E-Paper
Only 10 per cent of brain explored
"ONLY TEN percent of the brain has been explored till date. Of the total knowledge about brain achieved so far, ninety percent has been achieved in past two decades", said Prof PN Tandon, president of the National Brain Research Centre. Prof Tandon was speaking as the chief guest of the inaugural session of three-day national symposium on recent advances in neurobiology organised by Department of Zoology, Allahabad University(AU) at AU's DR Bhatacharya Auditorium, Nehru Science Centre, here on Friday.
"ONLY TEN percent of the brain has been explored till date. Of the total knowledge about brain achieved so far, ninety percent has been achieved in past two decades", said Prof PN Tandon, president of the National Brain Research Centre.
Prof Tandon was speaking as the chief guest of the inaugural session of three-day national symposium on recent advances in neurobiology organised by Department of Zoology, Allahabad University(AU) at AU's DR Bhatacharya Auditorium, Nehru Science Centre, here on Friday.
He said the neuro scientists have to keep on working to understand the complexities of brain to solve the various riddles related to it.
Prof Tandon said that the scope of neuroscience extends far beyond biology with numerous disciplines added to it day by day. He said that neuroscience is a continuum of study from the molecular to the behavioural level and all fields are directly or indirectly related to neuroscience which is seamless and pursued with real multidisciplinary interactions. Elucidating the goal of neuroscience Prof Tandon said that the neuroscience has the objective to know, to protect, to treat the diseases of brain besides recreating the human brain. In his presidential address AU Vice-Chancellor Prof Rajen Harshe emphasised upon soul searching and team efforts needed to cope up with the ever developing world.
He said that we will have to discard the village like culture in the globalised world and look forward towards new advancements for development. He said that the academics should be brought on the foreground pushing the petty politics on the backseat.
Guest on honour Prof PK Seth, General Secretary of National Academy of Sciences India (NASI) said that the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of NASI have been extended upto October, 2006 and the Prime Minister has given his consent to attend the concluding function of the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations.
Head of the department and patron of the symposium Prof Pratima Gaur delivered a speech on centenary year of the department and briefed the history of the department while convenor of the symposium Prof UC Srivastava welcomed the guests. Organising secretary Prof Anita Gopesh presented the introduction of the symposium.
Earlier the progamme began with lighting of lamp by the guests followed by Saraswati Vandana and Kulgeet by the students. Dr KP Singh proposed a vote of thanks and the inaugural function concluded with the National Anthem.
Department's centenary
The seminar was organised to mark the centenary year of AU's Department of Zoology which was established in 1906.
It was Prof Homersham Cox and Prof FM Howlett, the two personalities with great vision that Biology was introduced as a subject of study for the Bachelor of Science Degree of the University. The teaching began with establishment of the Department of Biology and a class of 15 students under the tutelage of Prof FM Howlett. Prof DR Bhattacharya was the first Indian head of the Department and remained at the helm of affairs of the Department for nearly a quarter of a century till 1947.
Prof Bhattacharya was elevated to the post of Vice-Chancellor of this university in 1949 and the legacy of Prof Bhattacharya was carried forward by Prof AN Chattoraj, Prof CBL Srivastava, Prof HR Singh and Prof SC Tewari. The department made steady progress under the stewardships of these great scholars in the past two decades who successfully added new disciplines, restructured the curriculum and provided a vision for the uplift of the department.
Prof Pratima Gaur took the charge of the department from Prof Tiwari in 2003 and since then department has made fast progress by achieving funds. It has now been inducted under SAP/DRS programme of the University Grants Commission, New Delhi and FIST Programme of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, New Delhi. Besides these funds for infrastructure developments, teaching aids and computer facilities have also been procured by her, out of the Non-plan grant of the University Grants Commission to AU.
