Hyderabad: The 105th Foundation Day of Osmania University was celebrated today in the historic Tagore Auditorium.
Prof. D. Ravinder, Vice-Chancellor of the university has presented a brief on the various developmental activities and achievements of the university. “We would institutionalize the foundation day celebrations through regular conduct of annual foundation day lecture,” he said. The University has evolved a strategic framework to scale greater heights of academic excellence. The University administration has been making untiring efforts to usher in a new ethos in the academia. To excel academically, the university needs to develop a 360 degrees angle approach. To achieve this, the university has developed a 21-point program for its overall development. Thirty percent of the goals set under this program have been achieved including some like the establishment of the Human Capital Development Centre (HCDC) and Civil Services Academy. With the government announcing recruitment in various sectors many students are showing interest in attending classes being conducted under the aegis of the Civil Services Academy.
Prof. Ravinder informed that the University has prepared proposals for the establishment of the following new centers and facilities in the coming years including new Central Facilities for Research and Development for Engineering and Technology and for Humanities, a separate Reading Room Complex for Boys and Girls, Nature Interpretation Centre under Biodiversity Park, and modernization of university library and sports facilities.
Speaking on this occasion, B. Vinod Kumar, Vice-Chairman, Telangana State Planning Board, Government of Telangana has appreciated the progress made on various fronts by the University. He bestowed the responsibility on the university administration to encourage positive politics among the student community. Lauding the state government to have set focus on the health and education sectors, he has requested the Vice-Chancellors of all the state universities to take necessary steps to fill up the vacant teaching posts. Speaking about the state government’s achievements with respect to irrigation and agriculture, he recollected the apathy the earlier governments in united Andhra Pradesh had about water management in the region pushing the region to become drought-prone. Since the formation of Telangana State, the government has taken all required measures to ensure the rejuvenation of irrigation tanks and connecting the reservoirs to ensure year-round water availability both for drinking and irrigation purposes. This success is laudable both locally and nationally.
“Although Government of India has taken up steps to ensure drinking water supply to all the household in India under the Jal Jeevan Mission, there is a dire need to think innovatively to reduce, reuse and recycle the water,” said Bharat Lal, Secretary, Lokpal of India, former director of Jal Jeevan Mission and a world expert on water management. While delivering the Foundation Day Lecture on ‘water security to sustain economic growth and prosperity, he solicited faculty and scholars to take up research in the field of water conservation and recycling. Telangana is a role model for rejuvenating the regular tanks and ponds and connecting them through lift irrigation through mission Kakatiya and Mission Bhagiratha in providing safe drinking water to households in Telangana State. He added that change in agricultural practice is needed especially with respect to water-dependent crops like paddy, which requires 1800 litres of water to one kg of rice. Recycling water and micro-irrigation need to be implemented in water-intensive agriculture practices. IoT sensor-based water taps supply of clean and hygienic drinking water supply and optimal utilization of water is the need of the hour. Freshwater availability is depleting at an unprecedented rate, with 50000 cubic metre per capita in the 1950s it has depleted to 1400 cubic metre per capita. Most water is wasted in cities and towns. Water is a source of forty percent of communicable diseases which can be better managed by creating awareness on water usage. In high-rise apartments and gated communities, the implementation of vacuum-based disposal of human waste will reduce water use substantially in comparison to the age-old sewerage disposal system that consumes a huge amount of water. Building partnerships and changing lives through educating and creating awareness on water usage is paramount. Introduction of UG and PG level courses in universities on water management and water recovery and research on water recovery is the need of the hour.
A mobile application – ‘life of a girl – women safety’ for the safety of girl students and women faculty of university was launched by Vinod Kumar in presence of Bharath Lal. This app helps in tracking and enhancing the psychological, physical and digital safety of women users.
The dignitaries have launched the telephone book and distributed certificates and trophies to the winners of the various competitions held in connection with the Foundation Day Celebrations. (INN)