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EEIU Rajasthan (India) Reports & Letters

Report, September 2006 (from Chair Prof. A. L. Bhatia)

EEIU Jaipur Expansion: Welcoming EEIU Rajasthan

EEIU Jaipur is beginning a new activity in Udaipur in Rajasthan State. A Society with the aim of "conservation beyond protection with ethics" is being launched on October 3rd, 2006 in affiliation with EEIU of Jaipur. With this activity the Jaipur Chapter is expanding and involving a large section of the society of the state and is accordingly being officially recognized as EEIU Rajasthan.

For more information about the Society, see the brochure: Page 1, Page 2.

Report from Chair Prof. A. L. Bhatia, September 2006 (588k, pdf)

INTERFACE WITH WILDLIFE

The Interface started with a Welcome Address by Prof. A.L. Bhatia, Head of the Department of Zoology, and Coordinator, EEIU Jaipur, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur. He welcomed the two Hon. Ministers, Vice Chancellor of University of Rajasthan, former Vice Chancellor of J.N.U., New Delhi, and experts present on the occasion. He presented a brief of the programmes being undertaken by the Zoology Department and expressed pleasure and satisfaction over this opportunity being provided for students to interact with experts over the topics which are part of their studies. He felt the event would be of great use to all participants.

Prof. N.K. Lohiya, Coordinator, Special Assistance Programme in the Department of Zoology, spoke about the event objectives. He pointed out that some of the best experts in the field had been invited to this Interface to interact with students and faculty of the Department and to cover topics of concern for nature conservation.

Prof. P.N. Srivastava, former Vice Chancellor of J.N.U., expressed happiness at being invited on the occasion and remarked that he always thinks about the environment and wishes to see how best to support programmes related to keeping it healthy. He extended his best wishes to the event and hoped it would generate new awakening among students.

Prof. K.L. Sharma, Vice Chancellor, University of Rajasthan, was happy to note that two Hon. Ministers spared time to steer the event on the university campus. He was of the opinion that there was a scope to undertake many such programmes on environment and ethics so as to enlarge the academic calibre of the students inculcating moral values in context with the environment. He invited more experts to join hands with the university administration to introduce such programmes in the course curriculum.

Smt. Usha Poonia, Hon. Minister of State for Tourism, Archaeology, Art, Culture & Devasthan, recalled her education at Maharanis College and reminisced about her college days with an upbringing in a healthy atmosphere and clean environment. She touched upon the crisis of water at Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, and assured that this Park would not be allowed to deteriorate for want of river water which was not available during this season. She said the Government was committed to conserve nature and the Park would receive due priority. She noted that wildlife offered great tourism potential and this Park in question was a unique example in this regard.

Shri Laxmi Narain Dave, Hon. Minister for Forest, Environment & Mines, gave a resume of India's ancient nature practicing tradition by chanting Sanskrit verses. His references to the State Tree, Khejri and State Bird, Great Indian Bustard, were noteworthy. He emphasized enrolling students in wildlife research and felt the Department of Zoology could set a new example. He pointed out how the community was conscious about the conservation of Sacred Groves and village level biodiversity. This needs to be followed up by citizens as well, he added.

Dr. Goverdhan Singh Rathore, recipient of the Ashden Award (Green Oscar) from UK, was the keynote speaker. He dealt with the crisis being faced by Ranthambhor Tiger Park, Sawai Madhopur, due to continued pressures of (a) grazing, (b) fuel wood collection, (c) habitat loss, and (d) other developmental issues, since it was specially designated as a Project Tiger in 1973-74, one of the nine such Reserves so created for the Project Tiger programme in India. He argued for greater priority to be accorded to Wildlife Conservation in Rajasthan, in particular Tiger Conservation should receive utmost attention, which, in his view, was not being given. Development programmes are always attributed high priority as they are termed as contributing to growth in economy and to directly helping people, people who have votes, which are significant in democracy. However, he felt Tiger Conservation was not considered worth importance as Tiger had no votes!

Dr. Rathore supported undertaking Eco Development Programmes around Ranthambhor Tiger Park in order to support the economy of villagers who appeared to have been adversely affected by the creation of such a park. He gave examples of work being undertaken by his organisation in several villages outside Ranthambhor and revealed that the quality of life of rural people had improved as a result of new inputs offered to them. They are becoming conservation friendly. However, the problems are numerous and scope limitless, he remarked.

