Chandigar, December 01 : To celebrate Year 2011 as “International Year of Chemistry (IYC 2011), a three-day International Conference on “Innovations in Chemistry for Sustainable Development” (ICSD-2011) was inaugurated by the Prof. R.C. Sobti, Vice-Chancellor, Panjab University, at the department of Chemistry. UNESCO, a United Nations body, has declared the year 2011 as international year of chemistry with the theme chemistry-our life, our future. This international conference is aimed to generate enthusiasm among young researchers for a constructive and creative future of chemistry. On the first day of the conference, sessions were organised on various topics like biofuel, value-added products, molecular-designing and excitement in chemistry. The keynote address was delivered by Dr. D. K. Tuli, General Manager (Research & Development, Indian Oil Corporation Limited) on Second and Third generation biofuels, emphasizing the needs for Indian energy sector. In the inaugural session, Prof. S. K. Mehta, Chairperson and convener of the Conference, presented a documentary featuring aims and activities of the IYC 2011. During the plenary lecture, Prof. K. K. Bhutani, Director National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Mohali, described that how to translate ideas into values-adding products. Prof. Om Parkash, from Kansas State University, USA, stressed upon designing of new generation antibiotics that are less susceptible to the development of antimicrobial resistance. Prof. J. P. Mittal, from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, expressed the need for cleaner chemical routes and recent excitement in chemistry. Prof. N. Sathyamurthy, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, delivered interesting lecture on molecular-clusters and Prof. Anil Kumr from National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, elaborated the importance of ionic liquids. Besides this research scholars form all over India presented their work during several oral and poster presentations.
