Country’s progress depends on farming, says ICAR D-G

Director General of ICAR Himanshu Pathak speaking at the inaugural session of the National Conference of Vice-Chancellors of Agricultural Universities at Kanha Shanti Vanam, Hyderbad, on Friday, as Daaji of Sri Ramachandra Mission, and Deputy Director-General of ICAR R.C. Agrawal look on.

HYDERABAD

Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Secretary to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) Himanshu Pathak has stated that the progress and peace of the country will depend on progress of the agricultural sector as nearly half of the population still depends on farming for their livelihood.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day National Conference of Vice-Chancellors of Agricultural Universities at Kanha Shanti Vanam, the global headquarters of Sri Ramachandra Mission, located on the city outskirts, on Friday, Mr. Pathak said if agriculture is to develop further in the future, it had to be environmentally friendly, using modern technology, better marketing and affordable pricing.

Further, it should give priority to women-friendly technologies in the context of the presence of a large number of women in agricultural work as farming in the country is based on its culture and traditional roots. He asked the vice-chancellors of the universities to bring this importance to schools, colleges and the society in order to include the priority of agriculture in the status, patterns and lifestyle of people. He appealed to the Union Government to introduce agricultural education at all levels.

Stating that agriculture in India is completely different compared to other countries, he said it is a way of life associated with tradition, history and culture and therefore agriculture is the backbone of the country. At the time of Independence, about 80% of the country’s population depended on farming and it was the sector that would provide the largest employment with nearly 50% of the working-age population involved in it.

Global Guide of Sri Ramachandra Mission and its Heartfulness Institute, Daaji (Kamalesh Patel) said agriculture is eternal and it is the basis of human survival. He asked agricultural scientists to undertake research to make plants more useful to mankind and for more research on the sea weeds as they were useful in human health and nutrition in many ways. If there is no agriculture, the sustainable life of mankind would be questionable, he noted.

Deputy Director-General of ICAR R.C. Agrawal stated that guidelines on certificate courses, on public private partnership programmes, on new national agricultural education policy, 2020, on dual degrees and joint degrees would be released soon.

The percentage of girl/woman students in agriculture, horticulture and veterinary universities is increasing every year and it is over 65% already, said Vice-Chancellor of Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University B. Neeraja Prabhakar.

Over 50 vice-chancellors of agricultural, horticultural and veterinary universities, university officers, professors, experts of ICAR and others are participating in the meet.