2. INTRODUCTION
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research
(ICAR) is an autonomous organization under
the Department of Agricultural Research and
Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture,
Government of India, it was established on
16 July 1929. The ICAR has its headquarters
at New Delhi.
The Council is the apex body for co-
ordinating, guiding and managing research
and education in agriculture including
horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in
the entire country. With 100 ICAR
institutes and 70 agricultural
universities spread across the country this is
one of the largest national agricultural
systems in the world
The ICAR has played a pioneering role in ushering
Green Revolution and subsequent developments in
agriculture in India through its research and
technology development that has enabled the
country to increase the production of food grains by
5 times, horticultural crops by 9.5 times, fish by 12.5
times , milk 7.8 times and eggs 39 times since 1951 to
2014, thus making a visible impact on the national
food and nutritional security. It has played a major
role in promoting excellence in higher education in
agriculture
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3. MANDATE
To plan, undertake, aid, promote and co-
ordinate education, research and its
application in agriculture, agroforestry,
animal husbandry, fisheries, home science
and allied sciences
To provide, undertake and promote
consultancy services in the fields of
education, research, training and
dissemination of information in agriculture,
agroforestry, animal husbandry, fisheries,
home science and allied sciences
To look into the problems relating to
broader areas of rural development
concerning agriculture, including
postharvest technology by developing co-
operative programmes with other
organizations such as the Indian Council of
Social Science Research, Council of Scientific
and Industrial Research, Bhabha Atomic
Research Centre and the universities
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4. MILESTONES
• ICAR scientists were the first in the world to sequence the pigeon pea genome. it
was a purely indigenous effort by 31 scientists led by Nagendra Kumar Singh of
NRCPB.
• 2009: In December 2009, it announced that it was considering a policy to provide
open access to its research.
• As of July, 2006 it has developed a vaccine against bird flu.The vaccine was
developed at the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal, the only facility
in the country to conduct tests for the H5N1 variant of bird flu.It was entrusted
with the task of developing a vaccine by the ICAR after the Avian Influenza
outbreak in February. The ICAR provided Rs. 8 crore for the purpose.
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5. • 2006 Launching of National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP)
• 2004 King Baudouin Award for ICAR
• 1998 Launching of National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP)
• 1996 Establishment of National Gene Bank at New Delhi
• 1995 Initiation of Institution-Village Linkage Programme (IVLP)
• 1989 King Baudouin Award for ICAR
• 1979 Launching of Lab-to-Land Programme and the National Agricultural Research
Project (NARP)
• 1975 Establishment of Agricultural Research Service and Agricultural Scientists'
Recruitment Board
• 1974 Opening of first Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) at Puducherry (Pondicherry)
• 1973 Creation of Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) in
the Ministry of Agriculture
• 1966 Placement of different agricultural research institutes under the purview of
ICAR
• 1960 Establishment of the first State Agricultural University on land grant pattern
at Pantnagar
• 1958 Status of Deemed University accorded to Indian Agricultural Research
Institute
• 1957 Initiation of the first All-India Co-ordinated Research Project on Maize
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6. DIVISIONS
Crop Science
• Harnessing conventional and modern scientific knowledge, tools, and cutting-edge of science
for development of improved crop varieties/hybrids suited to diverse agro-ecologies and
situations, and efficient, economic, eco-friendly and sustainable crop production and
protection technologies; promoting excellence in basic, strategic and anticipatory crop
science research.Refinement of seed-production technologies and production of breeder
seed with added emphasis on hybrid cultivars
Horticultural Science
• Horticulture Division vested with the responsibility of overseeing the overall accelerated
development of horticulture in national perspective for improving nutritional, ecological and
livelihood security.
Natural Resource Management
• Sustainable management of natural resources for achieving food, nutritional, environmental
and livelihood security in the country.
Developing location specific, cost effective, eco-friendly conservation and management
technologies for higher input use efficiency, agricultural productivity & profitability without
deteriorating natural resource base.
