Tag: Agendra Kumar

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Empowering Lives through Innovation: OPAI Advocates for Policy Recognition of Prosthetics and Orthotics in India

Nov 5, 2024 by Mansi Praharaj 0 Comments #Agendra Kumar, #M C Das, #OPAI, #OPAI Delhi Chapter, #Orthotics, #Prosthetics, #Rajesh Aggarwal, #Rajesh Das, #Tapas Behera

New Delhi, November 5th, 2024: On International Prosthetics and Orthotics Day, the Delhi Chapter of the Orthotics and Prosthetics Association of India (OPAI) hosted a 1-Day Conclave at Hindi Bhawan to emphasize the transformative role of prosthetics and orthotics in empowering people with disabilities. The event advocated for stronger policy-level recognition of prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) expertise in government decision-making, including in the Paralympic selection process.

Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, highlighted the importance of reliable data for understanding disabilities in India, noting that over 95% of registered cases involve 40% or more disability, as per UDID data. “The government is making district-wise data on 21 types of disabilities available for public use, helping drive informed solutions,” he shared. Mr. Aggarwal also outlined efforts to streamline assistive technology distribution, aiming to reduce prosthetic fitment time from 45 days to just 7 days, and to ensure that services are accessible within 100 km for all individuals. He further added, “With India expressing formal interest to host the Olympics and Paralympics in 2036, there is an even greater need to enhance our support systems for para-athletes and bring advanced prosthetic and orthotic care to the forefront.”

Shri Agendra Kumar, Secretary of OPAI Delhi Chapter and Organizing Secretary for IPOD 2024, underscored the need for policy inclusion, stating, “Our professionals play a crucial role in the lives of those they serve. Policy support is essential to our mission of making rehabilitation and mobility accessible to all. There is an urgent need for the insurance sector to include prosthetic and orthotic services, and P&O professionals must be involved at all levels of para-sports.”

Shri Rajesh Das, President of OPAI Delhi, added, “Our work in prosthetics and orthotics restores dignity and independence. With strong government policies and affordable ‘Make in India’ solutions, we can ensure everyone has access to essential care. Together, we are transforming lives.”

Shambhu Kumar Yadav, Vice President of OPAI Delhi, echoed the sentiment: “Prosthetic and orthotic professionals are essential to India’s healthcare framework. Their work empowers individuals and brings dignity through mobility.”

Treasurer Shri Tapas Behera noted, “IPOD 2024 shines a light on the critical role P&O professionals play. By integrating these services into government schemes, we can expand our reach and impact.”

Dr. M C Das National President of OPAI, remarked, “IPOD 2024 is a milestone event in our journey to integrate prosthetic and orthotic care into government schemes, ensuring no one is left behind. This platform amplifies our commitment to accessible, high-quality care and reinforces the vital role P&O professionals play in both healthcare and para-sports.”

The event underscored OPAI’s commitment to advancing inclusion, collaboration, and innovation in rehabilitation services, ensuring every individual can live a life of dignity and independence.

Education

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Signs MoU with Esri India to Set up Centre of Geospatial Excellence

Jan 5, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Agendra Kumar, #Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, #Dean of International Programs and UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Development and Innovation, #Director, #Dr. M. Rajeevan, #Dr. Maneesha Sudheer, #Dr. T. Srinivasa Kumar, #Earth Commission, #Esri India, #ESSO-INCOIS; and Chairman, #Government of India, #Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), #Ministry of Earth Sciences, #Ministry of Earth Sciences; Chairman, #President, #secretary

Hyderabad: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, ranked the 4th Best Overall University in India in NIRF 2020, has inked an MoU with Esri India, the market leader in Geospatial Information Systems, to establish a Centre of Geospatial Excellence on Spatial Analysis and Modeling with dedicated facilities for research, development and testing.

The Centre would promote development of specific skills and technical knowhow among academicians, students and the industry around geospatial technologies and latest toolkits like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and geospatial Big Data Analytics. It would conduct certificate and diploma courses, training programs and workshops, particularly around geospatial technology application areas to strengthen multi-hazard risk reduction and community resilience.

Talking about the MoU, Dr. Maneesha Sudheer, Dean of International Programs and UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Development and Innovation, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, said: “This partnership aims to enhance research and capacity development in Geoinformatics, Spatial Analytics, and Modelling. The collaborative initiatives will work towards sustainable development to address quality education (SDG 4), gender equality (SDG 5), sustainable communities (SDG 11), and climate action (SDG 13) by engaging faculty, bachelors, masters, and Ph.D. students. They will help enhance the existing curriculum and educational material, as well as develop new educational approaches for effective teaching and learning of sustainability initiatives using spatial geoinformatics.”

Added Agendra Kumar, President, Esri India: “Empowering the academic community with necessary tools and technologies needed for future-ready students and capacity building is one of our key priorities. Geospatial infrastructure is the core foundation of disaster-risk reduction, sustainability and resilience initiatives. Our collaboration with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham will support various research initiatives and flagship programs such as Amrita Live-in-Labs for better sustainability and development.”

The MoU was inked during the International Symposium on Disaster Risk Reduction & Community Resilience that was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (ESSO-INCOIS), Govt. of India, Esri India and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. The event commemorated the 16th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. The participants discussed the challenges faced and lessons learnt since that catastrophic event, and analysed India’s current preparedness in community resilience, governance and technological solutions to mitigate any future impact of tsunamis in India.

Dr. M. Rajeevan, Secretary, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences; Chairman, ESSO-INCOIS; and Chairman, Earth Commission, Government of India, said: “Even though we have advanced tsunami-warning systems today, there are many grey areas where we need to improve. We have to engage scientists and technology experts to improve decision support systems and last-mile connection with people.”

Added Dr. T. Srinivasa Kumar, Director, Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India: “With the state-of-the-art Tsunami Early Warning Centre at MoES-INCOIS, India is today much safer against the threat of tsunamis compared to 2004. However, challenges remain with respect to early warning and community response, especially for tsunamis triggered by non-seismic and near-source events. Strengthening SOPs of all constituent agencies and end-to-end tsunami early warning chains is also an important task.”

Dr. Maneesha Sudheer, Dean of International Programs and UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Development and Innovation, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, said, “The symposium served as a platform to integrate the last 16 years of advancements in science and technology to improve the rehabilitation and resilience of coastal communities. It stressed on scientific social responsibility to reduce risk and vulnerability factors by understanding the impact of tsunamis on coastal communities, using latest advances in monitoring and modeling of tsunamis, and coming up with a strategic framework to further advance India’s disaster preparedness and build sustainable and resilient communities.”