New Delhi, April 24, 2025 : A grand felicitation ceremony was held today at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, New Delhi, to welcome Dr. M.L. Jat, the newly appointed Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The event was attended by IARI Director Dr. Ch. Srinivas Rao, Deputy Director General (Crop Science), Directors of sister ICAR institutes, heads of various departments, senior scientists, faculty members, researchers, and students, who warmly welcomed Dr. Jat.
In his inspiring address, Dr. Jat emphasized that the primary goal of ICAR is the prosperity of farmers and the overall development of Indian agriculture during AmritKal. He stressed that all research efforts should be aligned with this goal. He highlighted the importance of conducting research with a global perspective while addressing local needs, advocating the principle of “Think Globally, Act Locally.”
Referring to three major global challenges Dr. Jat urged the scientific community to prioritize research aimed at addressing these issues. He emphasized the need to develop resilient crop systems, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, strong social science research and market-oriented farming systems.
Dr. Jat also highlighted that the true utility of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, small-neutral mechanization lies in their accessibility to smallholder farmers. He urged IARI to lead the way in making these technologies farmer-friendly and impactful at the grassroots level. Speaking on agricultural education, he called for a scientific leadership and mentorship-oriented model that prepares students to compete globally. “Science is our core business, and we must stand in full support of it,” he said. Director General also stressed that the concept of ‘Ease of Doing Business’ should evolve into a reality of ‘Hurdle-Free Science’ through collective leadership.
Dr. Jat advocated for an integrated approach to science and teamwork in the agri-food system – from production to consumption. He called for strengthening natural resource management research from the plot level to the landscape scale. Making ICAR globally visible, initiating dual-degree programs, promoting farmer-oriented research, solving real-time farmers’ problems, and business planning for FPOs should be key focus areas, aligned with global mega-trends and national priorities for Amrit Kaal.
He also underlined the need to strengthen the extension system to better highlight ICAR’s achievements. Research priorities must be oriented towards both pre-production and post-production phases, including market intelligence and robust social science research. He noted that ICAR has a strong data bank, and a well-structured data sharing policy could attract significant national and international resources.
On this occasion, IARI Director Dr. Rao lauded Dr. Jat’s global vision and leadership, expressing confidence that ICAR will achieve new heights under his guidance. He emphasized that Dr. Jat’s experience in international agricultural research, policy formulation, and innovation implementation will greatly benefit India’s farmers and agricultural scientists. During the ceremony, Deputy Director General (Crop Science), Dr. D.K. Yadava, Directors of Delhi-based ICAR institutes, and IARI’s Dean and Joint Director (Extension) also extended their congratulations and pledged full support to the vision and mission of ICAR under Dr. Jat’s leadership.
