AIPSC Day 3: We need progressive schools sans discrimination, says Prof Sonajharia Minj

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Vice Chancellor of Sido Kanhu Murmu University, Dumka (Jharkhand) Prof. Sonajharia Minz has said that India needs progressive schools, where students can get better and equal opportunities.

She was speaking on ‘Opening the doors of higher education for the deprived’ on Wednesday– the third day of the 4-day 17th All India People’s Science Congress (AIPSC) at Extol College in the city.

Minj said that every village has access to primary school but even today higher education institutions are inadequate. “To remove discrimination from the classroom even in school education, we need a progressive school, where there is no discrimination on the basis of language, dress, gender and colour,” she added.

Social worker from Shimla O P Bhuraita spoke on Himalayan Dangers; Recipe for disasters. He said the Himalayan zone is very sensitive and whatever development initiatives are being taken there, are having an impact on the entire environment.

“The disasters are not natural, but man-made. We should put a complete ban on big projects in this area,” he added.

Prof. N. Raghuram from International Nitrogen Initiative said that there is no difference between foreign private companies in the agriculture sector and East India Company. All these companies are looting the farmers and taking their capital abroad. “The surprising thing is that production has increased in the country after independence, but hunger has not ended. This is due to the failure of the distribution system,” he added.

Environmentalist and senior social activist D. Raghunandan said there was a nationwide crisis of livelihood during the Corona period. While releasing the report of a study, he said that there is a need to increase non-farm employment in rural area so that we can move towards sustainable livelihood, he added.

Seminars and workshops were organised on environment, agriculture, livelihood, gender equality on the third day. Academics, environmentalists and senior social workers from different states of the country took part in it. The diversity of Indian culture was also discussed in the 75th year of independence on the topic "Hasti Mitati Nahi Humari".