09/04/2026
A one-day National Seminar on _Indoor Environment Quality_ was successfully organised by Anugrah Narayan College, Patna in collaboration with Society for Indoor Environment on 08 April 2026. The seminar aimed to bring together experts, academicians, researchers, and students to deliberate on challenges and sustainable solutions related to indoor air quality and environmental health, in line with the multidisciplinary approach envisioned under NEP 2020.
The programme commenced at S.N. Sinha Auditorium with the arrival of guests, followed by floral tributes and the ceremonial lighting of the lamp. The Principal Prof Rekha Rani delivered the welcome address, setting the tone for the day. The Convener Prof. Tripti Gangwar presented the inaugural introduction highlighting the relevance of indoor environment studies in the current context.
The session featured two distinguished experts from the Society for Indoor Environment (SIE):
- Dr. Rakesh Kumar, President, SIE, spoke on _“Indoor-Outdoor Dilemma”_, stressing the interlinkages between ambient and indoor pollution and the need for integrated mitigation strategies.
- Dr. Priyanka Kulshreshtha, Co-founder, SIE, delivered a talk on _“The Indoor Air Quality Crisis in India: Bridging the Gap Between Environmental Science and Public Health Policy”_, highlighting evidence-based policy gaps and pathways for action.
A significant milestone of the seminar was the *announcement of an MoU between A.N. College and SIE* to promote collaborative research, capacity building, and awareness programmes in indoor environment quality. The session concluded with a Vote of Thanks by the Organising Secretary Prof. Sushil Kumar Singh. Dr. Akanksha Upadhyaya conducted the inaugural session.
The post-lunch technical session was held in the Conference Hall, Administrative Block. Sixteen papers were presented by researchers and students across diverse themes.
Participation & Outcome*
The seminar witnessed active participation from faculty members, research scholars, and UG/PG students who submitted abstracts in diverse fields of indoor environment. The event facilitated fruitful academic interaction and laid the foundation for long-term collaboration with SIE. The signing of the MoU is expected to strengthen research in water pollution and fluorosis mitigation, and expand into indoor air quality studies.
The National Seminar achieved its objectives of knowledge dissemination, stakeholder engagement, and institutional collaboration. The enthusiastic student participation and expert deliberations reaffirmed the urgent need for integrating indoor environment quality into academic curricula and research agendas.
Two hundred participants and NSS volunteers attended the seminar. Prof. Kalanath Mihra, Prof. Seema Sharma, Prof. Preety Sinha and members of organising committe Prof. Anil Kumar Singh, Dr Vineeta Prasad, Dr. Nisha Kumari, Dr. Akanksha Upadhyay, Dr. Sheerin Masroor, Dr. Amrita Chakraborty activrly involved in the succesful organisation of the Seminar.
A.N.College Patna ,Chemistry Department