Why in the News?
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) celebrated its 97th Foundation Day, marking nearly a century of contributions to Indian agriculture.
About ICAR:
- Overview: ICAR is an autonomous organization under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.
- Establishment: It was established on 16 July 1929 as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, following the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Agriculture.
- Legal Framework: It functions as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
- Headquarters: ICAR is headquartered in New Delhi and serves as the apex body for coordinating and managing agricultural research and education across the country.
- Structure: ICAR oversees a vast network of 113 research institutes and 74 agricultural universities, making it one of the largest national agricultural systems globally.
- Functions: It supports research in agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, animal sciences, and natural resource management.
Key Accomplishments of ICAR:
- Record Agricultural Production: India achieved record foodgrain production of 353.95 million tonnes in 2024–25. It became the largest global producer and exporter of rice and the top producer of milk (239.3 million tonnes), while ranking second in wheat, horticultural output, and fish production (18.42 million tonnes).
- Major Initiatives and Campaigns: It launched programmes such as One Scientist One Product, 100 Days 100 Varieties and Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (reaching 1.35 crore farmers).
- Crop Science Research: Developed 679 field crop varieties, including 27 bio-fortified ones; introduced the world’s first genome-edited rice; improved varietal replacement in pulses and oilseeds; supported basmati rice exports worth ₹50,000 crore.
- Horticultural Innovation: Released 83 new varieties across fruits, vegetables, spices, flowers, and medicinal plants; distributed over 22 lakh high-quality planting materials; set up 9 Clean Plant Centres for disease-free germplasm.
- Fisheries Development: Implemented precision shrimp farming systems with high efficiency; developed low-carbon marine fish products and nutraceutical feeds; standardized breeding for 7 fish species.
- Natural Resource Management: Created a National Soil Spectral Library with 40,000 samples; developed 35 Good Agricultural Practices; promoted climate-resilient villages and crop diversification; reduced methane emissions in rice by 18% using microbial consortia.
- Livestock Sector Contributions: Registered 10 indigenous breeds; developed 5 vaccines and 7 diagnostic kits; distributed over 14.09 lakh poultry germplasm; introduced smart sensors for dairy quality monitoring.
- Major National Programmes: Launched the Global Centre of Excellence on Millets (Shree Anna), genome editing in 40 crops, the Second National Gene Bank, the MAHARISHI (Millets and Ancient Grains) Initiative, and national missions on edible oils, cotton, and emerging biotic threats.
| [UPSC 2018] With reference to the Genetically Modified mustard (GM mustard) developed in India, consider the following statements:
1. GM mustard has the genes of a soil bacterium that give the plant the property of pest-resistance to a wide variety of pests. 2. GM mustard has the genes that allow the plant cross-pollination and hybridization. 3. GM mustard has been developed jointly by the IARI and Punjab Agricultural University. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Options: (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2 only* (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 |
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