Renowned demographer from the University of Southampton, UK, Sabu Padmadas has warned India of huge challenges in its march to become a global population power.
Delivering the keynote address at an international conference on ‘Existence and expression: science, philosophy and art’ at MES College, Mampad,
Prof. Padmadas called upon the academia and policy-makers to tackle the inequalities and benefits of the increasing population with discretion.
The three-day conference, being held in association with Flair, office of the State government’s New Initiatives in Higher Education, began on Tuesday. Prof. Padmadas underscored the importance of strengthening research and promoting multidisciplinary academic endeavours to address the spurt in population growth.
Inaugurating the conference, naturalist Shannon B. Olsson stressed the need to build trans-disciplinary networks. Flair coordinator D. Jaikiran released the conference proceedings. Nearly 120 academic papers were presented in 12 sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Mathew J. Manimala from IIM, Bangalore; Husain Madavoor, former principal of RUA Arabic College, Feroke, spoke at different sessions. Historian M.G.S. Narayanan said Kerala had made its own contributions to astronomy much before the discoveries made in the West. “We do not yet have proof on how some great ideas were transferred to the West from Kerala,” Dr. Narayanan said.
P.K. Babu, Principal, welcomed the gathering.
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