The CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM), Jammu celebrated 142nd Birth Anniversary of Col Sir RN Chopra, the Founder Director of IIIM, here today.
Dr Zabeer Ahmed (Director, CSIR-IIIM Jammu) along with Scientists, Technical & Administrative Staff, Scholars and other workers paid homage to Col Sir RN Chopra by offering floral tribute to his statue. The CSIR-IIIM family proudly commemorated his Birthday to cherish the vision & excellence of this great son of the soil.
While addressing the staff, Dr Zabeer recalled Colonel Chopra’s great contributions toward advancement of Indian Systems of Medicine. The recommendations of the Committee on Indigenous Systems of Medicine at which he had presided and brought focus on the Indian systems and the process for their consolidation started during his time only.
Dr Ahmed said, “Though the integration of Indian and Western Systems still remains a far cry but a beginning was made by him for preparing the Ayurvedic and Unani pharmacopoeias through the respective committees chaired by him” and added that Col RN Chopra was a pride of Jammu, known as father of Indian Pharmacology, who at that time when no facilities were available, had done quite remarkable work on Cannabis and other potential medicinal plants.
He entrusted his S&T colleagues of CSIR-IIIM that real tribute to this great scientist would be if we endeavour hard to accomplish his dreams of doing cutting edge science for globalization of our indigenous knowledge which would have far reaching impact particularly in the healthcare system.
Prominent among many others present were Abdul Rahim, Head RMBD & IST and Head Branch Lab Srinagar, Dr Shashank K Singh, Senior Principal Scientist, Dr Dhiraj Vyas, Head, Plant Sciences and Agrotechnology Division (PSA), Dr Deepika Singh, Head, Quality Management & Instrumentation Division and Dr Saurabh Saran, I/C Technology Business Incubator and AIC.