Showing posts with label MSSRF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MSSRF. Show all posts
procurement of millets to meet demand,” says Union Minister Smriti Zubin Irani,
Dr Soumya Swaminathan MSSRF distributed TAB to Fisherwoman
MSSRF book on 'Biodiversity and Importance of Mangrove Ecosystem' released
Two kgs of Ragi for Nilgiris and Dharmapuri ration card holders
Mina Swaminathan creator of Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) is no more
Mina Swaminathan (née Bhoothalingam), school teacher, educator, educationist, and child care expert, who chaired the committee that recommended what became the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), died on March 14 at her home in Chennai. She was 89. She was one of the founders of the Mobile Creches, a former chair of the Delhi Social Welfare Board, an Emeritus Trustee of the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, a founding member of the Centre for Women’s Development Studies, and an international consultant with UNESCO and UNICEF on Early Childhood Care and Education. She also worked in the field of theatre as a means of social and women's empowerment.
She is survived by her husband, M. S. Swaminathan, three daughters, Soumya Swaminathan, Madhura Swaminathan, Nitya Rao, five grandchildren, and her brother, Ravi Bhoothalingam.
As Chair of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) Committee on The Preschool Child she steered the development of the Report on the Preschool Child (1972) which led to the setting up of ICDS, the largest and most comprehensive child care service in the developing world. Her contribution to ICDS, particularly in Tamil Nadu, is notable after she moved to Chennai in 1989, setting up mobile training teams – a unique innovation, travelling widely across the state, working with ICDS frontline workers and providing practical guidance and encouragement.
At a time when it was not publicly recognized she played a significant role in getting professional, political and national attention focussed on the rights and needs of the young child and women of the underprivileged and marginalized sections of the population. A fiery advocate and practitioner, she devoted with passion and conviction, five long decades to childcare and education and gender equality. Communication, especially the innovative use of creative and educational drama was critical to her work.
She was the national President of the Indian Association for Preschool Education and the editor of its journal, BALAK. She spearheaded the introduction of early childhood care and education (ECCE) into the National Policy on Education 1986 as well as its Plan of Action, 1989 and was chair of the Focus Group on Early Childhood of NCERT, which prepared the National Curriculum Framework in 2005. She was a founder and leader of the Alliance for Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD).
She consolidated her life-long experience into the project Action for Child Care and Education Strategies and Services (ACCESS), a programme for networking of stakeholders to support training, research and advocacy on ECCE at the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF). Her work in this field, prescient at the time, brought to focus the need for all-round development of the young child, in particular attention to underweight, malnutrition and low birth-weight, all of which has adverse impact on the cognitive abilities in later life. The results of this unique project were summarized in the book titled As the Salt in the Seas, compiled by her and L.S Saraswathi.
An activist with strong political commitment, she acted fearlessly, speaking out on behalf of the marginalized. She never cared for personal power or positions. In her early years, soon after returning from Cambridge, she resigned from her Planning Commission job to take up her passion for teaching children.
A writer and planner as well, her high levels of innovation, the ability to think pragmatically and most importantly, learning from her own and others’ mistakes spoke of her versatility. Through her ability to bridge different disciplines, she inspired and converted professionals, non-governmental organizations, child care workers, policy and decision makers to become champions for child rights and early childhood development.
Among her numerous books, articles and papers, are three popular teachers’ manuals in ECCE entitled Play Activities For Young Children published (1984), The First Three Years (1989) and Play Activities For Child Development (2008). These were based on her experiences with the youngest age-group, first at the Nehru Experimental Centre at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, in Mobile Creches and in Asian countries. She also authored Who Cares? (1985) a study of day care services for low-income working women and The First Five Years (1998) a state-of-the-art review of child care services in India. Some of these publications have been widely translated into other Indian languages and went into many editions.
Chennai gets its first nutrition garden in city limit
In collaboration with Rotary Club of Madras East, M S Swaminathan Foundation established nutrition garden behind Thiruvanmiyur railway station in Chennai city to demonstrate and improve nutrition literacy among urban people.
J. Radhakrishnan, Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Tamil Nadu, inaugurated ‘Nutri-rich Plants/Awareness Garden.’
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, World Health Organization, Mr. Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Principal Secretary/ Commissioner Greater Chennai Corporation, and Rtn. M Nachiappan, Director–Environment Rotary Club of Madras East, was present on this occasion.
