Hisar, January 6: Three technical sessions were held at the 49th Vice-Chancellors' Conference. In the first session, various Vice-Chancellors presented their views on the topic "From Farm to Future: Exploring New Frontiers in Agriculture," in the second session on "Developed India 2047: Role and Contribution of Agricultural Institutions," and in the third session on "Building a Bridge of Tradition and Technology for the Future of Sustainable Agriculture."
The chairman of the first session was Dr. Parvinder Kaushal, Vice-Chancellor of VCSG Uttarakhand University of Horticulture and Forestry, the chairman of the second session was Prof. Parbat Kumar Raul, Vice-Chancellor of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, and the chairman of the third session was Dr. Manmohan Singh, President of the Indian Agricultural University Association (IAUA) and Vice-Chancellor of GBPUAT Pantnagar.
In the first session, Dr. Sharad Ramrao Gadakh, Vice-Chancellor of Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, presented a model for doubling farmers' income. Prof. Indra Mani, Vice-Chancellor of Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, shared his views on 'Climate-Smart Agriculture for a Resilient Tomorrow'. The session emphasized points such as increasing on-farm mechanization for small farmers to reduce production costs and increase productivity, establishing village-level custom hiring centers as an effective tool in agricultural mechanization, attracting rural youth and agricultural graduates towards farming as agri-entrepreneurs, developing replicable integrated farming system models to increase sustainability and profitability per unit area, using artificial intelligence/digital platforms to support farming with minimal human intervention, and reducing post-harvest losses and increasing the processing ratio. Dr. Bidyut Chandan Deka, Vice-Chancellor of Assam Agricultural University and Co-Chairman of the session, also shared his views.
In the second session, Prof. Baldev Raj Kamboj, Vice-Chancellor of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, shared his views on strengthening agricultural research, education, and extension. He stated that strengthening research, education, and extension is a national necessity for food security, farmers' prosperity, and sustainable development. Professor Kamboj described the New Education Policy-2020 as flexible, multidisciplinary, research-oriented, and inclusive, emphasizing its focus on farmer-centric, market-linked, and digitally enabled agricultural education.
Dr. Manmohan Singh, Vice-Chancellor of GBPUAT Pantnagar, shared his views on genome editing and cloning in animals for the year 2047, stating that these technologies will prove to be game-changers in meeting future dairy demands. Dr. Dheer Singh, Director and Vice-Chancellor of NDRI Karnal, emphasized the growing importance of nutritional security. The third session featured a detailed discussion on bridging the gap between tradition and technology for the future of sustainable agriculture.