DIMAPUR — A one-day awareness workshop on "Scouting, documentation and dissemination of local grassroots innovators from Nagaland" was held at the Fazl Ali College (FAC) conference hall in Mokokchung on Wednesday.
The workshop was organised by the department of Environmental Science and the research and development cell of the college in collaboration with the National Innovation Foundation (NIF), an autonomous body under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, according to an update.
Dr. Vivek Kumar, scientist-F and national coordinator of the Scouting, Documentation, and Database Management Division at NIF, speaking on the occasion, said that NIF nurtures grassroots innovators.
He emphasised the importance of interactions to understand the local scenario and build connections. He encouraged students to take an interest in local innovations and mentioned that NIF supports students by providing internship opportunities across various NIF portals.
He further added that grassroots innovations identify the needs of local people, and incorporating these innovations with the formal system of science helps advance their development.
The technical sessions were conducted by Prof. Ashutosh Tripati, head of the department of Environmental Science at Nagaland University; Dr. Rajiv Mili, senior innovation fellow at the NIF-India, Guwahati Cell for the NE Region; and Dr. Akumtoshi Lkr, entrepreneur and managing director of Sutsung Enterprise Pvt. Ltd.
The sessions were followed by interactions with local farmers, innovators, and local healers.
In his closing remarks, Dr. E Benrithung Patton, convenor of the research and development cell at FAC, stated that the workshop laid the groundwork for advancing grassroots innovations.
However, he maintained, the real work begins now and to build on this momentum, educators, researchers, policymakers, and community members must provide not only technical and financial support but also create environments that encourage experimentation, risk-taking, and creativity.
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