Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 699/07

TRAINING FOR TRAINERS WORKSHOP FOR ACADEMIC COUNSELLORS

With an aim to develop knowledge, attitude and skills of the Academic Councellors in theory, concept and practice of Open and Distance Learning (OPL) with specific reference to tutoring and counselling, A 15-days Training of Trainers Workshop for Academic Councellors of North Eastern Region is being organized at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Regional Centre, Shillong & Don Bosco Youth Centre, Laitumkhrah, Shillong from September 20 to October 04, 2007. The workshop is being organized by IGNOU STRIDE-NEP, New Delhi in collaboration with IGNOU Regional Centre, Shillong. Meghalaya Minister for Tourism, C&RD etc., Mr. Charles Pyngrope attended the inaugural function as the chief guest.

Addressing the band of academic counsellors who will lead the people in their own capacity in their training centres, Mr. Pyngrope informed that the rest of the world look to India as a nation which can contribute tremendously to the world. Youth of the country have excelled in every fields, he appended. Stating that education in North East Region is still lagging behind when compared to the rest of the country, Mr. Pyngrope expressed his hope that the problem of education in the North East will be solved with IGNOU playing a big role in educating and guiding the youth of the region. He also said that education will play a vital part to make Tourism and C&RD department grow in process.

O P Mishra, Pro-Vice Chancellor, IGNOU while delivering his presidential address enlightened that many new initiatives is being taken up by IGNOU to overcome the challenges that India is facing in the education sector.

Earlier, Prof. P K Biswas, STRIDE. IGNOU and Dr. J Kurup, DD, IGNO, EDUNEP highlighted on the objective of the workshop and objectives & role of Academic Counsellors respectively.

It may be mentioned that this training is specifically for those who are engaged in or wish to engage in the tasks of providing tutoring/councelling and other technology mediated support to the distance learners. The training will comprise of 60 sessions. The important contents that will be covered in this training are OPL concept, models, development, student support, tutoring and counseling, importance of assignment, evaluation of assignment, development of learning skills, support to the educationally disadvantaged students, use of new technologies for student support etc., it also includes training in basic computer components, functions, and use of computer for providing support to the distance learners.

Press Release No. 700/07

NATIONAL SEMINAR ON HERBAL MEDICINE HELD

Meghalaya Chief Minister, Dr. D D Lapang formally inaugurated the two-day National Seminar on “Biodiversity: Herbal Medicine” organized by Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), Synod College, Shillong which is supported by the North Eastern Council and Directorate of Higher and Technical Education, Government of Meghalaya at Dinam Hall, Shillong on September 20, 2007. The Seminar was also attended by Prof. P Tandon, Vice Chancellor, North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) as the guest of honour.

In his speech as the chief guest, Dr. Lapang informed that the floral bio-diversity of the country is estimated at 45,000 plant species with more than 15,000 having proven medicinal value, adding that North East India is one of the 25 identified bio-diversity hotspots of the world with Meghalaya having 850 species of medicinal plants. He further said that the traditional method of curing ailments through herbs and medical plants has been practiced by the local people in Meghalaya since time immemorial. He also said that the medicinal plant in Meghalaya offers the potential for economic activity to a large section of the rural population. He stressed on the need to established herbal gardens for the purposes of propagating medicinal plants. Experiments have shown that cultivated medicinal plants provide better quality drugs than the wild ones, he added.

Dr. Lapang enlightened that the Meghalaya State Medicinal Plant’s Board has been set up to promote the development of medicinal plants in the State with the financial assistance of National Medicinal Plant’s Board. He asserted that concerted approached has to be made to encourage and promote the use of herbal medicines and to harness the economic potential of the resource in a sustainable manner.

Prof. Tandon in his brief speech as the guest of honour informed that more than 50 p.c. of the total number of species of medicinal plants of the Sub-Continent is found in these regions. However, he felt that the precious reserve of bio-diversity is being steadily reduced and eroded by biotic factors operating in these regions and developmental processes. The plant genetic resources are also getting depleted at an alarming rate due to deforestation, shifting cultivation, over exploitation and irrigation projects being established to develop these areas, he added.

Others who spoke on the occasion were Dr. D Wanswett, Principal, Synod College and Dr. M Rani, Coordinator, IQAC.

The two-day National Seminar will include academic sessions on different issues of herbal medicines ranging from traditional knowledge, cultivation and conservation and data base development of medicinal plants among others.