RONO HILLS, 21 Mar: Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) here signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) virtually with New Delhi-based People to People Health Foundation (PPHF) and Guwahati (Assam)-based North East Agro Products Pvt Ltd (NEAPPL) for academic and research collaboration, on 15 March.
“It was officially exchanged on 21 March at RGU, in the presence of RGU VC Prof Saket Kushwaha, PPHF director (operation) Varghese C Joseph, and NEAPPL director Bipu Saharia,” the university informed in a release.
Prof Kushwaha expressed hope that the MoU would be “instrumental in improvising the youths of Arunachal Pradesh to get cutting edge academic and research exposure, as the state is a hub to various citrus food and other agricultural crops, though we don’t have any functional food processing unit as of now.”
“RGU will allocate some space to both parties, having no financial obligations on its part, and it will be beneficial to all stakeholders,” he added.
While accepting the documents, RGU Registrar Dr NT Rikam said that the MoU would “strengthen the academic and research pursuits for the three organisations, generate human resource, and benefit the growers.”
RGU Finance Officer Prof Otem Padung termed it “a welcoming step towards building cooperation,” while PPHF Northeast chapter project manager Pinky Dutta Mechi informed that “the PPHF shall be providing equipment to RGU for establishing a food processing unit under the university’s food technology department, which will further work for holistic rural development programme of the HDFC bank.”
RGU Joint Registrar Dr David Pertin informed that “the validity of the MoU will be for three years initially, and shall be subject to renewal and shall focus on the establishment of a food processing unit in the RGU campus.”
RGU’s Food Technology Department Head Dr Sandeep Janghu and NEAPPL marketing manager Tripti Khanna also spoke.
