Indian Science Congress – 2001
88th Session
Theme:
Food, Nutrition and
Environmental Security
ADDRESS
by
Shri Nitish Kumar
Minister for Agriculture, Government
of India
INDIAN SCIENCE CONGRESS ASSOCIATION
January 3, 2001
Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Science & Technology, and Ocean Development, Shri Murli Manohar Joshi ji, Chief Minister, Delhi, Shrimati Sheila Dikshit, General President of the Congress, Dr. R.S. Paroda, Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, distinguished delegates, scientists, students, farmers, ladies and gentlemen.
I am indeed delighted that this first Congress of the new millennium is being held on the campus of this prestigeous Institute and Dr.R.S. Paroda, an eminent agricultural scientist, is heading this Congress after almost 25 years when Dr. M.S. Swaminathan had become the General President. It was Dr.Swaminathan who then initiated the concept of having a theme of the Congress. This year's them is indeed dearer to my heart, since it addresses the basic concerns for foof, nutrition and environmental security.
It is also worthy mentioning that in the history of the Indian Science Congress since 1914, only three times has the General Presidentship gone to agricultural scientists, the earler two being Dr. B.P. Pal and Dr. M.S. Swaminathan. These were also the great leaders who not only headed this prestigious Pusa Institute and also the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, but also laid the foundation of our "Green Revolution", seeds of which were developed by the Nobel Laureate Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, who is fortunately present amongst us today, and were sown and further improved on this campus for the first time during mid-sixties under the leadership of Dr. M.S. Swaminathan. Let us thank them both profoundly for their valuable contributions towards food security in India.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research - a flagship that has successfully provided an able leadership in the field of agricultural research, in partnership with the State Agricultural Universtities(SAUs) , has enabled us to achieve a record production of foodgrains (209 mt) last year. Besides Green, we have also attained White, Yellow and Blue Revolutions thus providing our people the much needed household food security. We need to move now towards household food and nutrition securiry for which I feel that a "Rainbow Revolution" is necessary so that we are able to meet our future demands successfully. Our Hon'ble Prime Minister has already set a target of doubling our food production in the coming decade which we can accomplish only through excellence in science and the dedicated efforts of development functionaries and the contribution of our farmers. We shall have to work in a Mission Mode. I have no doubt that we shall accomplish this goal.
As you are aware, we have also recently announced our National Agricultural Policy- which sets a target of 4 percent growth in the agriculture sector. This path of development of our national will be through progress in agriculture. For this, we are committed to provide the best possible support for research and development and have targetted a minimum of 1 percent of our agricultrual GDP to be allocated to R & D during the Tenth Plan. Our National Agricultural Resarch System(NARS) is one of the three larget systems in the world. It has made valuable contributions of which we are proud of. We shall do our best to strengthen the scientific research system in the public domain, while encouraging also the Private Sector, to play its role in future, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji has rightly extended the slogan of Late Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri - "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" to that of "Jai Vigyan". It simply speaks of our firm commitment to support both science and the scientists of our country.
I personally feel that we shall have to strengthen our scientific infrastructure and the human resource to meet the daunting challenges that are emerging. Besides the major challenge of doubling our food production, we have the specific concerns of poverty, low productivity, low economic returns to our farmers, sustainability of the farming systems, genetic erosion of our rich bio-diversity, gradual depletion of natural resources, apprehended adverse impact of global climate change and above all the likely consequences of globalization on Indian Agriculture. We shall have to become globally competitive, taking full advantage of our comparative strengths removing the existing weak links in the food chains, reducing wastages and giving a thrust to the agro processing industries and also by devising appropriate policies that are beneficial for our resource-poor farmers. We must provide them minimum livelihood security. In order to achieve this, we shall need appropriate policies, new institutions, new breed of scientists and above all new technologies such as biotechnology, information communication technology remote sensing technoloyg, etc. so as not to be left behind in the new revolution.
Let us all resolve today, at the dawn of this new millennium, to accomplish the goad set by ShriVajpayee ji during the last Science Congress in Pune - 'Let the 21st Century be India' s Century". We must excell in science and we must ensure, in true sense, "the food, nutrition, livelihood and environmental security" to our people. I am confident that we shall achieve this goad with the unstinted support of our enlightened scientific community. We are all proud of what our scientist have done for the growth of this country. In concluding, let me reemphasize" Jai Vigyan" and let us take full advantage of science in moving towards the goal of peace, progress and prosperity in the new millennium.
Jai Hind.