An article appeared Hindustan Times dated February 23, 2006. The 3-day seminar was held on Feb. 20-22, 2006 at Chemical Engineering Department of the institute, in collaboration with Catalysis Society of India. Prof. O.N. Srivastava (from Science faculty of BHU) presided over the function. Prof. MM Sharma is from MUICT (formerly known as UDCT), Bombay.
Catalysis controls human activities
HT Correspondent
Varanasi, February 23
PADMA VIBHUSHAN Prof MM Sharma said catalysis was the key to life and lifestyle. The human system could not function without the catalytic process, he added.
Prof Sharma was delivering the inaugural address at a three-day national workshop on ‘Catalysis for Energy’ at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, on Thursday.
The Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, in collaboration with the Catalysis Society of India, organised the workshop.
Also Emeritus professor at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai University, Sharma said all human activities, such as digestion, walking, running etc., were controlled by the catalytic process.
He further said catalysis was a multi-disciplinary field and everything was linked to the catalytic process. Catalysis was a fine example of the subject in which scientists from different fields worked together, he added.
Prof Sharma further said catalysis also played an important role in checking
environment pollution by reducing the amount of sulphur. However, he added that more efficient catalysis was required to purify petro-chemicals.
Eminent scientist Prof ON Srivastava presided over the function and discussed the role of catalysis in hydrogen energy.
Acting director of IT-BHU Prof Virendra Singh welcomed the guests while head of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, IT-BHU, Prof Surendra Kumar told the audience about the activities of the department.