XXXIV Management Development Programme on Leadership Development Concludes

27 June 2025, Hyderabad

ICAR–National Academy of Agricultural Research Management successfully concluded the XXXIV Management Development Programme (MDP) on Leadership Development here today. Held from June 16–27, the two-week programme was specifically tailored as a pre-RMP (Research Management Position) training initiative, aimed at enhancing strategic leadership and managerial competencies among senior scientists and academic administrators.

The Chief Guest for the valedictory session, Dr. Sanjay Kumar, Chairperson, Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board, emphasized the virtues of integrity, discipline, and purpose-driven leadership. He encouraged the participants to channel their professional energy like fire—transformative, focused, and purifying.

The Guest of Honour, Dr. Arun Tiwari, Former DRDO Missile Scientist and Former Advisor to Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, underscored the value of mentorship in science. He urged the participants to remain lifelong learners and to mentor the next generation of scientists, emphasizing that impactful scientific leadership is a journey of patience, purpose, and perseverance.

Dr. Gopal Lal, Acting Director, ICAR-NAARM, likened the impact of the training to a drop in the ocean that creates ripples of change. He called upon the participants to adopt adaptive leadership approaches in response to evolving institutional challenges and national agricultural priorities.

The MDP curriculum combined theoretical insights with practical tools, covering a broad range of themes such as emotional intelligence, innovation management, policy design, and emerging technologies. Sessions were delivered by a panel of distinguished experts and practitioners from academia, research, and industry.

The programme reaffirmed ICAR-NAARM’s commitment to fostering visionary leadership within the National Agricultural Research and Education System (NARES).

A total of 15 senior professionals, including Heads of Divisions and Principal Scientists from various ICAR institutes, along with a Dean representing a State Agricultural University (SAU).

(Source: ICAR–National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad)