BANGALORE: Environment expert and Pro Vice-Chancellor of Dayananda Sagar University in Bengaluru, Prof.Dr.K.Muthuchelian, has raised a very important and pertinent question asking global and Indian researchers to explore the possibility of a strong link between Coronavirus and Climate Change.
“The prevalence of Coronavirus- COVID-19 – needs to be studied from the issues affecting our environment and the effect of climate change on it. The interlink between climate change and the present prevalence of this virus must be explored and studied by researchers. Right now, our focus must be to prevent the Coronavirus infection spread,” he observed while speaking at the Pearl Foundation’s SMART Summit (Science, Medicine, Agriculture, Research and Technology) in Bengaluru on March 15th 2020.
CREATE ANTI-VIRUS:
The focus of this summit was mainly on addressing the global pandemic situation caused by COVID-19- Corona virus.
“Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. Climate change and prevalence of Coronavirus seems to be interrelated. So, it is for our researchers to explore and establish if it is true and also to bring an anti-virus to deal with the Corona virus and infection,” Prof.Dr.K.Muthuchelian, a former Vice-Chancellor of Periyar University in Salem in Tamil Nadu, has said.
The summit was inaugurated by Dr.Mylswamy Annadurai, former Project Director, Chandrayaan 1&2 and Mangalyaan, ISRO Satellite Center, Bengaluru and the current vice-president of Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology, Chennai. Dr.Mylswamy Annadurai was conferred PEARL RATNA AWARD 2020 by the Pearl Foundation at this summit for his outstanding contribution to space science and technology.
At SMART Summit 2020, lifetime achievements were presented to eminent personalities for their distinguished contributions. Mr.M.Praveen Chezhian, Member, Pearl Foundation, welcomed the delegates and briefed about the vision and mission of Pearl Foundation whose objective is educational excellence and higher education standards.
Mrs.M.Uma Sundari, secretary, Pearl Foundation, played a key role in organizing this SMART Summit 2020 with awards presentation event. The Pearl Laureate Lecture on Agricultural Science was delivered by Prof.Dr.R.R.Hanchinal, former chairperson, Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India and former Vice-Chancellor of University of Agricultural Science, Dharwad, Karnataka.
