ICAR-NAARM Annual Report 2009-10

Abstract

The agriculture sector is facing numerous challenges so is the National Agricultural Research System. Issues such as climate change, diversion of food crops for biofuel, transboundary diseases and entry of multi-nationals, besides growing demand-supply gap of key food commodities, are of serious concern. The greatest challenge is accelerating innovations for higher, sustainable and inclusive agricultural growth. This calls for a paradigm shift in prioritizing research portfolio, improving efficiency of research system and promoting innovative institutions for effectively linking research organizations with all stakeholders, including farmers, agri-industry and remunerative domestic and global markets. The Academy is responding to the emerging challenges by undertaking need based research, reorienting capacity building programmes, imparting education for next generation professionals, providing consultancies, and promoting public-private partnership. To meet the challenge and strengthen National Agricultural Research System, the Academy has a well trained and strong faculty and best infrastructure facilities. The Academy, during the year, took a great leap in transforming its role from capacitybuilding of different stakeholders in the National Agricultural Research System to an institution of global repute through its effective and responsive key roles in capacity building, research, academic programmes and public-private partnership. As many as 53 capacity-building programmes were organized for 1581 participants of different levels of hierarchy in the National Agricultural Research System. Research was undertaken on several key areas of concern to agricultural research and education policy, planning and management. Important ones include learning and capacity building, manpower planning in agriculture, assessment of frontier technologies for agricultural research, geospatial data and knowledge management and leadership in change management. Scientists of the Academy were successful in leaving a mark in the scientific arena with their contributions through publications in national and international journals. The year was a landmark for the Academy on education front. Two post-graduate diploma programmes on 'Information Technology Management in Agriculture' and 'Intellectual Property and Technology Management in Agriculture' were successfully completed and all the students were placed in reputed national and multinational organizations. This year, the Academy also launched a two-year post-graduate programme in Management (Agriculture). To promote public-private partnership and link all the stakeholders in agrisupply chain, the Academy conceptualized and put into operation an Agribusiness Knowledge Centre (AKC). It is envisioned that AKC would improve the efficiency of agrisupply chain and accelerate innovations by effectively linking relevant stakeholders. Besides these programmes, the Academy provided support to National Agricultural Innovation Project through help desk, and extended consultancy to several institutions for intellectual property protection and commercialization. The Academy also successfully conducted the examination of senior research fellow for post-graduate studies of Indian Council of Agricultural Research.