science Section, ICAR –CIARI, Port Blair dwelt in length on the usages of the Instrument which is low cost and also user friendly. It was followed by hands on demonstration among the tribal farmers.
Altogether 51 tribal farmers including 31 females participated in the workshop which was followed by field visit to the farmers field. Dr. S.K. Zamir Ahmed and Dr. R. Jaya Kumaravaradan of ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair along with Dr. P. Mooventhan of ICAR-NIBSM, Raipur coordinated the conduct of the programme, said S.K. Zamir Ahmed, ICAR-CIARI in a press release.
