Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said India has seen remarkable progress in healthcare research and development under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged scientists to collaborate in order to produce ground-breaking discoveries for the prevention and management of chronic lifestyle diseases.

The LG emphasised the crucial role of scientists and academicians in societal well-being, noting that their pursuit of excellence is key to ensuring a healthier society and contributing to the broader vision of nation-building.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has seen remarkable progress in healthcare research and development. India’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with its global support through the Vaccine Maitri initiative, is exemplary,” he said, while inaugurating the ‘International Conference on Endocrinology, Metabolism and Reproduction: Exploring New Frontiers’ at the University of Jammu.

The Lt Governor praised the efforts of the University of Jammu and the Indian Society for Comparative Endocrinology in exploring cutting-edge advancements in endocrinology and related fields.

“Our research and creation of new knowledge must be dedicated to the benefit of humanity,” he stressed, urging scientists and researchers to work together to harness the potential of research and innovation to generate ground-breaking discoveries for the prevention and management of chronic lifestyle diseases.

“Today, India’s superior research capabilities in various sectors are recognised and appreciated globally. Scientists from both traditional systems and modern medicine are collaborating to address the challenges of lifestyle diseases, mental health and reproductive health,” the Lt Governor added.

At the conference’s inaugural session, the Lt Governor also shared insights into the socio-economic reforms implemented in various sectors in JK over the past few years.

In the last five years, Prime Minister Modi’s commitment to peace, job creation, entrepreneurship, sustainable growth and relentless infrastructure development has transformed the destiny of JK, the LG remarked.

He also commended the University of Jammu for spearheading change in the education sector in JK.

On this occasion, the Lt Governor unveiled a bust of Brigadier Rajinder Singh, MVC (posthumous), hailed as the saviour of JK. He also released the conference’s abstract book.

Around 150 participants from India and abroad, including faculty, researchers and students from leading universities and research institutes, are attending the four-day conference. Participants represent states such as Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and JK, alongside six international delegates from Canada, Portugal, Japan, Belgium, the United States and Germany.