Dr. Rathore called for Tourism to pay heed to the needs of villagers at the periphery of this Tiger Park. Tourism has increased many fold at Ranthambhor. If all hotels and others engaged in tourism can contribute a percentage of their revenue towards rural development (Eco Development), the scenario can change for the better — for people as well as for wildlife.

'Butterflies' were presented by Shri Dhirendra Devarshi, Zoology Lecturer at Bharatpur, in his illustrated presentation, in which he spoke about reproductive behaviour, taxonomy and migration of the species.

Dr. Dharmendra Khandal, Field Researcher at Tiger Watch at Sawai Madhopur, gave an illustrated presentation on Prosopis juliflora, its origin in India and in Ranthambhor Tiger Park (through the Britishers and Department of Forest). He warned about undesirable spiny vegetation which are becoming menacing and harmful to tigers and other species in the park. He focused on pockets in Ranthambhor where P. juliflora had taken over local vegetation and pointed out that it was on the increase, taking over new areas. Solutions are readily available, but we need support of the Forest Authorities to weed out this vegetation.

Shri Shantanu Kumar, former Director General of Rajasthan Police and a renowned wildlife expert, gave the lecture ' My Life With Wildlife' on his experiences for the past thirty years. He spoke on habitats outside the protected areas in Rajasthan and gave examples of wildlife thriving well in remote pockets such as the border with Pakistan, where human interferences were minimal. He gave examples of mammals and birds which could be observed easily in such areas.

Smt. Faith Singh, Honorary Director of Jaipur Virasat Foundation, gave a digital presentation on Heritage Based Social and Economic Development. It came out to be a new idiom for the audience as she revealed how lifestyle and economy would be improved — with better income — once Heritage Conservation starts as a way of life in Jaipur. She gave numerous examples of such aspects taking shape elsewhere and remarked that Jaipur was a perfect setting to take on such a programme, which would help all walks of life, somewhat lessening the burden of the government. Nature and wildlife conservation were an integral part of Heritage, she added.

'Lesser Cats': Shri V.D. Sharma, former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Rajasthan, touched upon species which hardly receive mention in life. The Jungle Cat, Desert Cat, Fishing Cat, etc, are integral parts of our ecosystem, though they are seldom reckoned with as potential factors. Tiger is remarkably recalled time and again. Cheetah became extinct in India during the early fifties, and there is no effort to reintroduce it in the country. All wild species should find their appropriate place in the ecosystem to make human life totally balanced, he opined.

Shri Harsh Vardhan, Hon. Secretary, Tourism & Wildlife Society of India, gave an illustrated talk on 'What We Can Do'. He gave examples (with slides) of Great Indian Bustard and Houbara having been saved from the hands of oil rich Arab Sheikhs in the Rajasthan Desert during the late seventies, through public participation and effective demonstrations. Tiger Conservation, Sacred Grove, and awareness for endangered species was possible to be tackled in a similar way. He emphasized the grave crisis being faced by Keoladeo National Park due to the non-availability of river water and sought cooperation of the student community to raise their voice in favour of such endangered habitats. He highlighted vultures losing ground fast.

The participants expressed their satisfaction over the two days' deliberations and desired that the initiative should continue in the future as well for promoting public awareness with ethics about wildlife conservation.

1. Wildlife species that deserve attention (all species of snakes and butterflies found in Rajasthan)
2. Wildlife species' habitat being devastated by aggressive species of vegetation
3. Opportunities for wildlife research
4. Photographs and maps of different parks and sanctuaries
5. Educational write-ups, etc.

Report, 30 March 2004

Biotechnology and information technology are areas in which technology is changing virtually every day, influencing the environment directly or indirectly. Traditional ethics is static but it has a subjective component which can be moulded to gear ethics to the fast changing realities of life due to the impact of these two types of rapidly changing technologies. Ethics is in our ancient philosophy; the six theses of eco-ethics also outline the role of ethics for conserving the environment and eventually ensuring our own survival on this planet by promoting ethics. During a two day seminar on ethics speakers opined on several ethical issues related to the environment and technology. A large number of the participants were members of the EEIU Jaipur Chapter. Some of the opinions expressed are given below.

