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 ICAR acts as a repository of information
and provides consultancy on agriculture, horticulture,
resource management, animal sciences, agricultural
engineering, fisheries, agricultural extension,
agricultural education, home science and agricultural
communication. It has the mandates to co-ordinate
agricultural research and development programmes and
develop linkages at national and international level with
related organisations to enhance the quality of life of
the farming community.
ICAR has established various research centres in order to
meet the agricultural research and education needs of the
country.It is actively pursuing human resource
development in the field of agricultural sciences by
setting up numerous agricultural universities spanning
the entire country.The Technology Intervention Programmes
also form an integral part of ICAR's agenda which
establishes Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) responsible for
training, research and demonstration of improved
technologies.
 Research Centres
Human Resource Development
Technology Intervention Programmes
Research
Centres
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Harvesting
of rainwater at Rel Majra,
Ropar, Punjab. |
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The Central Research
Institutes have been established to meet agricultural
research and education needs of the country in terms of
pursuit of basic and strategic research in the concerned
disciplines in a focussed area. They develop, evaluate
and refine technologies for packaging them in a form
ready to be transferred from Lab to Land. They also help
in human resource development for agricultural sector.
The Institutes/Directorates/Bureaux have a mandate for
working on single or selected group of crops, animals or
commodities with each major discipline having status of
the division/section. Some of the Institutes have
regional stations to cover diverse agro-ecological areas
for developing area-specific technologies.
The National Research Centres (NRCs) have been
established for concentrated attention with a mission
approach by a team of scientists under a single leader on
selected topics with relevance to resolving national
problems in a particular animal, crop or commodity. There
is no divisional set up and rarely any regional station
for the NRCs.
The creation of All India Co-ordinated Research Project
(AICRP) under the ICAR system is a landmark in the
history of agricultural research in India. The AICRP is a
mechanism in building nation-wide co-operative,
inter-disciplinary research network linking ICAR
Institutes with the SAUs to focus attention on
commodities and species of national importance. The
AICRPs have succeeded in mobilizing country's scarce
resources through inter-institutional and
inter-disciplinary interaction and joint evaluation of
new technologies to arrive at collective recommendation.
The AICRPs also strengthen research base in each
agricultural university. A few projects are elevated to
the level of Project Directorates with additional
research responsibilities for important areas e.g. wheat,
rice, oilseed, pulses and vegetables.
In addition, the ICAR supports a number of short-term
ad-hoc research schemes, implemented by scientists in
various colleges, universities and institutes. The
programmes of ad-hoc research schemes are need-based and
are formulated and executed in accordance with the
recommendations of the scientific panels related to
different disciplines.
Human
Resource Development
A total of 29
agricultural universities have been established in the
different parts of the country, including a Central
Agricultural University for the north-eastern hills. In
addition the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New
Delhi, the Indian Veterinary Research Institute,
Izatnagar (Bareilly), the National Dairy Research
Institute, Karnal and the Central Institute of Fisheries
Education, Bombay have the status of deemed universities.
The agricultural education system in the country offers
degree programmes in 11 specific disciplines viz.
agriculture, veterinary science, agricultural
engineering, forestry, home science, dairy technology,
fisheries, sericulture, marketing, banking and
co-operation, horticulture and food science with a total
intake of about 11,000 students. It also offers post
graduate programmes in more than 55 fields of
specialization with a total intake capacity of about
5,000 students. Under the human resource development
programme the council offers about 1200 scholarships and
fellowships from the undergraduate to post-doctoral
levels. Special fellowships are also offered for socially
and economically weaker groups.
A World Bank assisted project on the Agricultural Human
Resource Development (AHRD) has been launched to improve
the educational system in agriculture and meet its future
challenges. In its initial stage the participating states
are Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Tamil Nadu involving the
agricultural universities of these states. During the 5
years of the project period steps will be taken for
establishment of accreditation board, syllabus reform,
faculty quality improvement, upgrading and modernization
of the laboratory facilities, farms, libraries, hostels,
communication systems and other ancillary facilities. A
National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP) is also
contemplated to bridge critical gaps of technology
generation, assessment, refinement and transfer and to
enhance ICAR's institutional capability to meet future
challenges on research and development fronts.
Technology
Intervention Programmes
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Dr
V.V.S. Suryanarayana loading
a sequencing gel. |
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The Technology
Intervention system of the ICAR is devoted to the
first-line extension activities. During the eighth five
year plan these activities have been integrated mainly
into the 261 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs). The KVKs are
responsible for vocational training, on-farm research and
demonstration of the improved technologies. In majority
of the cases, the technologies developed were found
appropriate only in the area where they were generated.
Even slight variations in conditions turn the technology
irrelevant. Keeping this in view a new approach is being
experimented for technology assessment and refinement
through Institute-Village Linkage Programme (IVLP). The
IVLP has been started initially at 42 centres through
various ICAR institutes and state agricultural
universities.
In addition to the new initiative of the IVLP, the
technology intervention programmes are going on in eight
zones through out the country. Zone I has 36 KVKs and one
TTC serving the farming communities of Punjab, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Delhi. During
1995-96, 1,750 frontline demonstrations were organized on
oilseeds and pulses showing production increase of 30 to
50% over the local varieties and techniques. The Zone II
is constituted to serve the farming communities of Bihar,
West Bengal and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.. The 26
KVKs of this zone conducted 176 training programmes to
train 3,348 inservice extension workers. Oilseed and
Pulse production technologies were demonstrated on 320
hectares. There are 12 KVKs and one TTC in the Zone III
comprising Assam, Sikkim and North Eastern Hills. They
organised 114 training programmes for 4,462 inservice
extension workers during 1995-96.
Zone IV has 29 KVKs serving the whole of Uttar Pradesh
where 520 training camps trained 3,942 inservice officers
in addition to 5454 farmers who were benefitted through
frontline oilseeds demonstrations on 800 hectares. The
better technologies of Pulses were demonstrated in 740
hectares involving 2030 farmers. Andhra Pradesh and
Maharashtra are being served by 26 KVKs and one TTC of
the Zone V. During 1995-96 7,834 inservice employees
participated in 350 training camps. The frontline
demonstrations on oilseeds and pulses were organized on
569 hectares benefitting 1265 farm-families.
The State of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Dadar Nagar-Haveli
have been included in Zone VI functioning through 42
KVKs. During 1995-96 the frontline demonstrations on
oilseeds and pulses were organized covering 700 hectares.
Zone VII consists of Orissa and Madhya Pradesh being
served by 3 KVKs and two TTC. Here 44 inservice training
camps were organised for 384 middle level workers. A
highest yield of 30.4 quintals was obtained in frontline
demonstrations of soybean which were organised on about
174 hectares. Technology of Pulses was demonstrated on
113 hectares benefitting 253 families. The states of
Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Goa are
being served by 22 KVKs and 3 Trainers Training Centres
in Zone VIII. The frontline demonstrations on Oilseeds
and Pulses were organised on 996 hectares benefitting
1067 farm families.
The farmers' fairs, farmers' days, Kisan-Goshthies
(farmers' meetings) and farmers' visits were organised in
all the zones. In all, more than 270,000 farmers were
benefitted through nearly 16,600 training programmes in
the eight zones.
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