NIT Srinagar hosts 1st Int. conference on ‘Technology Interventions for Elderly and Disabled’

Srinagar, May 18: The Centre for Technology intervention for elderly and disabled (CTIED) National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar on Saturday organised the first International Conference on ‘ Technology Interventions for Elderly and Disabled’ in collaboration with NAB India, Chinar Kashmir and AADI India.

The inaugural session was presided over by President Chinar Kashmir (NGO) Nazir Ahmad Qureshi, while Institute’s Registrar, Prof. Atikur Rehman, Dean FW,(HAG) Prof. G.A Harmain, Dean AA, Dr. Mohammad Shafi Mir, Dean A&IA, Prof. Nazir Ahmad Sheikh, Dean P&D Dr. Yashwant Mehta, Prof. Javed Ahmad Naqash and Secretary Chinar Kashmir, Pirzada Mumtaz Ahmad, graced the occasion.

Director NIT Srinagar Prof. A. Ravinder Nath was the Chief Patron of the conference, Chairman, CTIED, NIT Srinagar, Prof. M. A. Bazaz, while as Dr. H. S. Pali, Dr. Neeraj Gupta and Dr. Ravi Bhushan were the organizing secretaries of the conference. 

On the occasion, Institute’s Registrar, Prof. Atikur Rehman said such conferences are vital and urged the youth to come forward and work for the betterment of society.

“We should use the term ‘specially abled’ instead of ‘disabled’ as God has gifted many qualities to this community. The conference is dedicated to advancing the utilization of technology for the betterment of elderly and specially abled populations,” he said.

Prof. Rehman also shared his experiences at HMT Bengaluru and Mumbai, where specially abled employees were highly appreciated for their work.

 He stressed the need to introduce similar mechanisms in our workplaces to empower the community. NIT Srinagar will continue to support initiatives both on and off-campus,” Prof. Rehman said.

In his keynote address, Secretary Chinar Kashmir, Pirzada Mumtaz Ahmad said both differently abled and elderly are two different things, people often get confused about their meaning. The problems of both are entirely different and they should be treated differently.

He also gave a brief introduction about Chinar Kashmir and its work in the Valley. It was started in 2004 and has reached every corner of the Valley.”

Mr. Mumtaz urged students to develop technologies to assist both the elderly and the differently abled communities.

“Come forward and help them through the medium of technology. You can design and manufacture technologies that will serve society in meaningful ways. As you grow older, you will realize that small things matter to everyone. It is the future investment,” he said.

Dean AA, Dr. Mohammad Shafi Mir, commended the organizing committee for hosting such a relevant conference.

He said this theme pertains to everyone, as most of us will encounter these two stages in our lives. Although some work has been done in this field, we need to further empower these individuals with the use of new technology.

“It is our duty to advance this field. As engineers, when we construct any structure, we should keep these individuals in mind to ensure they do not face any problems in the future,” Dr. Mir said.

Dean P&D, Dr. Yashwant Mehta, highlighted the historical efforts made for the empowerment of the elderly and specially abled individuals. He cited examples from the American Civil War, ancient practices in Egypt, and other countries.

Dean FW (HAG), Prof. G.A. Harmain, stressed the need for conducting more research to further empower the differently abled and elderly communities through technology.

“We must look around and take care of everyone in society. Our advancements should aim to improve the quality of life for all, ensuring that no one is left behind,” he added.

Dean A&IA, Prof. Nazir Ahmad Sheikh said that there is a need to convince the government to allocate more funds for research in this sector.

“We should advocate for this as it is one of the most demanding fields in today’s world. So far, it has not been a priority for the government,” he said.

Prof. Nazir said there is a need to focus on securing government funding, as it would enable significant advancements in this area.

A formal vote of thanks was presented by Coordinator, CTIED, Dr. H S. Pali. He expressed gratitude to distinguished guests, speakers,presenters, sponsors and partners.

“Your support and generosity have been crucial in bringing this conference to fruition. We appreciate your commitment to advancing technology and your dedication to this important cause,” he added.

The first session was delivered on ‘ Jaipur Rehabilitation Technology” (Jaipur foot and low-weight thermoplastic calipers) by Dr. Anil Kumar Jain (MD DNB MNAMS) HOD, Dr. P.K. Sethi, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation S.D.M. Hospital Jaipur, India.

It was followed by another session hosted by Mr. T. D. Dhariyal, President, National Association for the Blind New Delhi, India on ‘Role of technology for an independent and dignified living for the elderly and persons with disability.’

Dr. Ashish Kumar Srivastava, from DST&TE, Bihar presented his topic on ‘Innovation in Additive Manufacturing to support the disabled’.

It was followed by a lecture on ‘Lessons learned from Tele-ophthalmology at LV Prasad Eye Institute Eye Health Pyramid by Dr. Padmaja Kumari Rani Network Associate Director (Tele-ophthalmology).

Later research in this area was also presented by various researchers from various parts of the country.