Prof R B Singh inaugurates Five-Day Entrepreneurship Program on Waste Management for Environmental Sustainability

Padma Bhushan Dr. R.B. Singh inaugurated a Five-Day Training Program on Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Agricultural and Industrial Waste Management for Environmental Sustainability.

The program is jointly organized by the Division of Environmental Sciences, Zonal Technology Management and Business Plan Development Unit at IARI, New Delhi, and Young Professionals for Agricultural Development India. Its primary objective is to raise awareness and provide knowledge about effective waste management techniques, as well as to inspire and educate youth about entrepreneurial opportunities.

Dr. S. Naresh Kumar, Head of the Division of Environmental Sciences, delivered the welcome remarks, followed by an introduction by Dr. Bhupinder Singh, the training coordinator. Dr. C. Viswanathan provided special remarks about the training, while Dr. Ashish Khandelwal, the Course Director, presented an overview of the training program.

During his inaugural speech, Prof. R.B. Singh emphasized the significance of agricultural and industrial waste management for environmental sustainability and entrepreneurship. He highlighted the importance of achieving zero waste for zero hunger and emphasized the need to focus on the three P's: People, Planet, and Prosperity. He also stressed the urgency of embracing a circular economy to promote entrepreneurship and enhance people's overall well-being.

The training program will cover a wide range of topics related to waste management. These include the production of biogas, biofuel, and bio-slurry, the role of PUSA decomposer in agri-residue management, extraction approaches for bioactive compounds applicable to agriculture and industry, biodegradation methods for waste management, the utilization of blue-green algae as a nutrient-rich formulation, the utilization of sugarcane industry waste in various sectors, the use of horticultural waste as an organic pesticide, case studies of start-ups developed using waste materials, biomass utilization through vermicompost, mushroom production, leaf-enriched compost, engineering interventions for animal block technology and pellet development, and value addition in ornamentals using agricultural waste. The training program will also include industrial visits to the waste-to-electricity plant in Tehkhand and the National Thermal Power Corporation in Dadri.

A total of 49 participants, including 15 from different states and two international candidates from Korea and Nepal, have registered for the training program. Among the participants, 34% are female. Dr. Akrti Sharma, In-charge of the Zonal Technology Management and Business Plan Development Unit, expressed gratitude and presented a vote of thanks at the end of the program.

This training program aims to raise awareness and foster a positive change in people's attitudes toward waste management. It will contribute to the national goal of sustainable development and promote a cleaner and healthier environment.