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Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Sharad Pawar called upon Vice Chancellors and Directors to take up collaborative projects and programmes of mutual interest and topical relevance and usefulness. He expressed confidence that the academicians are aware of identifying areas, which could increase foodgrain production and improve the economical quality of rural masses. He advised the participants to explore the scope of collaboration with ICAR’s National Agricultural Innovation Project, which is funded by the World Bank.
Shri Sharad Pawar inaugurated the two-day round table meeting of Vice Chancellors/Directors of Agricultural and Technology Universities, here today. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) sponsored the meeting.
Agriculture Minister said the success of agriculture is laid in favourable economics without unfavorable effect on natural resources like soil, water, air and biodiversity. The technical universities and agriculture universities should synergise the mutual benefits, leading to material and environmental growth with social justice, he stressed.
Shri Pawar said that the post WTO regime is witnessing rapid global changes. Now qualitative and competitive agriculture only has the future, he opined. The gene revolution, he said while citing the latest success of Golden Rice, should be employed to suit consumer’s taste, nutritional values as well as economics. The Minister also listed the key topics like molecular biology & biotechnology, environmental management, electronics & information technology, designing of farm equipment and gadgets, processing of agricultural produce and water usage efficiency, etc., which would compliment the agriculture sector.
Agricultural education system has provided a scientific base for the development of Indian agriculture, Shri Pawar said. It has been instrumental in generation, assessment and refinement of farming technologies, resulting in spectacular achievements of food self-sufficiency, he said. If agriculture succeeds, the contribution of other sectors also surges ahead.
The round-table meeting is being held for the first time, where Association of Indian Universities (AIU), Indian Agricultural Universities Association (IAUA) are participating. Director General, ICAR, Dr. Mangala Rai, Secretary General, AIU, Shri Dayananda Dongaonkar, President, AIU, Prof. Bachaspati Upadhyay, President IAUA, Dr. S.N. Puri, DDG, DDG, ICAR Dr. J.C. Katyal also spoke in the meeting.
UM:RC:HK:agriuniv-190705
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