The ICAR foundation Day celebration kicked off with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by Guest of honour Dr. Sanjay Kumar, Chairman, ASRB and other dignitaries present on dais, followed by a welcome song by IARI Patna Hub students. The event was graced by the presence of distinguished dignitaries, including Hon’ble MLA Dr. Sanjeev Chaurasia (Digha), Dr. B. Rajender (IAS), ACS, Govt. of Bihar, Dr. A. Velmurugan, ADG (SWM), ICAR, New Delhi, Dr. M.A. Khan, Former Director, ICAR RCER, Patna, Dr. V.K. Saxena, Director Research, BASU Patna, Dr. Anjani Kumar, Director, ICAR ATARI, Patna, and Dr. S.K. Purbey, Director (A), MGFRI, Motihari, as Guests of Honor.
Chief Guest of inaugural session, Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Secretary, DARE and DG, ICAR, congratulated ICAR RCER Patna staff on completing 25 years of illustrative service to the farming community. He highlighted the vast agricultural potential of eastern India and stressed the urgent need for accelerated progress. Dr. Pathak urged stakeholders to focus on adoption of climate-resilient and biofortified crop varieties as well as eco-friendly practices. He also emphasized the importance of reaching to farmers and stronger links between farmers and scientific advancements.
Guest of Honour, Dr. Sanjay Kumar emphasized the transformative role of mechanization and innovative engineering in shaping the future of agriculture. He also highlighted the potential of blockchain technology to revolutionize the sector and called for stronger value addition, processing, storage, and advanced packaging solutions. He also proposed the establishment of Kisan Malls, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at transforming farmers into entrepreneurs and boosting their income opportunities.
Adding to the momentum, Dr. B. Rajender, IAS, ACS, Govt. of Bihar, commended the institute’s farmer-centric approach and its efforts in greening rice fallow areas, promoting Integrated Farming Systems (IFS). He highlighted the importance of farmer exposure to diverse climate resilient agricultural practices. Dr. Rajender stressed the need for strong collaboration between policymakers and scientists to develop sustainable solutions in agriculture. He also expressed need for technology information in hindi language.
Dr. A. Velmurugan, ADG (SWM), ICAR, New Delhi, underscored the need to address the unique challenges of eastern India through smart strategies. He emphasized the importance of greening rice fallow lands to unlock their potential, positioning ICAR-RCER as a pivotal player in ushering in the Second Green Revolution for the region.
Dr. M. A. Khan former director, ICAR-RCER, fondly recalled the laying of the foundation stone alongside Nitish Kumar, the then Union Agriculture Minister (now Chief Minister of Bihar), and reflected on the institute’s remarkable journey. Dr. V.K. Saxena, Director of Research, BASU Patna, called for a comprehensive review and revitalization of agricultural strategies while emphasizing the need for stronger collaboration with State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) in the eastern region to drive holistic growth and innovation in the sector.
Dr. Anjani Kumar, Director, ATARI, Patna and Dr. S.K. Purbey, Director (A), MGFRI, Motihari, and, congratulated the institute on its remarkable contributions and lauded its efforts in transforming agriculture. They emphasized the importance of brainstorming sessions with farmers from the eastern region to identify future challenges and develop a strategic roadmap for innovative solutions aimed at ensuring sustainable agricultural growth.
Dr. Anup Das, Director, highlighted the institute’s remarkable achievements over the past 25 years, congratulating the dedicated staff and welcoming esteemed dignitaries. He emphasized the institute’s significant contributions to empowering farmers in eastern India, with a strong research focus on future farming and addressing national priorities such as enhancing oilseed and millet production, improving water and nutrient use efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting agri-entrepreneurship, and increasing farmers' incomes. Dr. Das also stressed the importance of adopting smart farming technologies such as digital agriculture, drones, AI, machine learning, sensors, and precision farming to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability.
Under the dynamic leadership of Dr. Anup Das, Director, the event witnessed an overwhelming response, bringing together over 700 farmers from Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Assam, along with more than 300 scientists, stakeholders, entrepreneurs, media personnel, and policymakers.
Adding to the significance of the occasion, the digital inauguration of the Ranchi Guest House marked another milestone for the institute. Several key publications were also released, including "ICAR RCER: 25 Years of Glorious Journey," "Crop Production in Changing Climate: POP," "Breed Descriptors of Livestock and Poultry Populations of Eastern Region," and "POP Fruit Crops in Eastern Plateau and Hill Region of India." A special institute video showcasing its remarkable contributions and achievements was also unveiled as part of the Foundation Day celebrations.
A major highlight of the event was the inauguration of the "Silver Jubilee Park" by Dr. Sanjiv Chaurasia, Local MLA, Digha, and Dr. Sanjay Kumar, Chairman, ASRB, marking a significant milestone in the institute’s journey. Dr. Chaurasia congratulated the dedicated staff and encouraged them to continue their efforts with renewed passion in the years ahead. Expressing confidence in the institute’s leadership, he emphasized that scaling up innovations with the right strategies would yield transformative results for the agricultural sector.
"The program concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Ujjwal Kumar, Head, DSEE & organizing secretary of the programme", said Umesh Kumar Mishra, Member Secretary, Media committee.
