Ujire, February 9:A two-day International Conference on “Rural Livelihoods and Sustainability: A Global Perspective” was inaugurated today at Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara (SDM) College, Ujire. The conference is jointly organised by the Departments of Economics & Rural Development and Commerce & Business Administration, with sponsorship from the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi.
Inaugurating the conference, Dr. Satishchandra S., Secretary, SDM Educational Society, emphasised that national development must begin from villages. He observed that despite scientific advancement and population growth, the country continues to face challenges such as poverty, lack of peace, and environmental degradation. “Many activities carried out in the name of development are adversely impacting the earth and the environment. As India is a nation of villages, true development must start from rural areas,” he said.
Dr. Satishchandra further highlighted the responsibility of preserving natural resources for future generations. Referring to recent demographic trends, he noted the decline in the rural population from 68 per cent to 63 per cent over the past two years and stressed the need to revitalise rural development. He encouraged students to develop a deeper understanding of rural and sustainable development, stating that the conference would serve as a meaningful platform in this regard.
He also cited the long-standing service initiatives of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala education, food, healthcare, and protection as exemplary models of sustainable and rural development.
Prof. Mariano Rojas, Professor at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, Mexico City, USA, attended the programme as a guest of honour and conveyed his best wishes for the success of the conference.
Presiding over the inaugural session, Prof. Vishwanatha P., Principal of SDM College, remarked that rural regions face persistent challenges such as limited employment opportunities and inadequate access to educational institutions, which ultimately pose serious obstacles to national development.
On the occasion, a book comprising 35 research papers presented at the conference was formally released. Prof. Mariano Rojas and Ms. Nalini Ratnaraj, resource person from Sri Lanka, were felicitated.
Head of the Department of Commerce Dr. Ratnavathi K., Professors Dr. Bhanuprakash B.E., Gururaj, Dr. Mahesh Kumar Shetty H., and other faculty members were present.
The programme began with an invocation by Kshithi Rai and team. Dr. Ganaraj K., Head of the Department of Economics & Rural Development and Conference Convener, welcomed the gathering. The session was compered by Fatima Safeera and Deekshitha Kumari from the Department of Commerce. Dr. Shakunthala, Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Head of the Department of Business Administration, proposed the vote of thanks.
إرسال تعليق