Institute Research Council (IRC) Meeting 2025 of ICAR-RCER, Patna, was held from July 21 to 23, 2025. The inaugural session was graced by Sh. Dhananjay Pati Tripathi, Director, BAMETI; K.P.S. Keshari, President, Bihar Industries Association (BIA); and Sanjeev Kumar, a progressive farmer, who shared expectations from the state's industry and farming community regarding agricultural research.
On the second and third day, Dr. Bikas Das, Director, NRC on Litchi, participated as an expert to guide and enhance the quality of ongoing and proposed research projects. Scientists from ICAR-RCER Headquarters, Patna; FSRCHPR, Ranchi; ATARI, Patna; KVK Heads; and various technical and administrative staff were present.
The objective of the IRC meeting was to review, refine, and reorient ongoing research and to formulate new projects in alignment with regional and national agricultural priorities. Dr. A. Velmurugan, ADG (Soil & Water Management), ICAR, joined virtually to review seven newly proposed projects. He emphasized aligning project goals with national agricultural strategies and encouraged inter-institutional collaboration. He also suggested classifying projects based on diagnostic, prognostic, regional, and national research priorities, offering constructive feedback on refining objectives and methodologies.
In his inaugural remarks, Dr. Anup Das, Director, ICAR-RCER and Chairman of IRC, outlined the institute’s future research roadmap. He emphasized the principle of "One Team, One Task" and urged scientists to develop solutions with minimal negative externalities, particularly in the context of climate change. He highlighted key thematic areas including Integrated Farming Systems (IFS), agri-food system research, Climate-Resilient Agriculture (CRA), land and water productivity, digital agriculture, value addition, and policy research. He also introduced a new project, Kaushal-se-Kisan Samridhi, aimed at upskilling marginalized communities into viable agri-entrepreneurs.
Dr. Abhay Kumar, In-charge of the PME Cell, welcomed participants and presented an overview of the institute’s research activities and achievements, underscoring the importance of IRC meetings in promoting scientific relevance and accountability.
Guest of Honour Sh. Dhananjay Pati Tripathi emphasized the need for intensified pulse and oilseed research, stressing the importance of district-level seed hubs and region-specific fertilizer recommendations for major crops in Bihar.
Sh. K.P.S. Keshari, President of BIA, highlighted the importance of food security and doubling farmers’ incomes. He called for stronger lab-to-farm linkages and inclusive technological solutions to benefit small and marginal farmers. Progressive farmer Sh. Sanjeev Kumar shared field-level insights and urged researchers to develop practical, applicable innovations.
Dr. Bikas Das appreciated the institute’s shift from commodity-based to system-based research and its focus on futuristic areas such as carbon farming, ecosystem services, and future farming models.
Over three intellectually stimulating days, around 85 ongoing and completed projects were reviewed, along with seven new research proposals. Key discussions included climate-smart agriculture, post-harvest value chains, integrated natural farming, crop diversification, tuber crop development, and livelihood enhancement of smallholder farmers. The meeting also featured a brainstorming session on rice-fallow intensification and genetic improvement of the Black Bengal goat.
The three-day IRC reaffirmed ICAR-RCER’s commitment to impactful, inclusive, and forward-looking agricultural research to address both present and future challenges in Indian agriculture.
