"China has less land than us on which to farm, but the production of food grains in China is much greater than what we produce," Doval said at the 34th Convocation of GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology.
"We must concentrate our efforts on increasing farm productivity. Because food security is a critical component of national security." On the occasion, Uttarakhand Governor LT General Gurmit Singh bestowed an honorary Doctorate of Literature (D Litt) on Doval.
The NSA praised the university's role in achieving food security, saying, "Right after partition, 22 million hectares of cultivable land went to Pakistan, and the global community doubted whether India would be able to feed its people because a large portion of fertile land went to Pakistan."
"However, in 75 years, India has ensured that it is not only self-sufficient in food grains, but also capable of exporting them to assist other countries," he added.
Dr. Manmohan Singh Chauhan, University Vice Chancellor, said the presence of the NSA at the convocation was a major source of inspiration for the students, and they would be encouraged to work harder and perform better in their studies. Chauhan stated that there was a need to focus on increasing farm productivity as well as the processing of food grains in order to increase the income of the country's farmers.
"The need for change stems also from the fact that the Indian system has now reached a stage where it must address second-generation problems such as organizational rigidities, inefficiencies, and difficulties in sustaining funding in the farm sector," Chauhan explained. The GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, located in Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, is one of India's premier agricultural universities.
