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| An insight into the inter-disciplinary research centre at Govt Degree College, Chenani, Distt Udhamur (J&K)! | | | 
Dr. Pragya Khanna
Govt. Degree College, Chenani, Dist. Udhampur (J&K), India has taken a radical step, much sought after today, in the landscape of Indian Higher Education by setting up an “Interdisciplinary Research Centre” wherein research in the natural and the applied sciences, viz., Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Anthropology, Computer Science, Mathematics, Sociology, Environmental Sciences and other allied disciplines is being carried out. It is an innovative endeavour started by the College in 2020 to promote and raise the quality of education and research within the campus.
It assumes several initiatives such us, writing proposals to government and external agencies for new projects, conducting skill based programmes for students, building inter-departmental projects within the college, taking up surveys, generating funds through sponsored projects etc. It also runs the college website, social media campaigns and handles the Public Relations for the College. It also undertakes various training workshops, short-term courses and seminars to equip the student community with the latest advancements in social and technological innovations.
Integrating a research element along with a sound academic foundation enables the faculty and students of the Institution to develop self-regulated critical thinking skills along with developing skills to take challenges and opportunities. The research process impacts valuable knowledge ideas that have long-lasting influence as undergraduates prepare for specialised domains. Faculty members at such teaching-learning intensive institutions can augment learning experiences for students while advancing themselves from an industrious research programme. The Institution in turn gets support from presentations and publications that assist to upsurge prominence in the scientific community.
Despite the fact that outlining and organizing a culture of research may be difficult in colleges as envisaged by most people from college fraternity in the Jammu division, it is not hard to make out the increasing significance of having one. Conventionally, faculty at the key research institutions have been expected to uphold academic activities, including conducting research and publishing scholarly works. Nonetheless, it is no secret that, in recent years, faculty at all-inclusive (teaching & research) institutes have also come under the burden to research and publish alongside other academic duties.
Therefore, such institutions that have traditionally accentuated active faculty interaction with students as a standard for accomplishment are also looking to develop cultures of research and increase faculty research production.
Our intentions at GDC, Chenani are to impart applied research methods to students (during practical classes and field assignments) and interested faculty, to provide faculty with research opportunities and to produce high excellence, good quality and low cost researched information for the area served by our college and beyond. Teachers and students at the College work together to cultivate, revive and implement research skills by helping unravel local problems facing business, government and community.
Additionally, the Research centre operates as an educational pivot, linking academic resources with community and regional needs. It has brought the researchers from varied domains and different institutions together in close collaboration to work on different aspects. The students and faculty at the Institution have benefitted immensely as a result and have developed a sense to stand upright and fight the obstacles; are learning to work unconventionally and with self-confidence and greater self-esteem.
It is pertinent to mention here that initiating a local research centre in an under-graduate college requires Vision, Mission, and Focus besides a group of action oriented people. Words like ‘vision’ and ‘mission’ as ambiguous as they seem, must have a well-defined meaning for all those involved. Teaching staff, support staff and students need to comprehend and recognize the centre’s regulatory doctrines and the institute needs to contemplate on aspects such as the significance of cost effectiveness, faculty development, innovative pedagogy and choice of funding sources.
Today, it has become vital that the colleges develop a culture of research for the growth of the institution as also for the faculty. Amiable relationships among faculty members would support an efficacious faculty‐to‐faculty research mentoring initiative. Such mentorships stand to nurture collaborative research pursuits, which hold a promise of successful research ecosystem. The talented students who enrol at the Centre often are keen and eager for challenges beyond the traditional classroom. These students are ready for a new level of discovery and innovativeness, so we extend them the opportunity to become cohorts in learning with our faculty both on- and off-campus.
Research opportunities proliferate at the Centre at no additional cost. The College is looking forward for students to complete mini-research projects by working during the summer with faculty mentors one-on-one or as part of a research team.
Govt. Degree College, Chenani has forged partnerships with outstanding academic institutions to enhance student development, faculty growth and academic research. The College has signed MoUs with Environment and Social Welfare Society, Khajuraho and Open Educational Resource University (OERu), New Zealand for academic collaboration. The college has also signed an MoU with the Society of Life Sciences, Satna, Madhya Pradesh for academic exchange and research collaborations.
The aim is to facilitate the institutions/organizations to equip students and faculty members with practical insights of other states/countries in research, academic interaction and hands on experience regarding the various topics they opt for their research projects.
The researchers are also provided with library facilities and internet access to pursue their research work. Establishing new facilities and upgrading the existing ones is a continuous process.
The number of publications in academic journals is a measure of the institution’s research activity and its capability in producing quality research. GDC, Chenani produced a number of research publications (indexed in the Web of Science Core Collections database), where at least one author is affiliated to the College.
Enlisted below are the collaborations, Funded Research Project and its activities and research publications of the College for the session 2020-21.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU): (3)
GDC, Chenani has signed MoU with the following societies/organizations:
1. The Society of Life Sciences, Satna, Madhya Pradesh, a registered scientific body working to promote scientific research and excellence in all areas of Life Sciences. Recognized as an academic forum for engaged scholarship at the intersection of life sciences, philosophy, bioethics, science studies and policy research, it covers a broad area of inquiry both in emerging and applied research areas.
2. Environment and Social Welfare Society, Khajuraho, India to foster collaboration, provide opportunity for global experience, and to facilitate advancement of knowledge on the basis of reciprocity, best effort, mutual benefit, and frequent interactions.
3. Open Educational Resource University, OERU Foundation, New Zealand, through The OERu International partnership: Open educational resources have been given priority in the educational objectives of the United Nations. Today, leading institutions from several countries are providing free, online and skill-focused courses to everyone in the world by joining various such schemes. GDC, Chenani considers this MoU as a significant step in this era of globalization. Thousands of free and high quality online courses are now available to the students and teachers of the College.
Funded Research Project (1)
GDC, Chenani has been awarded a Research Project entitled, “Hydro-chemical impact assessment, study of anthropogenic pressure and mass public awareness on protection of Devika stream and adjoining underground sources of water (bowlis) at Dist. Udhampur, (J&K)” by the J&K Science Technology and Innovation Council, Dept. of Science and Technology, Govt. of J&K. vide letter no. JKST&IC/75/2020 dated 12-03-2021. (ONGOING).
First Information Report (Published in Local Daily Newspapers): Govt. Degree College, Chenani initiated the survey work on the research project on 13-04-2021. The purpose of the research project is to create awareness to restore the holy Devika stream and its ecosystem as the water body and the environment is being polluted by multiple sources. The team identified the key sources of pollution, viz., poor land use, unplanned construction in the surrounding, discharge of untreated sewage, organic waste, polythene bags & temple discards into the water, over-exploitation of the water body and anthropogenic pressure, coupled with weak local authority services & control and awareness issues.
The present study will provide bio-monitoring and health assessment and will help in the analysis of health hazard evaluations, epidemiologic, intervention and prevention, environmental measurement and other investigations. Also, it shall provide technical assistance to the government agencies, private industry, and general public regarding the toxicological aspects of different chemicals/toxins present in water.
The College published a write-up entitled “Let’s Awaken to Pollution that is crippling the Holy Devika” as part of the Mass Public Awareness Campaign on protection of the Devika stream in connection with the Research Project while commemorating the Earth Day on 22nd April 2021. (Published in Local Daily Newspapers)
Research Publications (10): (2020-21):
A total of 10 research papers have been published from the Centre from May 2020 to April 2021.
1. Influence of Social Networking Sites on Youth of Jammu Region. Pragya Khanna, Savi Behl and Sanjeet Kaur. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science: 25(7): 35-52 (2020). (Impact factor: 4.621)
2. A study on the relationship between body weight perception, physical activity and food choices among the female youth in Jammu region. Archana Gupta, Shobhna Sambyal and Pragya Khanna. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR): 9 (7): 1586-1590, (2020). (Research Gate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2019): 7.583)
3. A study on the Knowledge and Perceptions of Indoor Air Pollution amongst the Youth in Jammu Region. Nargis Nelofar, Rewa Lakhnotra and Pragya Khanna. IOSR Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology: 14 (8): 1-14, (2020). (Impact factor: 3.462)
4. A study on the knowledge and practices of menstrual hygiene and reproductive morbidity among young women in and around Jammu region. Sadhna Tripathi Sharma, Ruhi Gupta and Pragya Khanna. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), 9(9): 115-119 (2020). (ResearchGate Impact Factor (2018): 0.28 | SJIF (2019): 7.583)
5. Information and communication technology (ICT-DRIVEN) learning practices as a factor of social inequality among youth in Jammu City, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Ruchika Sharma and Pragya Khanna. International Journal of Global Science Research, Vol. 7, Issue. 2, (2020), pp. 1382-1392. (|NAAS Score 2.76).
6. Association of environmental factors with the transmission of COVID-19 in various districts of Jammu Division (Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India). Ruchika Sharma and Pragya Khanna. IOSR Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology: 14 (11) ser. II: 46-51 (2020). (Impact factor: 3.462)
7. An Overview of Nutraceuticals: A Review. Deksheka Sharma and Pragya Khanna. IOSR Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology (IOSR-JESTFT): 15 (2) Ser. II: 46-49 (2021). (Impact factor: 3.462)
8. Women empowerment through financial liberation: a study of tehsil Chenani, district Udhampur, J&K, India. Ravi Kumar & Pragya Khanna. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 26 (4-9):55-61 (2021). (Impact factor: 4.621)
9. Environmental, Bio-Social and Economic Impact of Road Construction at Kunjwani-Nagrota Bypass Highway, Jammu Dist. (J&K), India. Ankush Bala, Parvinder Kumar and Pragya Khanna. IOSR Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology, Volume 15, Issue 4 Ser. II (April 2021), PP 27-36 (Impact factor: 3.462)
10. Peristaltic Motion of Micropolar Fluid with Slip Velocity in A Tapered Asymmetric Channel in Presence of Inclined Magnetic Field and Thermal Radiation. Ajaz Ahmed Dar. Sohag J. Math. 8, No. 1, 9-22 (2021).
The emerging importance of interdisciplinary, multi-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary fields has given rise to institutional collaborations that allow knowledge to be pooled together. In a globalized realm, the role of research in an academic institution is noteworthy for its sustainability and progress, and it is vital to have knowledge-driven development based on innovation. The pursuit for knowledge is the basic principle behind research. The quality of research work directly translates to the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom, thereby profiting the students, the society and the country. The preferment of research in a vast and diverse country like India will help the nation evolve as a knowledge reservoir in the international arena. |
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