Prof. A. L. Bhatia: We are expanding our technological think tank on the basis of our needs while ignoring ethical considerations. One glaring example: We do not take care of pigs who roam the streets, but are more enthusiastic when the pig's heart is transplanted into humans (xenotransplantation) and thus saves human lives. Similarly, cloning poses several questions of ethics and morality: humans are biparental species, yet a cloned human will have only one parent; it will pose several ethical questions pertaining to societal structure and administration, besides issues of the danger of treating clones as commodities, a lack of proper upbringing, less longevity and reduced immunity, and so on.

Prof. Ashok Pangadia, Professor of Neurology, SMS Medical College, Jaipur: Emphasized the need of the ethical use of medical biotechnology, stating that instead of focusing on meditation and yoga, people have started taking medicines even for ailments that can be taken care of by simple and harmless ancient practices. Inadequate emphasis on proper lifestyle has led to a dramatic rise in the number of people suffering from cardiac ailments and diabetes.

Prof. N. K. Lohiya, Department of Zoology, University of Rjasthan, Jaipur: Emphasized the role of the Wildlife Act and animal welfare organizations in giving a new dimension to biomedical research, and said that a greater use of cell lines and computer simulations should be adopted in the future, instead of animal use in experimentation in bio-medical research.

Prof. R. C. Mehrotra, Professor Emeritus: Stressed the proper integration of science and philosophy and cautioned that artificial intelligence and robots will never be able to replace the human brain.

Prof. Daya Krishna, renowned philosopher: Despite so much progress, humans are still struggling with war, violence, and racism, which shows that humans need to have introspection and should strive for integration of philosophy with science for human welfare. Technology is based on knowledge and knowledge should be based on polity. The aim of today's civilization is merely to obtain position, power and money; even developed countries amass nuclear weapons while preaching to others to sign disarmament treaties.

Dr. R. S. Bhatnagar, retired Professor of Philosophy: The theme of ethics can be divided into 6 parts: power, rule, consumption, individual, society and nature. The first three are concerned with the physical world while the latter are concerned with humanity. Technology is essential for humans and its shape is changing as per requirement. Although without consumption our existence is not possible, there has to be a limit for this consumption. Our ancient philosophers attached a greater significance to introspection. An individual can not form his or her identity without society and both the individual and society depend on nature. When an individual starts thinking by aligning himself/herself apart from the rest of the world, then s/he becomes separated from the world. S/he must think that s/he is an element of this earth and universe and s/he has no existence without it. To convert finite into infinite is the aim of philosophy. Among plants, animals and humans one element is common and that is draining our country. There are plenty of natural resources and biodiversity available and we have to see that we prevent them from becoming intellectual property. We have to ensure that benefits of research reach the poor. Greater emphasis on the integration of ethics with technology can help us divert money from wars to R & D activities. IT and biotechnology are fast growing areas and need ethics. Technology has helped us in various ways but this integration of ethics with technology can help us even better.

Dr. Anuj Saxena, Coordinator of the Department of Science and Technology: Forwarded ways to increase the focus of attention, which are very useful in today's time of increasing stress. Dr. Saxena said that if every one looks at his/her mistakes instead of others', the role of ethics will be easily taken care of. Today's society has taken the shape of a global village due to the power of information technology; in such a close knit formation, deterioration can affect very fast.

Prof. Ashwini Kumar, Director of Life Sciences: Ethics should be incorporated in the syllabi of all schools and colleges. This need increases when students are being taught Biotechnology.

Prof B. K. Sharma, Director of the Centre for Development of Physics Education: Both users and developers of technology should adopt ethics. Scientists, artists, writers and philosophers will have to come forward and work for human welfare by promoting the integration of ethics with technology. The late noted ornithologist Dr Salim Ali has proved this role by promoting the cause of environmental conservation.

Prof. Ratan Singh, Rajasthan Agriculture University: Stressed the need for the adherence of ethics and norms on the usage of pesticides and their quantities in farming. Even traitor technology should be watched and checked, not go unfiltered through biotechnology. He highlighted the need for ethics in agriculture, saying that no matter how revolutionary a technology is, it should be adopted only after thorough testing. Society needs a balanced and environmentally friendly technology.

Mr. Jyoti Kothari, Quality Management Consultant: Efforts to integrate ancient Indian traditions with modern technologies are laudable. Indian tradition emphasises the judicious use of resources, rather than consumerism. We have been using pesticides made from Neem and Calotropis for some time and, unlike chemicals pesticides, they add to microbial growth of the soil. The time has come when the judicious use of vermin-compost and organic farming should be made popular.

