ICAR-NBPGR has celebrated International Biological Diversity Day on 21stMay as a part of “Bharat ka Amrit Mahotsava” commemorating 75 years of Independent and progressive India. This year’s theme for International Day of Biodiversity was “we are part of the solution# for nature”. As a Part of Biodiversity day celebrations, students of Plant Genetic Resources Discipline, PG school, IARI had organised a Declamation competition on the topic- Indigenous Plant Wealth for Food, Nutrition and Health security. Dr. P Manivel, Principal scientist and Head CTRI, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu and Dr. K. Haridasan, Consultant, Ahalia foundation, Kozhipara, Kerala and Dr. SP Ahlawat, Head, Exploration Division, ICAR-NBPGR were the judge of the competition. Seven participants from both MSc and PhD highlighted the indigenous wealth of their native areas covering almost maximum phyto-geographical regions of India i.e., Western Himalayas, Eastern Himalayas, Gangetic plains, Western coast of Malabar including Western ghats and Eastern ghats. Out of seven students, Latief Bashir (M.Sc.), Siddhant Rajan Padhi (Ph.D.) and Nitika Kalia (Ph.D.) won first, second and third position respectively. Students presented some of the important aspects such as botany, propagation methods, distribution and uses of these plants - Iris kashmeriana, Asafoetida, Artemisia annua, Withania somnifera, Tinospora sp., Morchella esculenta and Andrographis paniculata. The programme was co-ordinated Dr. Veena Gupta, Professor, PGR and Ms Monika Jha, student. The event was presided over by Dr Kuldeep Singh, Director NBPGR and Dr. S.P. Ahlawat, Chairperson, IBD 2021.

(Source:  Dr Veena Gupta, ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi)