NEW DELHI: Following a letter from the Cabinet Secretary, the Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has issued 18 actionable points for immediate implementation. The points, accessed by this newspaper, include revival of a five-year plan aimed at achieving Vision 2047 goals, preparation of dynamic research data on agricultural trends, research related to “AI in agriculture”, and deep tech data analysis.
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with secretaries of all departments on October 6, Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan directed the Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, to take appropriate action. The ICAR DG then met all institutions and subject matter divisions (SMDs) on October 7 to prepare actionable points for implementation.
The focus of these actionable points includes data management, sharing and utilisation, team building, and strategising for research, and media coverage. The points also state that any transfer of private, foreign, or educational resources must be vetted through SMDs.
Moreover, the actionable points indicate that ICAR may return to a five-year planning framework to set goals and monitor achievements to meet the Vision 2047 objectives. The five-year plan was discontinued in 2017, transitioning instead to a more flexible framework under the NITI Aayog.
According to the document regarding Vision 2047, “The vision and actionable steps should be structured in five-year increments, with well-defined goals, actionable paths or parameters, indicators, and outcomes.” It also states, “Records of research data and recent trends, such as exports, should be maintained and updated digitally.” Teams are encouraged to evaluate future needs on a commodity-specific basis, prioritise market-driven research, and leverage market intelligence.
The document discusses a shift in strategies towards a more problem-solving approach. It emphasises that “the role of the research lead within the institution should be clearly defined, focusing on problem-oriented research rather than routine activities like germplasm collection and maintenance.”
The document also calls for a revamp of the media and communication policy to enhance visibility for ICAR work and ensure it is linked to the PMO and relevant ministries.
Problem-oriented research to be in focus
The document emphasises that “the role of the research lead within the institution should be clearly defined, focusing on problem-oriented research rather than routine activities like germplasm collection and maintenance.” The document also calls for a revamp of the media and communication policy to enhance visibility for ICAR work.