Dr. H. C. Bhartiya, famous environmentalist: Quoted examples from the history of science to draw attention to the significant role played by scientists such as Einstein and Heisenberg in promoting ethics in the use of technology. He also quoted the famous Indian novelist Munshi Premchand's last work Mahajani Sanskriti, which focuses on consumerism.

Ethical heritage

Ancient Indian philosophy includes ethics, which can be defined as the 'knowledge of norms based on logic present in our ancient wisdom'. Like any other heritage, it needs to be conserved and promoted. It is expected that agencies like the Ministry of Human Resource Development, India and UNESCO (like it has given recognition of World Heritage Sites under natural and cultural categories) will give leverage to the concept of 'ethical heritage' by promoting the ancient works that incorporate ethics. Such useful traditional knowledge can even be incorporated in Traditional Knowledge Resource Classification (TKRC) of CSIR which is being developed under the guidance of Dr. Mashelkar, D-G, CSIR. It will immensely help Indians to take pride in their 'ethical heritage' during times of modernization and economic liberalization and thus take full advantage of the fruits of these initiatives of the government of India by incorporating ethics in their lives while availing technological advances to smoothly achieve the mission of India as a developed country by the year 2020.

Beacon for the world

In India we have a rich tradition of ethics. The Father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi, and several philosophers have laid strong emphasis on ethics. In the context of globalization, it becomes very important as our civilization is one of the ancient (almost 5000 years old) and hence can be a beacon for the rest of the world in this area. As per the first thesis of eco-ethics, we need to re-establish compatibility between nature's metabolic pathways and those of the human population. As IT hardware and consumables create the challenge of environmental pollution (as well as their users), biotechnologists and information technologists should keep this in mind. By doing so, we shall be able to strive to protect the environment of our fellow creatures (second thesis of eco-ethics). At production level, it can be decided what is good for our economic systems and their ecological bases and how best to enhance such good and reduce such bad (third thesis of eco-ethics). Surviving in the world with fast developing technology will require moral theology and moral philosophy; we need to develop and enhance new values such as self-restriction, modesty, responsibility, honesty; to formulate aims such as peace, freedom, dignity, justice, human rights to further ideals, such as virtue, altruism, love (third thesis of eco-ethics). This can be done both at producer and user level.

Our role in nature must be critically rediscussed and re-defined without bias; as technology is fast changing and most traditional ethics is static. Ethics will always contain subjective components; it should always be debated and modified as a function of time. Thus, the fifth thesis of eco-ethics remains of paramount importance in view of fast changing biotechnology and information technology. We must find time for the above five theses at a period when we have wars, hunger, poverty, disease and misery for millions of people. Otherwise, we will become extinct in the future. By following ethics, we will make enormous contributions in substantially reducing the above challenges as we will live in harmony with nature as well as with fellow human beings. (See Kinne O (2002) EEIU Brochure. English Original. Inter-Research, Oldendorf/Luhe.)

Benefits of such integration

Happiness of the human race. Prevention of undue exploitation of natural resources and problems such as poverty, racism, declining ethical standards and technological dilemmas such as cloning, and economic imbalances such as disproportionate wealth. This will make a more peaceful, equitable and just world.

Recommendations

a) There is need for promoting awareness about both the role and benefits of ethics in relation to the use of technology at producer and user levels.

b) Ethics should be incorporated in the syllabi of academic institutions at all levels.

Report

Dr. Pankaj Sarup Bhatnagar and Hemendra Singh Tanwar
Jaipur 302004; India

The Editorial Committee of the Asian Journal of Experimental Sciences (AJES) has decided to include one article on eco-ethics in each issue. Additionally, the editorial committee welcomes your ideas and suggestions as to how AJES may promote the aims and objectives of EEIU. 

For the format of papers, please consult http://geocities.com/ajesindia.

The Hindi translation of the EEIU brochure is almost ready for a wider viewership and approach/reach. Soon it will be placed before you.

Yours for a sustainable planet,

A. L. Bhatia
Chair, EEIU Jaipur/India

Report, 15 January 2004 (Chair Prof. A. L. Bhatia)

EEIU Jaipur Reports
Technology and Ethics Seminar, 20-21 December 2003

In this Seminar the objectives of EEIU were narrated and I welcomed and thanked attendees on behalf of EEIU. On this occasion many new members joined the Chapter.

