PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Uttarakhand State Council for Science and Technology (UCOST), Dehradun organised a programme “Maa Dhara Naman” dedicated to environmental protection and conservation of the earth here on Monday.
Speaking as the chief guest of the event, the State pracharak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Uttarakhand, Shailendra hailed programmes on science, technology, innovation and environment being organised by UCOST in the border areas of the State. “UCOST’s initiative to connect students from the border areas with science is crucial for nation-building,” he said. He also mentioned that the RSS’s centenary year coincided with the birth centenary of the Chipko movement pioneer, Gaura Devi and Uttarakhand’s silver jubilee year.
In his inaugural address, the director general of UCOST, Durgesh Pant pledged to clean, conserve and enhance 100 water sources, maintain 100 eco-friendly schools, operate 100 STEM laboratories, select and mentor 100 child scientists from various educational institutions and organise 100 lecture programmes on the Indian tradition of knowledge, science and innovation in the State. “UCOST has been continuously working to connect the State’s students with science, technology and innovation-based activities,” he said, adding that they would go all-out to protect the Himalayas as well as land, water and air.
Presiding over the programme, the founder of Auro Valley Ashram, Raiwala, Haridwar, Swami Brahmadev said that conserving nature amounts to worshipping God as per the ancient Indian culture.
The noted environmentalist and Padmashree Kalyan Singh Rawat ‘Maiti’ stressed on conservation of the natural resources abounding in the Himalayas while environmentalist Sachchidanand Bharti called for connecting students and common people of the State with the Maa Dhara Naman programme.
At the beginning of the programme, the guests visited the Science City and planted various fruit and medicinal plants in the Biodiversity Park.
Also, certificates and mementos were given to 20 students and participants who had secured 100 per cent marks in Dehradun district in the ‘National Student Environment Competition (NSPC)’ organised in July.
