ICAR-CIFE, Mumbai Celebrates 66 Years of Excellence

6 June 2026, Mumbai

“Innovate, Integrate and Impact” Sets the Roadmap for 2026-27

ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai, celebrated its 66th Foundation Day today with great enthusiasm and pride, marking another milestone in its distinguished journey of excellence in fisheries education, research, extension and entrepreneurship.

The celebrations were graced by Shri Saurabh Katiyar, IAS, District Collector and District Magistrate, Mumbai Suburban District, as the Chief Guest and brought together former Directors, Joint Directors, faculty, staff, students, alumni, farmers, entrepreneurs, industry representatives, policymakers, and stakeholders from across the country. Designed not merely as a commemorative event but as a forward-looking institutional exercise, the celebrations reflected the spirit of this year’s theme, “Innovate, Integrate and Impact.”

The Foundation Day programme commenced with the declaration of the annual theme “Innovate, Integrate and Impact” for 2026-2027 by Dr N. P. Sahu, Director, ICAR-CIFE, who emphasized that innovation must ultimately translate into measurable societal and economic impact through effective integration of science, technology, policy, and stakeholder needs. He highlighted the Institute’s scientific, academic and extension achievements during 2025-26 and acknowledged the invaluable contributions of former Directors, faculty members, staff, students, alumni, and stakeholders in strengthening ICAR-CIFE’s national and international reputation. This was followed by the presentation of the Theme Implementation Guidelines and Roadmap for 2026–27 by Dr K. N. Mohanta, Joint Director (Acting).

Addressing the gathering, Shri Saurabh Katiyar, IAS, congratulated ICAR-CIFE Parivar on completing 66 years of dedicated service to the fisheries sector and appreciated the Institute’s contributions towards human resource development, technology generation, and aquaculture advancement. Recalling his association with the ICAR system, he recognized the significant impact created by ICAR-CIFE and assured support for future institutional initiatives, including infrastructure development and expansion projects.

A unique feature of this year’s celebrations was the organization of a series of scientific and stakeholder engagement activities. On 5 June 2026, ICAR-CIFE organized a Stakeholder Consultation on “Technology-Driven Sustainability in Aquaculture for Viksit Bharat 2047”, bringing together representatives from academia, industry, government organizations, entrepreneurs and farmers to identify emerging challenges and future research priorities. The event also coincided with World Environment Day, during which tree plantation (Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam) activities were undertaken and an expert lecture on “Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management: An Ecopath Approach” was delivered.

The innovative book on “Learning from Mistakes”, a compilation of academic and research lessons learned by postgraduate fisheries students across India was released. This publication reflected ICAR-CIFE’s commitment to knowledge sharing, continuous learning, and academic excellence. The Technology Exhibition showcased ICAR-CIFE’s technologies, products, and research innovations for farmers, entrepreneurs, students, visitors, and stakeholders.

The Foundation Day programme also celebrated the achievements of the ICAR-CIFE community through the distribution of sports awards, institutional awards, and endowment awards recognizing excellence among students, faculty, and staff. Alumni meet, sports events and a vibrant cultural programme featuring performances by students, staff members, and family members added a festive and inclusive dimension to the celebrations, making the occasion truly memorable.

The Foundation Day celebrations extended beyond Mumbai and were simultaneously organized across ICAR-CIFE Centres at Kolkata, Motipur, Rohtak, Powarkheda, Kakinada and Balabhadrapuram, significantly expanding the outreach and impact of the event. Stakeholder meetings, farmer-scientist interactions, technology demonstrations, and extension programmes engaged more than 400 farmers, entrepreneurs, students, researchers and industry representatives. Discussions focused on quality seed and feed, disease management, climate-resilient aquaculture, inland saline aquaculture, artificial intelligence applications, entrepreneurship development, processing infrastructure, market linkages, and technology adoption.

The 66th Foundation Day of ICAR-CIFE thus emerged as much more than an anniversary celebration. It served as a strategic platform for reviewing institutional achievements, strengthening stakeholder partnerships, showcasing technologies, and charting a roadmap for the future. Guided by the theme “Innovate, Integrate and Impact,” the Institute reaffirmed its commitment to excellence in fisheries education, stakeholder-oriented research, entrepreneurship promotion, sustainable aquaculture development, and technology-led growth.

(Source: ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai)