IUST organizes seminar on eradication of poverty

Awantipora, October 17 – The department of economics, IUST Islamic University of Science and Technology organized a one-day seminar on the occasion of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The event among others was attended by academics, experts, and students.
During the seminar, Prof. Santosh Mehrortra, a renowned Development Economist and Senior Fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library Research delivered his keynote speech on why human development should take precedence over economic growth. He also engaged with the audience and answered their questions.
The seminar featured a panel discussion on poverty eradication, with distinguished speakers including Mr. G.A Qureshi (Former Director General, Directorate of Economics and Statistics J&K), Prof. A.S Bhat (Former Dean of Social Sciences, IUST), Prof. Mohamad Amin (I/C Director, Rinchen Shah Center for West Himalayan Cultures, IUST) and Dr. Asifa Mehraj Baba, all of whom brought extensive expertise in economics, social sciences, and regional cultures to the discourse.
Speaking on the SDGs, Prof. Manzoor Ahmad Malik, Dean Academics Affairs, emphasized the interconnectedness of wealth disparity with other Sustainable Development Goals, such as education and hunger. Prof. Malik underscored the need for greater awareness of food wastage to address hunger-related issues. Dean of Research, Prof. A.H. Moon also spoke on the occasion and said that poverty limits an individual’s opportunities and hampers his growth. He said that the great strides have been made in poverty eradication and continued focus on the matter would herald a lasting prosperity.
Prof. Mohd Shafi, Head Department of Economics spoke about the multi-dimensional nature of poverty, and provided a comprehensive overview of the definition and statistics of poverty on a global scale. He also highlighted the initiatives taken by the Government of India to combat poverty.