Institute of Informatics and Instrumentation organized a two-day seminar on "Technology and Ethics" in collaboration with Eco-ethics International Union (Jaipur Chapter), DST and Society for Philosophical Praxis, Counselling and Spiritual Healing, Jaipur. The seminar was inaugurated by eminent scientist and ex-scientific advisor to Prime Minister Prof Dr MGK Menon. In his opening remarks he said that all humans have a common origin as they have originated from the central African mother and therefore due to our common origin, we need to be concerned about others by following ethics in our working. He further said that ethics have a strong base in Indian philosophy as we have taught non-violence for centuries.

Prof Alok Bhattacharya, Dean, School of Life Sciences, JNU, Delhi, mentioned that technological advances in biology have enabled us to produce genetically modified crops and other organisms. We therefore need to pay attention to communities who have inherited original germ plasm as natural heritage. These ethical considerations need to be taken care of in Intellectual Property Rights, so that communities having natural ownership of plants and animal diversity can get benefits from the resulting commercial exploitation of their biological heritage as a result of advances in bio-technology.

Prof A L Bhatia, Convener of III, highlighted the need for ethics in technology and environment and its utility in controlling cybernetics both in ecosystem and information technology. He drew participants' attention to the fact that technology has positive points but to take full benefits we will have to curb its negative points particularly for the growing children so they can imbibe the values in a proper way.

Prof K L Sharma, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, pointed out the aspect of ethics in technology should not remain restricted to science faculty alone. Students from social sciences and the law should also be given opportunities to study ethics in technology as part of their curriculum as the effect of technology is growing and affecting other disciplines.

Dr Deepak Saxena, of the Students Guidance Bureau of University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, said that as human beings it is difficult for us to find our own mistakes and short-comings ; so we always find mistakes and short-comings of others. If we do more introspection, then it will be very helpful in working as per ethics because that will allow us to rectify our own mistakes in relation to others.

Dr K L Sharma, secretary of the SOCIETY FOR PHILOSOPHICAL PRAXIS, COUNSELLING AND SPIRITUAL HEALING, emphasized the need for a philosophical background in ethics. On this occasion, Prof MGK Menon also gave the Golden Jubilee lecture of UGC on the theme "Higher Education — Vision of the Future". He cited that yesterday's education is not appropriate today and is certainly not good for tomorrow. He stressed the need for the education system to be flexible, inter-disciplinary, merit-based, quality oriented, and also based on a global perspective. He also emphasized the need to phase out the culture of awarding degrees and instead make universities real centres of learning and infusing ethics.

Letter of Invitation sent to speakers

Dear Sir,

Institute of Informatics and Instrumentation, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, in collaboration with Society for Philosophical Praxis, Counselling and Spiritual Healing, Department of Science and Technology, Government of Rajasthan and Eco-Ethics International Union — Jaipur Chapter is going to organise a two-day seminar on TECHNOLOGY AND ETHICS on 20th and 21st December 2003.

Since you are a working scientist and eminent scholar of your field, we therefore request you to participate in this seminar and present ethical issues involved with the developments in your field, with special reference to recent advances made.

You are requested to give your consent for either a paper presentation or participation as one of the members for panel discussion. If you choose to present a paper, you are requested to kindly provide the topic and an abstract of the same.

We look forward to your active participation in this seminar.

With regards,

Dr. A. L. Bhatia, Secretary
Professor and Head of Zoology Department
Convener, Institute of Informatics & Instrumentation &
Chair, Eco-Ethics International Union — Jaipur Chapter

Dr. K. L. Sharma
Society for Philosophical Praxis, Counselling and Spiritual Healing

If it is a fact that a technology would create difficult moral decisions is reason enough to discourage the development of that technology, then does it not follow that the fact that a technology would enable us to avert difficult moral decisions is good reason to encourage its development? Although neither critics nor defenders of technology have raised this question, it seems an appropriate one to ask. And if the answer is yes, it suggests a new way in which technologies might be defended on moral grounds.

Take the example of genetic screening, which prevents moral dilemmas associated with aborting fetuses with serious genetic diseases, like Tay Sachs disease and Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. It does so by warning potential parents who are carriers of those diseases so that they may use contraception. Another dilemma-averting technology is general anesthesia. Surgery before the advent of anesthesia is vividly depicted in the following 19th-century account of the repairing of a dislocated hip: The development of general anesthesia saved physicians from having to decide whether the torture of surgery outweighed its benefits for their patients.

