Manoj Godara, Chandigarh, November 19: The 32nd Indian Geography Congress of National Association of Geographers begins on November 19 at 10.30 am in the Panjab University Auditorium on the focal theme ‘Globalization, Population and Regional Development’. Mr Swarna Subba Rao, Surveyor General of India, will be the Chief Guest and Mr A.B. Prasad, Secretary, National Disaster Management Authority, New Delhi, will be the Guest of Honour. Prof. R.C. Sobti, Vice Chancellor, Panjab University, the patron of the Indian Geography Congress will preside the inaugural session.
Around 600 delegates across India and abroad are participating in the event. There will be four parallel sessions and it is expected that nearly 400 research papers shall be presented. The congress in its three-day programme will include a panel discussion on population migration. There will be a separate session `Children Geography Congress’ in which Map quiz is being organized. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will hold an exhibition to educate about managing disasters. The survey of India and National Atlas and Thematic Mapping organisation will exhibit their latest products and publications to promote geographic knowledge.