Union Minister Jitendra Singh holds review meeting with NE leading scientific institutions

Wokha, June 17 (MExN): As part of his two-day official tour of Wokha district, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh, today convened a high-level review meeting with prominent scientific institutions from across the North-East in Wokha. As per the State DIPR, the meeting was organised to strengthen technological integration in key developmental sectors such as agriculture, horticulture, educational research, and the implementation of central schemes in Nagaland, particularly in Wokha district.

The meeting at the Wokha Deputy Commissioner’s Conference Hall was also attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister of Nagaland, Dr Çhumben Murry.

Six leading institutions of the region participated in the meeting. These were Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati; North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR), Shillong; Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Imphal; CSIR–North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST), Jorhat; the office of the Additional Surveyor General, Eastern Zone, Survey of India, Kolkata; and the Directorate of Geo-Spatial Data, Assam and Nagaland, Guwahati.

Each institute delivered a presentation outlining their current outreach initiatives, technological research, and collaborative programmes focusing on advancing scientific applications in rural development, refining farming practices to boost household economies, and promoting Wokha’s traditional food and beverage culture through innovation and value addition.

The State DIPR further noted that special emphasis was placed on bio-resource utilisation and the emerging bio-economy, with particular attention to banana fibre extraction in Wokha district. As banana has been recognised as the official “One District One Product” (ODOP) of Wokha, the discussion centred on strategies to scale production, promote agribusiness, and integrate sustainable value chains, it added. Dr Singh also interacted with scientists from the participating institutions and encouraged them to establish active collaboration with line departments in Wokha to translate research into real-world outcomes. He also underscored the importance of harnessing science and technology for the holistic development of remote and resource-rich districts like Wokha.