Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan
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Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has called for a fundamental shift in India’s agricultural research, emphasising that its direction must now be dictated by the needs of farmers. Addressing the annual conference of vice chancellors from state agriculture universities (SAUs) and directors of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes, Chouhan directed ICAR to set and evaluate 3-4 concrete targets annually, stressing accountability and practical outcomes.
Expressing concern over the apparent disconnect between scientists and farmers, the Minister urged agricultural university vice-chancellors to prioritise practical training for students. He also instructed ICAR Director-General ML Jat to unearth actionable points from dormant committee reports, categorising them for immediate implementation. “It is a waste of time to repeat what has transpired,” Chouhan asserted, interrupting a summary presentation to demand an “action taken report” on last year’s decisions. This direct approach reportedly surprised ICAR’s top brass.
For the upcoming year, Jat announced a shift to a single, demand-driven Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) for research, replacing the current division-wise system. He also called for a comprehensive report mapping the extension system’s needs to achieve a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.
Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi advocated for increased investment in agricultural universities, bringing them on par with engineering and medical colleges. He suggested a State-wise mapping of SAU requirements and empowering universities to fill posts without state government approvals. Chaturvedi also highlighted the need for clarity on the status of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) to enhance their effectiveness, noting pending court cases related to staff pay and pensions. He urged guiding SAUs to effectively adopt natural farming practices and nano-fertilizers, dispelling any existing confusion.
In his concluding remarks at the conference, titled “Convergence for Action: Shaping Agricultural Research, Education and Extension for Viksit Bharat @2047,” Chouhan affirmed, “While problems will remain, we have to find solutions.” He hailed ICAR as a national pride, asserting that agricultural advancement and farmer empowerment are crucial for realising the vision of a “Viksit Bharat.” The Minister specifically called for immediate action on water conservation and the development of an agricultural data protection plan. He also issued a stark warning: if soybean productivity is not significantly increased by ICAR scientists, the oilseed crop’s area could be replaced by paddy and maize.
Published on May 20, 2025
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan
| Photo Credit:
–
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has called for a fundamental shift in India’s agricultural research, emphasising that its direction must now be dictated by the needs of farmers. Addressing the annual conference of vice chancellors from state agriculture universities (SAUs) and directors of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes, Chouhan directed ICAR to set and evaluate 3-4 concrete targets annually, stressing accountability and practical outcomes.
Expressing concern over the apparent disconnect between scientists and farmers, the Minister urged agricultural university vice-chancellors to prioritise practical training for students. He also instructed ICAR Director-General ML Jat to unearth actionable points from dormant committee reports, categorising them for immediate implementation. “It is a waste of time to repeat what has transpired,” Chouhan asserted, interrupting a summary presentation to demand an “action taken report” on last year’s decisions. This direct approach reportedly surprised ICAR’s top brass.
For the upcoming year, Jat announced a shift to a single, demand-driven Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) for research, replacing the current division-wise system. He also called for a comprehensive report mapping the extension system’s needs to achieve a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.
Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi advocated for increased investment in agricultural universities, bringing them on par with engineering and medical colleges. He suggested a State-wise mapping of SAU requirements and empowering universities to fill posts without state government approvals. Chaturvedi also highlighted the need for clarity on the status of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) to enhance their effectiveness, noting pending court cases related to staff pay and pensions. He urged guiding SAUs to effectively adopt natural farming practices and nano-fertilizers, dispelling any existing confusion.
In his concluding remarks at the conference, titled “Convergence for Action: Shaping Agricultural Research, Education and Extension for Viksit Bharat @2047,” Chouhan affirmed, “While problems will remain, we have to find solutions.” He hailed ICAR as a national pride, asserting that agricultural advancement and farmer empowerment are crucial for realising the vision of a “Viksit Bharat.” The Minister specifically called for immediate action on water conservation and the development of an agricultural data protection plan. He also issued a stark warning: if soybean productivity is not significantly increased by ICAR scientists, the oilseed crop’s area could be replaced by paddy and maize.
Published on May 20, 2025
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The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution
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