In his inaugural address, J. Radhakrishnan urged people to help us maintain the garden and get benefits from it.
“We should upkeep such gardens as it is quite an innovative idea. It will help us achieve sustainable development goals, especially addressing hidden hunger,” he said.
The nutrition garden is a scientifically established intervention to categorize plants based on the nutritive properties, provide planting material to the community and build awareness on cultivation and consumption to address nutrition requirements. MSSRF has been promoting this idea in different parts of the country to counter hidden hunger and malnutrition.
Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation, also urged people to help the government maintain so that more such gardens would be opened in the city.
“I found the creation of a nutrition garden in the middle of the city area is innovative, so I gave immediate permission and allocated a piece of land for it,” he said.
“If we get cooperation from people, we will create few more such spaces in other areas too,” he adds.
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, World Health Organisation of United Nations, termed it an excellent initiative.
“Excellent initiative to spread nutrition awareness among general public along with physical activity space for children and adults,” said Dr. Soumya Swaminathan in her address.
She further said that non-communicable diseases need to be prevented with increased nutrition intake.
“It is clear that while we have progressed in many spheres, we are still backward when it comes to nutrition. If India is to be a superpower, we need good nutrition and development. We also need lifestyle changes to address hypertension and diabetes, which are very high in Tamil Nadu. Dietary diversity must be taught from childhood, and diets at home and school have to be nutritional and balanced,” She adds.
MSSRF team met State MInister for Environment
Dr. G. Hariharan, Executive Director, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), led a team of scientists called on Hon'ble Minister for Environment and Pollution Control, Youth Welfare and Sports Development, Government of Tamil Nadu, Thiru Siva. V. Meyyanathan, today, 3rd December 2021.
The members of the MSSRF team were Prof. T. Jayaraman, Senior Fellow, Climate Change; Dr. Ramasubramaniam, Director, Coastal System Research and Dr. Parasuraman, Senior Scientists at the MSSRF. Dr. Hariharan and the team briefed Minister about the critical outcomes of COP26 at Glasgow and MSSRF work on Carbon Budget. The team also presented various publications and reports of the Foundation.
Prof. Jayaraman, who was part of the Government of India team at CoP 26 at Glasgow, briefed the Minister on some of the essential outcomes of COP26 at Glasgow. He highlighted the importance of India's new commitments at COP26 made in the Prime Minister's High-level address as well as the context of the discussion on coal at the closing plenary of COP 26.
The team presented some specific proposals for advancing the work on climate change adaptation in the State, focusing on dry-land agriculture in the era of climate change, coastal protection through mangroves plantation, and the promotion and deployment of early warning systems to manage climate variability.
The team also discussed the importance of mainstreaming climate risk assessment.
Honorable Minister Thiru Siva. V. Meyyanathan, gave assurance of providing support to the Foundation to pursue programmes on climate change for the welfare of the State. Mr. Meyyanathan has accepted the invitation to visit the Foundation to look into the Foundation's proposals and work on climate change mitigations.
MSSRF inks agreement for Hema Ramachandran fellowship for Women Scientists
M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) entered into an agreement to institute Hema Ramachandran fellowship for Women Scientists’ to improving gender equality in scientific research.
Mr G.P. Ramachandran spouse of late Prof Dr. HEMA RAMACHANDRAN, has instituted an endowment at MSSRF titled ‘The Hema Ramachandran fellowship for Women Scientists’ to commemorate her scientific contributions and pave the way for women scientist to get back to the research career.
Mr G.P. Ramachandran and Dr Madhura Swaminathan, Chairperson, MSSRF signed an MoU at the Foundation’s Chennai Headquarter.
“This agreement is entered into in the Spirit of Service to Humanity” said Mr G.P. Ramachandran. “It will help in improving gender equality in scientific research” he said after signing the MoU.
The Foundation established in 1988 to employ appropriate and relevant science and technological tools in addressing the challenges being faced by the rural communities.
The mandate of the MSSRF is to undertake and disseminate strategic, applied, anticipatory and participatory research, based on a pro-nature, pro-poor, pro-women and pro-livelihood orientation to technology development and dissemination.
