TIRUPATI: AP State Council of Higher Education Vice-Chairman Prof S Vijaya Bhaskara Rao has stressed the need for researchers to develop proper awareness about the maintenance of laboratory equipment, especially in laboratories that serve as centres for high-value research. He was speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session of a week-long training programme on ‘Operation and maintenance of laboratory instruments’, which began on Monday under the auspices of the Physics Department of Sri Venkateswara University (SVU).

Prof Vijaya Bhaskara Rao said that premier research centres and universities are equipped with highly valuable laboratories. By maintaining laboratories to high standards, better research outcomes can be achieved, he noted. He emphasised that the performance of laboratory instruments should be regularly monitored.

If costly equipment becomes non-functional and is sent for repairs, delays in getting it back can seriously affect ongoing research, he warned. Therefore, researchers must have basic knowledge of equipment maintenance and minor repairs.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Nageswara Rao, Senior Technical Officer from the Western Regional Instrumentation Centre, Mumbai, said that only by thoroughly understanding an instrument can researchers use it effectively.

He added that such knowledge would also help researchers address minor technical problems when they arise.

SVU Rector Prof Ch Appa Rao, Registrar Prof M Bhupathi Naidu, training programme coordinators Prof B Deva Prasad Raju and Prof Hema also addressed the gathering. SVU College of Sciences Principal Prof Padmavathi, Vice-Principal Prof OVS Reddy, Dean of Faculty Prof Ramakrishna Reddy and others participated.