Rhododendron is a large genus of flowering plants and is found mainly in Eastern Himalayas, Western Himalayas and Nilgiris.
Some plants of Rhododendron are evergreen and some are deciduous in nature.
The species is found in varied habitats from subtropical forest to alpine shrubs, rhododendrons range from dwarf shrubs to large trees.
The cold, moist slopes and deep valleys of the eastern Himalayas form a conducive habitat for the luxuriant growth of Rhododendron species and rich diversity in North Eastern States.
The species has been designated as the State tree of Uttarakhand and its blooming in the Garhwal Himalayas is celebrated as ‘Phool Sankranti’, a festival of flowers.
The studies on the flowering cycle have revealed that they are prominent indicators of climate change.
In high altitude areas of Arunachal Pradesh rhododendrons are routinely cut for firewood by local people, forest fires in the dry seasons in Manipur and Nagaland were threatening the survival of many species.
TIR Convention
India became the 71st country to ratify the United Nations TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) Convention.
TIR Convention is an international transit system under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). It came into force from 1975.
The TIR Convention facilitates the international carriage of goods from one or more customs offices of departure to one or more customs offices of destination (up to a total of four customs offices departure and destination) and through as many countries as necessary.
It would enable India to move goods seamlessly along the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and also boosting trade with the Central Asian Republics and other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
BIO International Convention
The BIO International Convention is hosted by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO).
Recently, BIO 2017 was held in San Diego and India is represented by Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences.
The key benefits of attending the BIO International Convention are access to global biotech and pharma leaders via BIO One-on-One Partnering, exposure to industry though-leaders and networking opportunities.
BIO is the largest trade organization in the world that represents the biotechnology industry.
The organization was found in 1993 and its members include companies that make Pharmaceutical drugs, biofuels, industrial enzymes, and genetically modified crops.
The Biotechnology Heritage Award presented annually at the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO).
The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of biotechnology through discovery, innovation, and public understanding.