Need of more science-based education to counter misinformation - Prof Swaminathan
Need of more science-based education to counter misinformation
There is always a need for dedicated scientific platforms where young school students and teachers can learn basic process skills and attitudes towards science such as observing, classifying, communicating, measuring, inferring, and predicting said Minister for School Education, Shri Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, during the inauguration of the ‘Every Child A Scientist’ (ECAS) programme on 26 September 2021 at Sambasivan Hall of M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) Chennai.
The Foundation and the Indian multinational Larsen and Toubro (L&T), Chennai, have come together to ignite young minds from marginalized sections of the society through the ECAS programme. L&T is supporting the ECAS programme as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
“I urge L&T to support more schools under this programme as state has 45000 schools and request the Foundation to take up more schools under this project to help state students” says the minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi.
The Foundation initiated the ‘Every Child A Scientist’ (ECAS) programme to inculcate a scientific temper in students from underprivileged sections of the society since 2002.
“Children’s scientific temperament directly contributes to country’s progress,” says Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, who donated an initial endowment grant of Rs. 25.00 Lakhs associated with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Development, and Disarmament. Prof. Swaminathan was the recipient of the prize in 1999.
“The earlier version of the ECAS program laid more emphasis on classroom teaching while the current version will have more interactive learning sessions and connect them with leading scientists and laboratories enabling them to get up-to-date information in the chosen research area” says Prof. Swaminathan. He emphasized over to teach students to how to differentiate facts from fiction.
“Mahatma Gandhi always stressed raising children in a culture of science which enables children to get scientific temperament,” says Prof. Swaminathan, founder of the MSSRF.
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, WHO, has also emphasised inculcating scientific temper among children to counter misinformation.
“During the pandemic time, we also faced so many of challenges due to misinformation about the Virus and vaccines,” says Dr. Soumya. “At WHO, we call it as infodemic where lots of rumours and fictitious stories about pandemic spread through different messaging apps,” says Dr. Soumya.
She raised concern about how the pandemic affected school education and urged the government to think of remedial classes for those students who didn’t access online classes.
The Foundation started the ECAS programme to empower youths, particularly those belonging to tribal and farm families and urban economically underprivileged school children, to inculcate scientific temper and impart information and knowledge relating to the conservation and sustainable use of our bio-resources.
Young minds from underprivileged sections of society face several hindrances which affect their academic performance. They are deprived of access to quality learning aids and lack exposure to up-to-date exciting developments in science.
Separate budget for Agriculture- TN CM M K Stalin
“A separate budget for agriculture with special focus on natural farming will be
announced in upcoming budget. At the same time reviving of local and village
markets to ensure farmers to get fair price for their produce” says Thiru M K
Stalin. This was announced by the Chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Thiru M K Stalin
during inaugural of the virtual International Consultation “Ensuring Food and
Nutrition Security in the Context of Climate Change and the COVID-19
Pandemic”, organized by the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation
(MSSRF) in Chennai. National Policy-makers, Scientists, and the Global
experts on Climate Change, Agriculture, Food and Nutrition will attend the
high-level three-day virtual event.
He also emphasized on maintaining of ground water as well as control of flood
in Chennai city. He urged all the environmental scientists of Tamil Nadu to
come up with innovative suggestions to resolve the climate crisis in the state.
“Climate change is a life-threatening issue. Its impact is increasing day-by-day
as there is rise in incidents of heat-waves, drought, and floods. He urges
scientists of our State to come up with some innovative solution to tackle it
and this will be openheartedly accepted” says Chief Minister.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof M S Swaminathan, emphasized on use
of science and technology in agriculture and showed his gratitude to one of
the first leader of Tamil Nadu who initiated science-based agriculture.
“I recall with gratitude that our great leader Kalaignar M Karunanidhi, former
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu who felt science and technology are building
blocks for modern agriculture and initiated very early, which strengthen State’s
Agriculture Institutions and farmers community” says Prof M S Swaminathan.
He further emphasized over need of technical as well as assured and remunerative market support for rural women, tribal and farmers. Earlier, Dr Madhura Swaminathan, Chairperson, MSSRF, welcomed the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Thiru M K Stalin, and Minister for Health and Family Welfare, through. Ma Subramanian.
“Like every year, policy recommendations from these deliberations will be shared with the State and the Union Governments” says Dr Madhura Swaminathan.The inaugural session attended by Mr N Ram, Chairman of the Hindu Group and Former Trustee, Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, WHO, current MSSRF’s trustees Mr V Namasivayam, Dr Kezevino Aram, Mr
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