MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING, MINISTER OF
STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF STATISTCS AND PROGRAMME
IMPLEMENTATION AND MINISTER OF STATE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS AND PUBLIC GRIEVANCES IN THE
MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIENVANCES AND PENSIONS
(SHRI ARUN SHOURIE)
(a) & (b) Yes Sir. A national seminar on Research and Development thrusts in
agriculture in the wake of globalization was held on 9th September, 1999 in Planning
Commission in which Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission had suggested that a
long-term research and technology plan for Indian agriculture be developed. This
should include notifying names of authorities upto district level for documentation of
country`s flora and fauna in a community bio-diversity register, documentation of
Indian basmati rice through DNA finger printing, studies on pesticide residue in
crops, and setting up of private laboratories under a system of accreditation.
(c) Government have taken initiatives to strengthen the institutions under Indian
Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR) and State Agriculture Universities (SAUs).
Steps have also been taken to strengthen and expand the network of Krish Vigyan
Kendras (KVKs) and strengthen agricultural extension to provide new technology to
agriculture.
(d) & (e) Various suggestions were made to protect the interest of Indian
agriculture in ministerial conference on World Trade Organization (WTO) with
respect to tariff levels, agriculture subsidies, market access, abolishing quotas etc.
Stress was laid on crops requiring less water as a part of strategy for integrated
watershed management and involvement of extension machinery, SAUs, KVKs and
mass media etc. ICAR are required to formulate a strategy for sustainable agriculture
and by educating communities and stepping up investment in R&D and human
resource development for the agriculture sector.
The seminar also focused on problem areas such as natural resource
management, water logged areas, mixed farming with pisciculture, stepping up of
indigenous research in bio-technology and need for increased spread in micro-
biology, tissue culture and to improve the organic contents in the soil by popularizing
blue-green algae and azola etc. Issues concerning land use pattern and poverty
amelioration measures were also discussed. Ninth Plan strategy has taken into
account all these measures for implementation.
