To revive Tea Improvement Consortium (TIC), the annual general meeting of TIC will be held on September 18 from 3pm at The Department of Tea Husbandry and Technology, Assam Agricultural University.
BG Unni, founder secretary of TIC and director Research, Assam Down town University said that the main purpose for organizing such a general body meeting of TIC after quite a number of years since it was formed was to to give a good shape to TIC once again.
Unni said that the Tea improvement Consortium was initiated in 2004 by the scientific community of Tea Research Association, the AAU and the CSIR North East Institute of Science and Technology. “The main aim and objective of the Consortium is to promote and advance the cause of science, both in pure and applied branches related to tea, to promote education and research in different branches of science and technology related to tea and to disseminate scientific knowledge by holding symposia, seminars and discussions on original work and on scientific matters of public interests with respect to tea,” he said.
Unni further said that TIC also popularized tea technology through various methods and provided research and development support to institutions working with tea or other technology for the purpose of tea improvement programme in terms of quality and quantity.
TIC also assisted the innovation and development including application and commercialization of any technology both in India and abroad and to encourage and promote private and public participation and or ownership in activities or enterprises, engaged in innovation and development including application and commercialization of tea.
The first meeting of the TIC was held in 2004 and was chaired by well known tea expert Dina Nath Baruah along with Renu Swaroop , at present Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology, government.
In the first brain storming on tea research working group more than 30 research proposals were presented from different institutions of the country. This meeting had been chaired by Professor AK Sharma and other experts to review and to recommend proposals to DBT for funding. Five major project proposals of multidisciplinary and multi-institution in nature were recommended by DBT for funding.
“All these projects were coordinated by Tea Research institution Tocklai. Tea Research institution which established good infrastructural facilities including the DNA Sequencer for the first time in North East region from the DBT funded project under TIC.
TIC also decided to organize Dr.DN Baruah memorial lecture in memory of the great visionary in the tea sector.
“No one in the tea sector can forget the great contribution of Dr DN Baruah. The entire world associated with the tea sector acknowledges Dr Baruah’s contribution and his association with TRA, Jorhat,” Unni said.
TIC has organized two Dr DN Baruah memorial lectures at TRA TTIS so far after his death.