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7. Agricultural Engineering
• To make Indian agriculture sustainable, profitable and competitive enterprise through engineering
interventions of farm mechanization, value addition and energy management in production and
post harvest operations.
• To develop and introduce need-based and region-specific engineering technologies to
achieve sustainable enhanced productivity and profitability of different farming systems.
Animal Science
• Development of technologies to support production enhancement, profitability, competitiveness
and sustainability of livestock and poultry sector for providing food and nutritional security to
Indian masses.
• Facilitate need based research in ongoing and emerging areas of livestock and poultry sector to
denote productivity increase, reduce gap between potential and actual yield, and to prepare the
country for the challenges of globalization.
Fisheries Science
• Fish for all’
Sustainable growth of Indian fisheries and aquaculture by interfacing research, education and
extension resulting in a proper fit between the human needs and the habitat, with an important
role in global fisheries.
Agricultural Education
• Education Division undertakes planning, development, coordination and quality assurance in higher
agricultural education in the country and, thus, strives for maintaining and upgrading quality and
relevance of higher agricultural education through partnership and efforts of the components of
the ICAR-Agricultural Universities (AUs) System comprising State Agricultural Universities (SAUs),
Deemed to be universities (DUs), Central Agricultural University (CAU) and Central Universities
(CUs) with Agriculture Faculty.
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8. RESEARCH INSTITUTES
• Four Deemed Universities[6]
• 45 ICAR Institutions[6]
• Six National Bureaux[6]
• 25 Project Directorates[6]
• 18 National Research Centres[6]
• 138 Substations of ICAR Institutes
• 61 AICRPs (All India Coordinated Research Projects)[7]
• 10 Other Projects[7]
• 17 Network Projects[7]
• Eight Zonal Project Directorates
• 633 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)
• 45 State Agricultural Universities (SAUs)[10]
• 1 Central Agricultural University and
• 4 Central Universities having faculty of agriculture
• ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Barapani
• National Research Centre on Pig, Guwahati
• National Research Centre on Orchids, Pakyong, Sikkim
• National Research Centre on Yak,Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh
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9. N.E PROJECT DIRECTORATES
• The Zonal Project Directorate (ZONE-III) for North Eastern Region is located at the
ICAR Research Complex for NEICAR Research Complex for NEH Region,Umiam
BarapaniH Region, Umiam, (Barapani) in Meghalaya state.
• The Zonal Project Directorate is responsible for the implementation of Transfer of
Technology Projects of ICAR in the North Eastern Region of the country. The Indian
Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) mooted the idea of establishing Krishi
Vigyan Kendra (Farm Science Centre) as innovative institution for imparting
trainings to the practising farmers, school drop-outs and field level extension
functionaries, which would help in accelerating the agricultural production and
also improving socio-economic conditions of the farming community.
• The Zonal Project Directorate, Zone-III, one of the eight zones of India under the
Transfer of Technology Project of ICAR comprises of eight North Eastern States
namely; Arunachal Pradesh, Assam , Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram,
Tripura and Sikkim. Agriculture is the primary occupation in the region with over
80% of the population directly and indirectly depending on it and majority of the
farmers are small and marginal.
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10. NEWS COVERED ON ICAR
• Indian Council of Agricultural Research asks farmers to go for sustainable agriculture.
• The Chaghar grazing ground in Arunachal Pradesh witnessed the gathering of Brokpas,
traditional yak herders, for the 2nd annual Yak Mela mainly to focus on dwindling yak
population.
• Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in Margao,
has undertaken demonstration of newer varieties of paddy
• ICAR approves Rs 14.04cr for development of fruit research station.
• Farmers to be trained to rear bees.
• ICAR to focus on improving and promoting indigenous cattle breeds.
• ICAR marks foundation day in Shillong.
• Three foreign students to join ICAR.
• Per drop, more crop: Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitches for improving farm productivity
and water conservation.
• Software to help farmers choose the right fertilizer
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