Celebrating the incredible legacy of Agriculture: 97the ICAR Foundation Day
ICAR’s 97th Foundation Day: A Celebration of Agricultural Excellence
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), India’s apex body for agricultural research and education, marked its 97th Foundation Day with grandeur at the NASC Complex, New Delhi. The event was graced by Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, along with other dignitaries including Shri Bhagirath Choudhary (Minister of State), Dr. Ramesh Chand (NITI Aayog), and senior ICAR officials. The celebration highlighted ICAR’s pivotal role in shaping the nation’s agricultural landscape through scientific innovation, farmer outreach, and global leadership.
National Achievements in 2024–25
India achieved several agricultural milestones during 2024–25:
- Record food grain production of 353.95 million tonnes.
- Maintained position as world’s largest producer and exporter of rice (149.1 Mt; 40% of global exports).
- Largest milk producer (239.3 Mt), second-largest in wheat (117.3 Mt) and horticulture (367.72 Mt).
- Ranked second in global fish production (18.42 Mt).
These figures underscore ICAR’s instrumental role in ensuring food security, export performance, and rural livelihood generation.
Flagship ICAR Initiatives
Under the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, ICAR launched multiple game-changing initiatives:
🌱 High-Impact Campaigns:
- 109 climate-resilient and bio-fortified crop varieties released in August 2025.
- ‘One Scientist One Product’
- ‘100 Days 100 Varieties’
- ‘100 Days 100 Technologies’
- Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan: Reached 1.35 crore farmers across 1.40 lakh villages.
- #OneICAR social media campaign showcased national unity in agricultural develop
🌾 Crop Science Innovation
ICAR developed 679 new field crop varieties, including 27 bio-fortified ones for enhanced nutritional value. Among notable achievements:
- Basmati exports touched ₹50,000 crore, majorly driven by four ICAR varieties.
- Wheat production reached a record 115.3 Mt, with 85% area under ICAR’s climate-resilient varieties.
- Varietal replacement rates soared in pulses and oilseeds (e.g., lentil: 99%, chickpea: 84%).
- Breakthrough: World’s first genome-edited rice varieties released.
🍅 Horticultural Science Progress
ICAR released 83 new horticultural varieties:
- Fruits: 14
- Vegetables: 30
- Flowers: 12
- Spices, Plantation, Medicinal Plants: 27 total
Additionally: - 1,860 germplasm lines evaluated.
- 22 lakh quality planting materials distributed.
- 750+ quintals of breeder seed, 2,200 tonnes of tuber/root seeds, and 75 tonnes mushroom spawn produced.
- 9 Clean Plant Centres established.
- 15 patents granted, 1,300+ training sessions held.
🐟 Fisheries Science Advancements
ICAR introduced super-intensive shrimp farming yielding up to 40 tonnes/ha in 4 months, setting a new global benchmark for resource-efficient aquaculture.
Key developments:
- Breeding protocols for 7 fish species standardized.
- 5 specialized fish feeds & 13 value-added fish products launched.
- India’s marine fisheries carbon footprint is 31% below global average.
- Hosted 14th Asian Fisheries & Aquaculture Forum.
- Celebrated National Fish Farmers’ Day 2025 at CIFRI, Barrackpore.
🌱 Natural Resource Management
Notable interventions:
- National Soil Spectral Library created with 40,000 soil spectra.
- Developed 35 Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) on soil, water, and crop systems.
- 6 Integrated Farming System prototypes and organic cultivation protocols for 8 cropping systems.
- Crop diversification demos set up in 17 districts.
- 285 accredited nurseries for agroforestry across 7 states.
- 43 climate-resilient villages established.
- Introduced microbial consortium reducing methane emissions from rice fields by 18%.
🐄 Livestock Development
ICAR registered 10 new indigenous breeds, developed:
- 5 vaccines, 7 diagnostics for animal health.
- Produced 6.11 lakh semen doses and distributed 14.09 lakh poultry germplasm.
- Released 2 chicken varieties.
- Developed smart sensors for real-time quality checks in dairy.
🛠️ Agricultural Engineering
ICAR developed:
- 45 new technologies/instruments
- 8 process protocols
- 3 value-added farm products
- Conducted 301 training programs for farmers and agri-entrepreneurs.
These tools aim to improve on-farm efficiency, post-harvest value addition, and mechanization.
🎓 Agricultural Education Reforms
ICAR led major educational transformation:
- Consultations with 76 Agricultural Universities.
- Implemented the 6th Deans Committee Report.
- Launched PM-One Nation One Subscription (PM-ONOS) for journals.
- Initiated ASEAN fellowship programme for international M.Sc. students.
- Set up 50 Experiential Learning Units.
- Conducted MOOCs and Rashtriya Karmayogi Jan Seva Programme training 466 staff.
📢 Agricultural Extension Outreach
Massive expansion in farmer engagement:
- 0.42 lakh On-Farm Trials
- 2.66 lakh Frontline Demonstrations (1.41 lakh in pulses & oilseeds)
- 18.57 lakh farmers trained, plus 1.77 lakh extension staff
- Delivered 4.19 crore SMS advisories
- 3.8 lakh soil, water & plant samples analyzed
Crop Residue Management (CRM) in 65 districts led to 80% reduction in stubble burning since 2020.
Infrastructure built:
- 299 Custom Hiring Centres
- 82 Seed Banks, 34 Fodder Banks
Nutrition-focused programmes:
- NARI Initiative in 18,000 Anganwadis promoted nutri-gardens.
- 16,952 youth trained under 694 skill programmes → 3,398 ventures started by 5,472 youth.
- Supported 3,093 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) through 3,002 training sessions.
Stay tune to www.krishishutra.com for all agricultural updates.
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