Theme: Science for people and people for Science

Mysuru:   “A fruitful all-round development of the country is not possible unless there is focus on basic research and it is institutes like CFTRI which are in the forefront that have to take steps and concentrate on such research,” said NIE University Chancellor D.A. Prasanna.

He was delivering the ‘National Technology Day Lecture’ organised as part of National Technology Day celebration by CSIR – CFTRI (Central Food Technological Research Institute) at the IFTTC auditorium in CFTRI premises here this morning. He said that apart from basic research the focus should also be on applied research and the societal impact such research has on society and community.

Dwelling at length on societal impact of research that CFTRI has always undertaken, Prasanna said, giving an example of how cooking oil used to fry things in hotels is later sold to roadside food vendors and how the tasty bonda, vadas consumed could lead to health problems.

However, if the same oil is recycled and converted to bio-diesel then it could be used for better purposes, which CFTRI is doing, he lauded.

Earlier, he recalled the time he was residing in Vontikoppal and passing by CFTRI to go to his college in NIE and how stalwarts like earlier Directors Dr. H.A.B. Parpia, Dr. Srinivasan, Dr. Prakash had set standards and how important was this legacy to take the premier food institute forward.

Talking about the importance of technology licences, Prasanna said that there should be good laboratory facilities, qualified academics and technical know-how in any institute to do good work.

Sri Sri Tattva Managing Director Arvind Varchaswi said that to lead a healthy life style what was very important was the right consumption of food in right quantities and also the right time to eat. Ayurveda is one science if people follow this can be achieved.

However, what we instead see today is that 80 to 90 per cent of the diseases are psychosomatic  and only yoga, meditation and other best practices help in a calm, composed living. But institutes like CFTRI with                                                   its research and technology innovations are addressing the societal problems in its own way, he added.

The theme of the National Technology Day this year is ‘Science for people and people for Science.’ CFTRI Director Dr. K.S.M.S. Raghavarao, Suresh D. Sakkare, Senior Scientist, CFTRI, H.S. Satish, Head, Food Packaging Department who explained the relevance of National Technology Day and others were present.

Awards and certificates of Excellence in Technology Transfer were presented to various Departments like Floor Milling and Baking, Spices and Flavours, Fruits and Vegetable Technology industry products, Food Packaging Technology, Food Safety and Analytical Technology.

CFTRI Director Dr. Raghavarao and Mohan of Karnataka Health Promotion Trust signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) where the latter will work with the institute with regard to malnutrition.