Asking the Kashmir University authorities to work out the modalities and draft a proposal for the establishment of a Scientific Research Institute in the campus on the lines of premium research institutes/centres of national repute Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj J&K State Ali Muhammad Sagar said that the move will help in retaining top-notch scientists of valley and at the same time check the brain drain of intelligentsia. “The University of Kashmir has produced great and talented biochemists and biotechnologists in the past. However, due to limited job avenues and dearth of research infrastructure they moved out for better career opportunities. It would be great if the KU administration works out a proposal for the establishment of Scientific Research Institute to check this brain-drain,” said Sagar while maintaining that the state government would provide all the support for the establishment of such prestigious institute at KU campus.he Minister was addressing the Deans, Heads of the departments, Principle Investigators and other faculty members of University of Kashmir during the inaugural session of “Ist Inception Workshop of All India Network Program on Saffron” organized by Department of Biotechnology, KU and sponsored by Dept of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology New Delhi. Admitting that despite the priority given by the state government to saffron cultivation through its ‘Saffron Mission Project’ in the Valley, scientific interventions are must to increase the production without compromising on the quality of the yield, Sagar said “Saffron is a priority sector for the government and we all know that saffron grows only in few parts of the world including Kashmir. Therefore, realizing its importance the state government launched the Saffron Mission Project for improving quality and yield”.
“However” the Minister added “that the biotechnologists in general and the University of Kashmir in particular have to play a pivotal role by roping in NRK scientists, Bio-technologists and other experts of DBT and utilize their expertise in increasing the production of Kashmiri saffron without affecting its quality for which it is known all over the world.”
Sagar said that scientists and academicians and researchers at the University have a moral and professional responsibility to research on pressing issues and problems concerning the state of Jammu and Kashmir so that their timely recommendations and experience can help the government in better planning, policy formulation and management of state`s natural resources. Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor University of Kashmir Prof Talat Ahmad said that having the privilege of being the only place in India where saffron grows the scientists, researchers and intelligentsia of Valley have to make strenuous efforts to be the world leaders in providing and sharing their expertise with other people of the world about saffron cultivation and the efforts in the research area have to be indigenous. Prof Talat added “Genetic engineering has revolutionized the crop pattern and yield all over the world. However while going for scientific intervention and genetic engineering of saffron with an aim to increase production and bring more area under cultivation we have to make sure that in the process of avoiding the moisture or frost which is found in the Kashmiri saffron it does not lose its pristine quality for which it is famous all over the world.”
He said to have better research output and to reach to a better conclusion on Saffron the geologists are studying the Karewas of valley on which it grows to see and find out that what kind of soil supports the cultivation of saffron so that the research findings could be accordingly shared with the Bio-technologists sand the cultivators. Earlier, Dr. Meenakshi Munshi Director DBT, New Delhi said that the purpose of conducting the first inception workshop and bringing all Principle Investigators together is to make sure that all networks are in place and evolve a joint strategy to move forward by taking all stakeholders on board. She added that DBT has initiated the project after observing that there has been a considerable decrease in the area of land under saffron cultivation over the years in the valley and the production level has also gone down.Besides Dean Academic Affairs KU Prof AM Shah, Dean Research Prof Khursheed Andrabi and Registrar KU Prof Zaffar A Reshi senior deans of various faculties and Principal Investigators were also present on the occasion.