Meghalaya: NEHU hosts workshop with 30 traditional healers on good field collection practices

The Department of Nanotechnology at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) organised a pivotal workshop on "Good Field Collection Practices (GFCP)" in collaboration with the Quality Council of India (QCI) and the National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB), New Delhi.

Held on April 23, 2024, at NEHU, Shillong, the workshop aimed to support the Voluntary Certification Scheme for Medicinal Plant Produce (VCSMPP), attracting nearly 30 traditional healers from diverse regions of Meghalaya.

Prof DK Nayak, senior professor and vice-chancellor in-charge, graced the event as chief guest, lauding NEHU's initiative in bridging academia and traditional knowledge. Prof SR Joshi, Director of the Research and Development Cell, highlighted Meghalaya's medicinal flora's potential and stressed adopting Good Agriculture Practices (GAP).

Resource persons, Dr Rajeev Kumar Sharma and Jangaiah Mangalaram engaged with traditional healers, emphasising GFCP's significance. Prof Md. Iftekhar Hussain, Dean of the School of Technology, commended NEHU's proactive approach despite resource constraints. He said that the department has been very active in conducting high end research, workshops and most importantly disseminating the knowledge and technology to the community through outreach programmes like this workshop.

Dr LR Singh, Head of the Department of Nanotechnology, NEHU, expressed optimism about blending indigenous wisdom with scientific advancements for societal betterment.