The need of the hour is multi-disciplinary

The Independent Scientist-cum-Public Health Activist and Campaigner for the Millets, Dr Khadar Vali, delivered a public talk organised by the Department of Political Science, University of Hyderabad on Green Technology, Sustainable Development and Implications for Public Policy at CV Raman Auditorium on Monday.

He said that the economic and sustainable development models have been resulted in creating adverse impact on the ecology. Therefore, the only ecological developmental model has got the capacity to save the soil for the optimum production of food requirements, which are needed to the mankind on the earth.

Dr Khadar Vali vehemently criticised the spread of food hobbies through the Multinational Companies and Corporate organisations causing a worry about the public health. These companies have been supplying the Carbohydrates, Genetically Modified food. As a consequence there has been a wide spread expansion of Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Thyroid, PCOD, Cancer in the country.

All these diseases are result of metabolic imbalance due to heavy consumption of rice, wheat, sugar, refined oil and meat. The nexus among corporate, pharmaceutical, private hospitals and politicians have been converting the life style diseases as chronic and lifelong diseases. The scientists and doctors has been justifying as an unending diseases in the life of an affected person.

However, Dr Khadar said that five millets such as Kodo, little, foxtail, Brown top and Barnyard millets, which can reduce the weight, maintaining the sugar levels and HbA1c. These millets can also prevent and cure the cancer. The porridge and Herbal flavour can boost the immunity even to face Corona pandemic.

He cautioned the younger generation to conserve the ecology, which was spoiled by the previous generations in the post- independent period. Production system is supposed to be local, regional and global and policy making system must be decentralised. Dr Khadar Vali stated that for the last two years, he has been treating the corona patients without using mask, sanitizer and maintaining physical distance for more than hundred patients in a day.

Prof BJ Rao, the Vice-chancellor of the University of Hyderabad, while presiding over the public talk said that there is a need to rethink about the concept of sustainable development. To deeper understanding of the concept of Sustainable Development there is a need to conduct multi-disciplinary research.

He said that Dr Khadar Vali being a grassroots level activist raising pertinent questions about the contemporary model of development. For the last few decades, the statistical data at the global level has been alarming about the disasters and pandemics. Therefore the academic community must pay the attention on multi-disciplinary research such as Green Technology, Sustainable Development and Public Policy.

Prof E. Venkatesu, Co-ordinator of the public talk revealed that United Nations Organisation declared the year 2023 as International Year of the Millets. While following the declaration, the Ministry of Education, Government of India and University Grants Commission issued a circular in the month of November 2021 that all the Higher Education Institutions in the country to conduct seminars, Workshops and Conferences to spread the importance of Millets.

The circular also stated that millet food must be introduced in the hostels and canteens. He also highlighted one of the important objectives of National Education Policy 2020 that has been emphasizing the need for multi-disciplinary research cutting across the disciplines. While taking into account all these factors the talk is organised by the Department of Political Science.

He also highlighted some of the initiatives for the improving of public health such as Buvva Bandi (free delivery of millet food) by Kolluri Sattaiah in Tellapur, Palm jaggery, honey and Neera products by Kullaiah Swami Goud from Ananthapur District, Green Technology centric cultivation by Ms. Aparna in Vikarabad District and Micro-irrigation by Shyam Prasad Reddy

Prof. Kham Khan Suan extended the warm welcome to the speaker, dignitaries, faculty, students, non-teaching and media. After Dr Khadar Vali talk, the students have actively participated in question and answer session. They also demanded for the availability of the millet food on the University campus. The talk was concluded with the Vote of Thanks by Dr D Veerababu, Department of Political Science.