CSIR-Ladakh UT MoU for S&T Development

Recently, CSIR and Ladakh UT signed an agreement for the development of the UT through Science and Technology (S&T) interventions.

Key Points

• The agreement was signed by CSIR-IIIM Director D. Srinivas Reddy and Rigzin Samplel, the Commissioner Secretary Agriculture and Horticulture, Ladakh UT.
• The aim of the MoU is to establish a knowledge partnership between CSIR and the Ladakh UT for development in the areas like an exploration of natural resources, the introduction of cash crops in the region, and bioresource utilization endemic to Ladakh.
• Under the agreement, various CSIR Institutes will start research and development, extension, and societal projects based on their core competencies.
• In the first phase, six Institutes namely CSIR-CMERI, CSIR-IIIM, CSIR-NBRI, CSIR-IHBT, CSIR-NGRI, and CSIR-CLRI will provide extensive knowledge and technological support with CSIR-IIIM, Jammu as a nodal institution.
• The major areas of interest include aromatic and nutraceutical plants/crops, industrial agriculture with a focus on commercialization of endemic & other high-value medicinal, eco-friendly leather processing, bioprospection of endemic microbial, Geophysical mapping, plants diversity, and microbiological & biotechnological interventions.

Before this, CSIR has made significant contributions to the Ladakh by setting up the CSIR-Centre of Excellence for High Altitude Natural Sciences and establishment of demonstration and experimental farms of various aromatic, nutraceutical, and medicinal plants/crops of Ladakh.