Manipur governor inaugurates IBSD at Miranda House

Imphal, Feb. 27: Manipur Governor Dr Najma Heptulla on Monday inaugurated the Institute of Bio resources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) at the Miranda House Centre for North East Studies in New Delhi on Monday. The centre plans to focus on scientific research and education outreach of biodiversity and sustainable development in the north-eastern states of India. It also aims to conduct research projects with special emphasis on knowledge production in the form of multimedia documentation and publications, thus impacting policy and development of the north east. During the inauguration the governor said that “The centre will create a better research-based understanding of the ethos, challenges and opportunities in the North Eastern states in a culturally sensitive manner.” She recalled that she “would have been a Miranda House student, but as destiny would have it,” it had to take her several years to be at the hostel. She announced that the collaboration between Miranda House, a distinguished institution for women and IBSD was just the right step towards a two-way process of education and engagement with the north east. Also, Dr Heptulla invited people to visit the north east and ‘realise the need to appreciate and utilize resources in a judicious manner to aim for inclusive growth for the people in the region.’ Professor Dinabandhu Sahoo, director of the IBSD was the guest of honour for the event. He spoke about the establishment of the centre as a historic moment for the institution. He iterated that the main mandate of the institute was conservation and sustainable utilisation of bioresources for the socio-economic development of the region. The north east is among the top-10 biodiversity hotspots in the world, he said. In this age of globalisation and knowledge economy, Professor Dinabandhu Sahoo said, the centre will offer the opportunity to not only explore the region but also train students of the north east who can bring economic prosperity to the region. Dr Pratibha Jolly, the principal of Miranda House felicitated both the guests. As a college with more than 300 women students from the north east, she said, the centre will be a research centre that will look at the region through the ‘prism of various academic disciplines.’ She added that ‘the centre will provide experiential learning through field visits and exchange programs.’ It is not limited to students of the region or just Miranda House. The inauguration was followed by Leirang, the North East Society annual festival of Miranda House to celebrate the unique culture and diversity of the north east. The festival saw beautiful renditions of folk, fusion traditional music and dance such as Manipuri Leima and the traditional Ras Leela and the Mizo Bamboo Dance. A large number of students and faculty from colleges across Delhi were part of the audience. The food stalls specializing in regional cuisine and photo booths with traditional costumes were extremely popular.