The CSIR Indian Institute of Integrated Medicines (IIIM) Jammu celebrated the 78th Independence Day with great enthusiasm and gaiety at its main campus, Jammu Branch Lab.  Srinagar and field stations at Jammu, Srinagar & Leh. The main programme was held at Jammu campus where Dr Zabeer Ahmed, Director CSIR-IIIM hoisted the National Flag on the occasion and took salute at the ceremonial march past by security men of the Institute and students of Regional Research Laboratory High School.

Dr Zabeer Ahmed on the occasion extended warm greetings to the audience and recalled the supreme sacrifices of the national heroes like Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Rajinder Prashad, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Lala Lajpat Rai, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Rani Lakshmibai, Khudiram Bose, Sukhdev Thapar, Vallabhbhai Patel, Mangal Pandey, Tantya Tope, Ashfaqullah Khan, Ram Prasad Bismil, Udham Singh, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, who laid down their lives for the country.

The Director also addressed the large gathering of employees, their families, students and members of the civil society. In his Independence Day address, the Director extended his warm greetings to all present and remembered our freedom fighters whose sacrifices allowed us to breathe in today’s free environment. While recollecting the patriotic contributions of great leaders of Indian’s freedom movement, he exhorted the audience to tread the path of righteousness and contribute towards nation building with their full might. In his address, Dr Ahmed also enumerated the various achievements of the institute in not only the R&D areas but also towards the institutional commitment and efforts towards its societal missions. He further reminded the gathering that the greatest gift that we can give to our nation is our continuous and unwavering support and effort towards the goal of making India a self-reliant and prosperous nation. The address was followed by various thrilling cultural performances by the students of the RRL High School with patriotism as the common thread. This was very much appreciated by the large and receptive audience which included Er. Abdul Rahim Head RMBD & IST, Vikram Singh, Sr.CoA and other HoDs, and Principal RRL High School.

The flag hoisting and Independence Day celebrations were also held at the Branch Laboratory Srinagar, besides field stations and experimental farms at Chatha in Jammu and Palam at Leh.