Dehradun, May 19 (PTI) Union Ministers Bhupender Yadav and Ashwini Kumar Choubey on Friday inaugurated a Pashmina Certification Centre and a portal for tracking wildlife mitigation measures on railway tracks in sensitive elephant habitats at the Wildlife Institute of India here.
Their visit to the WII campus started with the inauguration of the Pashmina Certification Centre (PCC), a groundbreaking facility which promises to revolutionize the Pashmina trade.
It is a product of a collaboration between the WII and the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), a WII press release said.
Based on a PPP model, the PCC is set to streamline the certification of authentic Pashmina products, thereby fostering trust in Indian Pashmina within national and international markets.
In a bid to address the delicate intersection between India’s sprawling railway network and its rich wildlife habitats, the ministers also unveiled an innovative online portal.
This digital platform, a first-of-its-kind, is dedicated to monitoring mitigation measures across sensitive elephant habitats bisected by railway lines.
The initiative is directed towards achieving a sustainable balance between infrastructural growth and biodiversity conservation.
The ministers later presided over the 24th Annual General Meeting of the WII Society, where the WII’s Vision Plan and the Annual Report for 2020-21 were formally approved.
These strategic documents lay out a comprehensive roadmap for the Institute’s future initiatives and projects, underpinning the government’s commitment to safeguarding India’s vibrant ecosystems and diverse wildlife.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Yadav said, “Under the visionary leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi we stand today at the forefront of a new era in conservation and natural resource management”.
“These innovative initiatives, inspired by his vision, truly symbolize our nation’s commitment to spearheading a transformative approach that harmoniously blends economic growth and biodiversity preservation,” he said.
The Pashmina Certification Centre, a brainchild of this vision, will elevate India’s rich heritage in Pashmina production to a global platform, promoting authenticity and credibility in this traditional trade, he said.
The approval of the Vision Plan and Annual Report solidifies the commitment to prioritize conservation science and build on WII’s reputation as a pioneer in wildlife research, management, and education, according to the press release. PTI ALM CK
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