Ground Reality

Reacting sharply to high pollution levels in the country, Association of Indian Universities (AIU) President Prof P.B Sharma has said there is a need also to foster the growth of Green Science, Green Engineering and Green Management in fact Green consciousness and spirit of sustainability in all aspects of in the University life. He said there is no escape from the growing challenge and it must be tackled by all with full devotion before it is too late. All universities and colleges in India must echo in the corridors of University the need for care and concern for environmental health. He said everyone should collectively put one’s best efforts to create the public pressure on policy makers and on those who are responsible for implementing the policies and programs. "It makes me sad that pollution control boards, like CPCB are busy only in pollution monitoring, while they should be implementing a zero tolerance policy for polluting industry, organisations and indiv...

The day after Diwali this year, when Delhi once again hit 999 microgram per cubic meter on air quality index (AQI) for its PM 2.5 , there was a  great concern voiced by press and media but, as always, no emergent measures, public advisory or immediate actions were  rolled out to mitigate the disastrous  levels of air pollution in the world's largest democracy, India, in its national capital Delhi and the NCR Region. Life and business as usual continued.  Recent Lancet study, published in local and world leading news papers, reported that as many as 9 million or more people each year are dying in the world due to pollution. In India alone this figure could be over 2.5 million (25 lacs) deaths per year, the study reveals. But did it set out a panic or creates a sense of urgency in the minds of those in government and in the corporate and citizens at large. The answer is no. Last year also when AQI touched 999 in Delhi, eye brows were raised but no...

Carrying forward his agenda of turning country’s universities into temples of excellence, Eminent Academician and newly appointed  President of the Association of Universities (AIU) Prof PB Sharma has embarked on a massive exercise of interacting with Vice chancellors of various educational bodies to  redraw contours of action plans to accomplish the cherished goal. A simpleton by nature, Dr Sharma who himself is the VC of an International level Private University in Gurugram, says he will work in close tandem with VCs to transform India’s Higher education to serve the cause of high employ-ability, continued contribution to the new knowledge creation, advancing frontiers of Knowledge, engaging into technology incubation, innovations and new product its development creating startups and new age enterprises in plenty. Focused on his vision, Dr.Sharma told this blogger that they would strive hard to achieve these goals with sincere committing to solving pressing pro...