Inauguration of Weekly Training Program on “Plant Tissue Culture, Mushroom Spawn Production, and Vermi Compost” under the “USERC Agro-Ecology Entrepreneurship Development Center”

On April 7, 2025, a weekly training program on the topic “Plant Tissue Culture, Mushroom Spawn Production, and Vermi Compost” was inaugurated at CIMS, Dehradun under the “USERC Agro-Ecology Entrepreneurship Development Center” established by the Uttarakhand Science Education and Research Centre (USERC) at CIMS, Dehradun.
On the occasion of the inauguration, the Chief Guest, Prof. (Dr.) Anita Rawat, Director of USERC, shared information with the participants about the various scientific programs and initiatives run by USERC. She explained that the purpose of this training program is to provide practical knowledge to youth in the fields of biotechnology, agriculture-based entrepreneurship, and sustainable development. During this week-long training program, participants will receive hands-on experience in laboratory settings, helping them explore self-employment opportunities in these areas.
Prof. Rawat mentioned that during the hands-on training based on experiential learning, experts will provide detailed insights into tissue culture techniques, high-quality mushroom spawn production, and vermi compost preparation methods. She also noted that 25 participants from institutions including Government College Purola (Uttarkashi), Government Postgraduate College Kotdwar (Pauri Garhwal), Government College Satpuli (Pauri Garhwal), Government College Sitarganj (Udham Singh Nagar), and Shri Dev Suman University Rishikesh Campus are participating in the training.
Advocate Lalit Mohan Joshi, Chairman of CIMS and UIHMT Group of Colleges, welcomed the guests and trainees from various districts to the college campus. He expressed his gratitude to USERC for organizing the program and stated that this initiative is a significant step toward connecting the youth of the state with scientific thinking and making them self-reliant.
During the program, Dr. Monika Chauhan, a scientist from FRI, Dehradun, provided in-depth technical insights to the trainees on plant tissue culture, mushroom spawn production, and vermi compost. She elaborated on the opportunities, technical challenges, and solutions in these fields, and also guided participants through hands-on training in the laboratory.
The training program was attended by Dr. S. B. Joshi, Academic Director of CIMS; Dr. Ranjit Kumar Singh, Center Coordinator of the USERC Agro-Ecology Entrepreneurship Development Center at CIMS and R, Dehradun; and faculty members of CIMS.