The Vice President addresses the Convocation ceremony of Indian Agricultural Research Institute
Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy, agricultural education should become the focus of entrepreneurship- Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar
The Vice President, Union Agriculture Minister Shri Tomar, MoS Shri Chaudhary present medals
Posted On: 24 FEB 2023, Delhi
The Vice President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar was the Chief Guest at the 61st Convocation ceremony of the Post-Graduate School of Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi today. The Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar presided over the ceremony, while the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Kailash Choudhary was the special guest on the occasion. In his address, Shri Dhankhar emphasized that agricultural education should become the focus of research and innovation and entrepreneurship for the progress of the country.
The Vice President said that Agriculture is the backbone of the economy, the contribution of farmers has been tremendous. He lauded the commitment of the Agriculture sector, which has provided food security and made it possible to ensure free meals to more than 800 million people, even as the world grappled with the pandemic. He said the India we are seeing today is wonderful. The Vice President underlined India’s efforts to mark 2023 as the International Year of Millets and its importance for the Agriculture sector across the world. Referring to the increasing use of cutting-edge technology in agriculture including drones, he said that technology is transforming the sector with the changing times. Referring to the steps taken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under the leadership of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for the upliftment of the Agriculture sector, Shri Dhankhar said that more than Rs. 2.20 lakh crore has been transferred to over 11 crore farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi initiative directly into their bank accounts without any middlemen. Describing the Parliament as the temple of democracy, the Vice President said that it is meant for dialogue, debate, discussion, deliberation, which should not become a platform for disruption or unrest. He said that every word spoken in Parliament should come after due consideration.
During the convocation ceremony, the Vice President Shri Dhankhar as well as Shri Tomar and Shri Choudhary gave away medals and prizes to meritorious students. The Vice President also released 16 different varieties of cereals, fruits and vegetables. On this occasion, Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Secretary, DARE and Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Dr. A.K. Singh, Vice Chancellor & Director, IARI, Dr. Anupama Singh, Dean and Joint Director (Education) along with other officers, students and guardians and farmers were present. In the ceremony, 402 students received degrees, including foreign students. Dr. A.K. Singh delivered the welcome speech.
