The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) celebrated its momentous 95th Foundation Day yesterday at the National Agriculture Science Complex in Pusa, New Delhi. The event was graced by the presence of Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and President of ICAR Society, as the Chief Guest.
Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry - Dairying, and Kailash Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, were also present to mark the occasion. Tomar praised the historic journey of ICAR and acknowledged its remarkable achievements over the past 94 years. He highlighted that India has become a surplus nation in terms of food grains, catering to the needs of 80 crore people across the country.
He attributed this success to the encouragement and support from the Prime Minister, which has led to the promotion of new agricultural technologies through various mission programs, ultimately benefiting the farmers. The Minister also commended India's agricultural exports, which have crossed 50 billion US dollars.
He further informed that the government is actively promoting organic farming and natural agriculture with a separate mission and a budget provision of Rs.1500 crore for the promotion of eco-friendly agriculture. Tomar extended his appreciation to the farmers and scientists for their dedicated service, making India not only self-sufficient but also a notable exporter of food items.
Rupala lauded ICAR for its revolutionary contributions to the dairy and fisheries sectors. He emphasized the potential of earning carbon credits from agriculture, which could serve as an additional source of income for the nation. During the event, Rupala inaugurated an exhibition showcasing innovative technologies developed by 113 ICAR research institutes.
Choudhary shared his vision for ICAR, noting that the institution will complete 100 years in just 5 years. He urged the need to strategize and set milestones for the advancement of agriculture to be achieved in its centenary year.
Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Secretary (DARE) and Director General (ICAR), highlighted the unprecedented growth in the agriculture sector, emphasizing that India is now self-sufficient in food grain production and also a significant exporter of agricultural products. Dr. Pathak presented some remarkable achievements made by ICAR, including the development of 346 varieties of food grains, 99 varieties of horticultural crops, efficient mapping of cropping system zones, fertigation schedules for 24 crops, and the creation of 28 new agricultural equipment and machineries.
Additionally, he mentioned the development of vaccines for diseases like coronavirus and lumpi, new diagnostics, breeding protocols for fish breeds, conducting 47,088 on-farm trials, and 2.99 lakh front-line demonstrations on new technologies. Furthermore, ICAR scientists have been actively collaborating with different industries, resulting in 58 patents and 711 technology licensing agreements, further promoting agricultural innovations for commercialization.
The event also witnessed an engaging exhibition that showcased various ICAR technologies, benefitting farmers, students, and agri-industries. For the first time, the Foundation Day was celebrated as Technology Day, which opened the exhibition to the public from 16-18 July 2023, with the aim of raising awareness about the cutting-edge innovations achieved by ICAR.
The event saw the presence of Members of the ICAR Governing Body, Senior Officials of ICAR Headquarters, Directors of ICAR Institutes, Scientists, Vice-Chancellors of State Agricultural Universities, and esteemed farmers and agri-preneurs.
