The 97th Foundation Day of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) was celebrated in New Delhi on Wednesday with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan leading the event. Addressing a packed auditorium of scientists, officials, and farmers, he hailed ICAR as a pillar of national pride and progress, crediting its work for India’s growing self-reliance in agriculture.
The Minister conferred National Agricultural Science Awards and inaugurated the Viksit Krishi exhibition, launched research publications, and signed MoUs to deepen collaborations. He praised scientists as “modern-day sages” and emphasized their pivotal role in transforming Indian agriculture.
He cited record foodgrain, horticulture, and milk production figures, highlighting a jump from 3.9 to 8.1 million tonnes annually in foodgrain output between 2014 and 2025.
Stressing the need to boost pulses and oilseeds productivity, Chouhan urged scientists to promote natural farming and field-oriented research. He called for affordable fertilizer centers on the lines of Jan Aushadhi Kendras and warned against substandard inputs. He also announced a toll-free helpline for farmers to report fraud.
The Minister proposed a unified research mission under “One Team, One Goal,” focused on solving real problems faced by small and marginal farmers.
