BENGALURU: Union minister HD Kumaraswamy declared that the prestigious Indian Institute of Horticultural Research --ICAR-IIHR in Hesaraghatta in North Bengaluru is on track to receive deemed university status, a move set to revolutionise agricultural research in India.
Speaking at the National Horticulture Fair 2025 valedictory function, Kumaraswamy confirmed that he will personally take up the matter with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The minister did not stop there, revealing that the Union Budget 2025-26 has allocated Rs 1,52,000 crore to agriculture, reinforcing the government’s commitment to self-reliance in farming under PM Narendra Modi’s Viksit Bharat 2047 and Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.
Taking a jibe at the guarantee schemes, Kumaraswamy made a fiery pitch for agricultural investment. “If just one year’s guarantee fund is put into agriculture, Karnataka will become a model state,” he declared, adding that empowering farmers with modern techniques and market access is far more valuable than a hundred guarantees.