Other examples of moral-dilemma-averting biomedical technologies abound. Polio vaccination has eliminated the epidemics of polio that terrorized populations only a few decades ago. It enabled physicians to bypass agonizing decisions about putting polio victims in iron lungs from which they might never escape. And a whole class of technologies that prevent moral dilemmas are those that enable physicians to detect and treat serious illness in its early stages before people's lives are seriously imperiled. These technologies include biopsies and radiography to detect cancer while it is still operable or treatable.

The invention of the safety lamp in the early 1800's dramatically lowered the incidence of mine explosions and thus prevented painful decisions about when to terminate efforts to rescue trapped miners. The invention of the chronometer allowed ships to determine their longitude in the open ocean and thus prevented shipwrecks of the kind that lost bearings previously caused. It is likely that this prevented some "sinking lifeboat" dilemmas that would have occurred.

Surely we do need theoretical advances, but even more surely we need to make more progress in solving the real-world problems of our technological society. It should be mandatory to observe social responsibility in science, technology, and medicine.

What policy should we adopt toward future moral dilemmas? Should we strive to avert moral dilemmas, or minimize the number of them that we must resolve? Is there a moral justification for such a policy? And what if it is necessary to commit a morally wrong action in order to prevent future moral dilemmas? Can this ever happen? And if so, how can there be moral justification for doing what is morally wrong?

Technology as a double-edged phenomenon now poses a serious challenge to human reflection. Consequent problems of limits, restraints and control relating to this mighty force require wide-ranging awareness and critical dialogue to meet the challenge various questions arise:

• What after all is to be understood by technological process or product in view of the vast range covering implements from kitchen knives to the Hubble telescope?
• Is it entirely a recent phenomenon, if not, why does it demand our immediate attention?
• What specific features have brought it into focus for human reflection?
• As an intervening, modifying, and correcting process, what kind of inroads has it made in our modes of thinking?
• As a growing complex phenomena (in medicine, information, transport, communication, architecture and in human relationships) what challenges does it present to human action and thought? Or in ways of adjustment?
• Effecting our ways of thinking what changes are being brought about in our evaluative sensibility? Are they desirable?
• In brief, what sort of possibilities and potentialities technology including robotics and nano forms is supposed to unfold in relation to human life and situation? Do we quietly submit to them?

There may be more issues which may come up for discussion. The point is we should have an occasion to go into the matter.

Dr. K. L. Sharma, Secretary
SOCIETY FOR PHILOSOPHICAL PRAXIS, COUNSELLING AND SPIRITUAL HEALING

It has been decided to undertake the following tasks in a time-bound, flexible and executable manner.

1. Create a panel of experts to contribute awareness articles on science, agriculture, health and the environment ( 2 months from now, until the end of Jan 2004) to ensure regularity of articles

2. For ensuring regularity of contribution, a coordinator (Dr. Pankaj Sarup Bhatnagar, Email: cet67@lycos.com) shall look after the task

3. To avoid any distortion/misunderstanding inadvertently creeping into the articles, they shall be approved by Dept Head Prof. A. L. Bhatia and secondly, ethics in this matter shall be promoted under the banner of the Eco-Ethics International Union (on a regular basis, first work within 2 months). In this context a national Seminar on Technology has already been held on 20th and 21st of December, 2003

4. Linkage needs to be established with Vigyan Prasar (electronic communication) of DST, Govt of India (within one month)

5. Articles should preferably be of long-lasting value

6. Beginning of the task with all possible forms of media and schools. Since there is a problem of slide projector/overhead projector in many schools, help of colourful posters can be taken (long-run)

7. Calendar of important science inventions/activities for 365 days to be prepared (within 6 months; task to be delegated month-wise to a few persons)

8. Article on cancer not occurring in eye lens needs to be given at a time when cancer of all other organs is increasing at an alarming rate, discussed by Dr. P. D. Gupta

9. Articles should be easy to understand (free from technical intricacies), interesting and should be supplemented with sketch/graphics where possible and appropriate

Kindly contribute on above tasks and note that the next meeting will be held in the first week of February 2004, the date will be apprised soon.

Please advise on names of experts who could provide articles in Hindi in science, health, agriculture and environment.

THANKING YOU AND LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR INTEREST

MINUTES BY DR. PANKAJ SARUP BHTNAGAR
(cet67@lycos.com)

A.L. BHATIA
Professor & Head
Department of Zoology
University of Rajasthan
Jaipur-302004

This page was last updated on 16 November 2006.