The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is constantly upgrading its research agenda to meet the future challenges and prepared a 'Vision-2050'. The details on ICAR Vision, Mission, Guiding Principles and Focus Area of Research in this Vision Document are given in Annexure-I. The document is available on ICAR website (http://www.icar.org.in).
The steps taken for providing new technologies to the farmers across the country include setting up of 642 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and 652 Agricultural Technology Management Agencies (ATMAs) at district level. In addition the farmers are provided information through Focused Publicity Campaigns, Kisan Call Centres (KCCs), Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres (ACABC) of entrepreneurs, Agri Fairs and exhibitions, Kisan SMS Portal , DD Kisan TV Channel and Community Radio Stations.
Besides, assistance to State Governments is provided for boosting the agriculture production under various schemes of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation viz. National Mission of Agricultural Extension and Technology (NMAET), Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Cooperation (ISAC), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP), National Horticulture Mission (NHM), Soil Health Card Scheme (SHC), Agriculture Technology Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY).
In addition to generation of new technologies, the large network of ICAR Institutes and Agricultural Universities across the country also provides information to farmers regarding techniques and best practices for getting higher production through various outreach and extension education programmes.
The project-wise details are as follows:
· Farmers FIRST: The objectives of the 'Farmer FIRST' initiative is to move beyond the production and productivity and to privilege the complex, diverse & risk prone realities of the farmers through enhancing farmers-scientists contact with multi stakeholders participation for technology development and application. The project has been conceptualized with focus on Enriching Farmers –Scientist interface; Technology Assemblage, Application and feedback; Partnership and Institutional Building and Content Mobilization.
· ARYA: The ICAR has initiated a program on “Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture (ARYA) in selected districts through KVKs with an objective for entrepreneurial development of Youth in Rural Areas to take up various Agriculture, allied and service sector enterprises for sustainable income and gainful employment. The identified youth are trained on entrepreneurship development skills by providing a basket of options to start agriculture ventures for self employment.
· Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav: The “Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav” has been conceptualized in which scientists of ICAR and Agricultural Universities will identify villages in the vicinity of the Institutions for providing advisories and consultations to farmers for increasing farm productivity and production.
Annexure-I
[Part (a) & (b) of Lok Sabha USQ No.3663 for 11-08-2015]
Details on ICAR Vision, Mission, Guiding Principles and Focus Area of Research of ICAR Vision- 2050
ICAR Vision: Lead India to attaining sustainable food, nutritional, environmental and livelihoods security through agricultural research and education.
ICAR Mission: Harness the power of science and innovation for food security, food safety, farmer prosperity and enhance natural resources base to promote inclusive growth and sustainable development
Guiding Principles: The guiding principles for Future Research and Education that will provide direction to ICAR for determining its future research and education investment priorities and strategic framework are :
· Provide leadership in ensuring national food and nutritional security, farmers’ prosperity, consumer health and enhancing the natural resource base of agriculture for future generations.
· Ensure strategic competitive advantage of Indian agriculture to enable access to the existing and emerging markets, and address the emerging challenges.
· Leverage the advances in other sciences, engineering and social science to enhance agricultural research.
· Nurture scientific excellence and promote interdisciplinary, systems-based, knowledge-intensive, problem-solving research.
· Promote economic opportunities for the rural community and society.
· Promote complementary partnerships for value addition in agriculture and accelerate innovation.
· Respond proactively to farmers, consumers, partners and policy makers.
· Promote ethical conduct, scientific integrity and accountability of performance and decisions.
· Promote organizational transformation to an efficient, effective, and responsive innovation system.
· Support higher education and create educational environments that foster continuous learning.
Focus Areas of Research
· Genetic potential enhancement of agricultural commodities.
· Agricultural productivity, efficiency and profitability improvement.
· Resilience to climate change and abiotic and biotic stresses.
· Improve Nutritional food, and health security.
· Risk management against climate change and market stressors.
· Agricultural value chains.
· Sustainability of natural resources base of agriculture.
· Valuation of ecosystem services.
· Agricultural markets, policies, and institutions.
· Bio-security, especially emerging from gene piracy and cross-border vector borne diseases.
· New products and uses(e.g, bio-energy, new crops, synthetic foods, special foods)
