President of India, Pranab Mukherjee said that Human beings are product of evolutionary and historical process. So far, the desire to be master of nature has guided most human activities. This desire needs to be replaced now by philosophy of cooperation with nature and urge to evolve new paradigms of ecologically sustainable development.
He was addressing the inaugural function of five-day long 37th India Social Science Congress at Kennedy Auditorium, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on "Building on Ecologically Sustainable Society" on Friday.
He stated that despite having water on three-fourth of its surface, Earth has only one percent drinking water, a large uantity of which is polluted. On top of it, rivers are drying and there is over-exploitation of ground water. Where there is water, there is life and where there is no water, there is no, life. So, we need to conserve as well as replenish our water resources.
He also pointed out that India is one of the mega-biodiverse countries in the world. With four global biodiversity hotspots, India ranks amongst the top ten amongst species rich nations. "Climate change is a threat but also a unique opportunity to work together. As a developing country on the frontlines of climate vulnerability, India has a vital stake in the evolution of a successful, rule based, equitable and multilateral response to climate change," he cautioned.
"This Congress will be a grand success and deliberations in it would be very fruitful. These deliberations could play a vital role in guiding India onto the path of becoming an ecologically sustainable society," he hoped.
AMU Vice Chancellor, lt Gen (Retd) Zameer Uddin Shah said the foundation of this great seat of learning was laid by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan who was one of the great social reformers and a leading nation builder of modern India.
"Sir Syed was a prolific writer and indefatigable speaker. He wrote profusely on diverse subjects as religion, philosophy, logic, history, education, medicine, socio-cultural problems, ecology and conservation," he added.
He shared that a record number of 487 research papers have been received for presentation from all over the country, of which almost half are from AMU. He hoped that the deliberations of the plenary and parallel sessions will help identify some of the most pertinent ecological problems facing the world.
AMU Vice Chancellor hoped that AMU would become the first "Green University" in the country. For this, an investment of Rs. 5.5 Crore is required for which he has requested the President of India to sanction the amount.
He also handed over a memorandum submitted by the students to the President of India and said that the academic community and students of this University felt strongly that it was time to restore Minority Character to the AMU.
President of the Indian Academy of Social Sciences, Prof PS Ramakrishnan highlighted the focal theme of the Congress. "Continuous destruction of ecology through deforestation, mining, chemicalisation of agriculture and industries, nuclearisation etc has endangered our very existence," he added.
later, the President of India inaugurated the Social Science Cyber library and Governor, Bl Joshi released the souvenir and presented the first copy to the President of India.
Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ahmad Hasan, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Brig (Retd), S Ahmad Ali, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences and the Organizing Secretary, Prof Shabahat Husain, etc. along with other officials and dignitaries were present on the occasion.