Dr Sharma emphasised the significance of knowledge and urged newcomers to adopt a scientific outlook. She spoke on the Interaction between disciplines of medicine and biotechnology. She said, "Biotechnology has been extended to the development of new antibiotics, drugs, crops and vaccines. All over the world, biotechnology research has brought out a paradigm shift in the health care regime."

She advised medical students to start learning computers at the earliest, as "the next millennium would belong to the field of biotechnology, informatics and communication technologies."

Earlier, PGI Director, Prof B.K.Sharma delivered a welcome address and presented an account of the academic and other activities of the institute during the year.