Kanpur: Under the auspices of “Azaadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav”, “Teachers Day” was celebrated at National Sugar Institute by felicitating ex-Directors (Prof. R.B.Nigam, Prof. R.K. Vaish, Prof. S.K. Gupta and Dr. R.P, Shukla) and Professor (Dr. P.K. Agarwal) of the institute who have contributed significantly in academics thus enabling institute to provide competent technical manpower to the sugar and allied industry, said Prof. Narendra Mohan, Director, National Sugar Institute, Kanpur.
Besides them women teachers (Dr. Kalpana Vapeyi & Dr. Kiran Singh) who did their Ph.D work at the institute and later on took up teaching at other institutions or colleges were also felicitated. Shri Suresh Rana, Hon’ble Minister of Sugarcane Development & Sugar Industries and Smt. Nilima Katiyar, Hon’ble Minister, Higher Education, Science & Technology, U.P. Government graced the occasion as Chief Guest and Guest of Honour respectively.
Shri Suresh Rana, Hon’ble Minister of Sugarcane Development & Sugar Industries lauded the efforts made by National Sugar Institute, Kanpur in providing required technical manpower to the sugar & allied industry and also for the technological developments. Millers and Farmers are the two sides of the same coin and the sugar industry can flourish only when interest of both remain protected, he stressed. He also elaborated various efforts made by the Government of Uttar Pradesh for sugarcane development, clearing dues of sugarcane farmers and also for facilitating the sugar industry to diversify. Smt. Nilima Katiyar, Hon’ble Minister, Higher Education, Science & Technology called upon the sugar industry to convert itself into hub of multiple products. This will create investments, employment potential and ultimately prosperity in rural areas, she said.
On this day, a conference on “Indian Sugar Industry- yesterday, today and tomorrow” was also organized. Prof. Narendra Mohan, Director, National Sugar Institute, Kanpur while making presentation on journey of Indian Sugar Industry highlighted the role of National Sugar Institute in growth of Indian Sugar Industry during the post-independence period. From only 135 factories at the time of independence with sugar production of about 1.1 million tonnes the country now has 530 operational sugar factories with annual sugar production of about 35 million metric tonnes. The technical efficiency has improved by miles and there is lot better utilization of by-products for production of power, ethanol and other value added products. At the time of independence, sugar industry was dependent upon import of plant and machinery from France and Germany but the things have reversed and now we are exporting it to more than 40 countries, said Prof. Mohan.
The conference was addressed by Prof. R.B. Nigam, Prof. R K Vaish, both Ex- Director, Prof. Swain, Prof. Sugar Engineering and Shri Pradeep Khandelwal, Unit Head, M/s Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd. wherein they highlighted the importance of more technological interventions for improving efficiencies further and to develop innovative products.
On this occasion, a “Model Room” at the institute was also inaugurated where models of equipment used by the sugar industry in 1930’s and those being used at present have been kept to showcase the technological advancement over the years.
