NEW DELHI, August 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
On the Occasion of the Twelfth Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture, Both Stressed on the Need to Leverage Emerging Technologies to Broad Base Education and Especially the Areas That Have a Long Term Impact on Sustainable Development
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) hosted the Twelfth Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture at the India Habitat Centre today.
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Presiding over the event, Dr. M.M. Pallam Raju, the Honourable Minister of Human Resources Development said, "The state of environment is a reminder of what we as humans are actually inflicting on nature. At the same time, it also gives us the opportunity at hand to reverse the process of environmental decline and work for the present and a future built on the principles of environmental justice, equity and human development. In this regard, the role of education is critical as it is the cornerstone of a modern society. It not only determines the present level of progress of the people of a society but also charts out the future course of advancement of a civilization."
Addressing the gathering, the Hon'ble Minister informed the gathering that the Government of India has given high priority to education for sustainable development. Apart from incorporating the basic elements of sustainable development in school syllabi at the higher education level, the Government in collaboration with UNESCO has established the first 'category one' institute in all of Asia named "Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development". The Institute has been recently set up, and he would like to see more collaboration between all such institutions world-wide.
Lauding TERI's efforts, he added, "It is commendable to see both TERI and TERI University providing world-class facilities and resources to usher in innovative and multidisciplinary research to empower people to change their behaviour and take action for sustainable development. I am happy to learn that the initiatives undertaken by the Institute have addressed key sustainability concerns, facilitated exchange of ideas, and have formed a common network by reaching out to many more like-minded people, and linking local issues with the global discourse. I am happy to note that TERI is trying to train village youths as Energy Entrepreneurs under its 'Lighting a Billion Lives' initiative'. I think this kind of skill development at the grass roots is a valuable contribution to sustainable development. In the past, MHRD had also supported the annual Environment Educators Conference conducted by TERI, where teachers deliberated on the issues that are dealt within the subject domain of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). I feel we need many more initiatives like these to reach out to the student community at large to make them responsible citizens of India. It is also important to ensure that we create not merely a knowledge producing economy but a knowledge sharing society."
Delivering the Twelfth Darbari Seth Memorial lecture entitled, "India on a Mission", Shri S Ramadorai, Advisor to the Prime Minister, National Council on Skill Development, Government of India said, "One of Mr. Seth's finest legacies is the setting up of TERI in 1974 which remains one of India's proudest contributions to the world of energy and the environment."
Speaking at the occasion, he said, "We will need to hold ourselves to an 'Ecological Balance Sheet' alongside our Economic Balance Sheet, measuring performance against consumption of key resources and opportunity costs. We need to drive ecological competitiveness for economic sustainability through the six forces of Land, Energy, Waste, Water, Air, and Carbon. This will need us to strive for new technologies which optimize resource allocations and 'low carbon' options. I believe as a nation we must focus and incentivize the flow of innovators, investors, and researchers into agricultural innovation."
He further added, "Technology is the only way to create reach and scalability. And luckily India is not scarce on technology resources, at least not in innovative minds. Just to give an example one disruptive innovation that holds great promise in the endeavor of Online Education platforms - also called Massive Open Online Courses (or MOOCs). In this model courses are made available online-and at no charge - unshackling access to quality content and bypassing 'difficulty to get admission' into the expensive institutions."
The event commenced with the lighting of the lamp followed by felicitating 18 employees who had completed 20 years of service at TERI. The event also marked the announcement of the 'Roll of Honour' for 14 research professionals for exemplary contribution in their respective fields. The mementoes and certificates were given away by Dr. M.M. Pallam Raju and Shri S Ramadorai.
Concluding the ceremony by highlighting the endeavors of Mr. Seth and his compassionate vision, TERI's Director General, Dr. R. K Pachauri, said, "Mr. Darbari Seth was a legendary leader of business and industry, but more importantly a social entrepreneur whose vision always focused on doing things of value for humanity and society at large. The Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture has become a landmark at which, each year, thinkers and leaders of distinction share their thoughts and intellect for the benefit of society. We were deeply honoured to have Mr. S. Ramadorai, Advisor to the Prime Minister on PM's National Council on Skill Development, and Dr. M. M. Pallam Raju, Hon'ble Minister, Human Resource Development this time."
The audience at the ceremony comprised of dignitaries, senior bureaucrats, embassy, high commission officials, entrepreneurs, NGO's, academicians, scientists and researchers.
About The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
Headed by world-renowned economist and Nobel Prize winning climate scientist, Dr R K Pachauri, TERI is an independent, not-for-profit research institute focused on energy, environment, and sustainable development and devoted to efficient and sustainable use of natural resources. For more details, please click: http://www.teriin.org/
Primary Media Contact: Zainab Naeem, [email protected], 91-8800286575
Secondary Media Contact: Dr. Radhika Mittal, [email protected], 91-9560746070
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