New Delhi (The Hawk): National Mission on the use of Biomass in Thermal Power Plants (SAMARTH) collaborated with NTPC and organized a one-day workshop today in Chandigarh, on ex-Situ utilization of agricultural residue for co-firing in thermal power plants.The Government, Ministries, CAQM, MoEFCC, Ministry of Agriculture &amp; farmer welfare, MNRE, Department of Environment &amp; Climate Change-Punjab, Department of Power-Punjab, Department of Agriculture-Punjab, Department of Science &amp; Technology-Punjab, Department of Environment &amp; Climate Change-Haryana, Department of Agriculture-Haryana,&nbsp;Department of Energy-Haryana, SAMARTH Mission, NTPC Ltd, all GENCOs from NCR region, Financial Institutions, Pellet manufacturers, Entrepreneurs, Industries associations, OEMs, Agriculture Universities, KVKs, FPOs, CBBOs and Farmer organizations participated in the workshop.The one-day workshop aimed to promote and facilitate ex-situ utilization of agri-residue in various applications, with a focus on developing an eco-system for aggregation, transportation, manufacturing, supply, and co-firing of biomass in thermal power plants. The workshop has been organized in an area where a lot of potentials is there and to discuss with concerned stakeholders to resolve the issues towards expanding Biomass aggregation &amp; Pellet manufacturing. The Workshop started with a welcome note by Shri Sudip Nag (Mission Director, National Mission on Use of Biomass in Thermal Power Plants &amp; Executive Director, NTPC Ltd) describing the importance of Biomass in attaining India’s fuel energy security. Shri Ramesh Babu, Director(Operations), NTPC Ltd. highlighted the potential of Biomass as an untapped resource, additional source of income, high scale of demand &amp; favorable government policies. He also informed about various initiatives taken by NTPC for Biomass utilization in TPPs &amp; mentioned that 14 Plants of NTPC have already started co-firing &amp; approximately 77000 Tons of Biomass have been co-fired to date.Dr. M.M. Kutty, Chairperson, CAQM addressed the burning issue of air pollution, particularly in the NCR region &amp; challenges. He explained about different possible uses of Biomass, the National policy for management of crop residue, the Central Scheme for agricultural mechanization, the policy for Biomass utilization for power generation through co-firing in Thermal power plants &amp; also guided how the agricultural sector can come forward &amp; contribute to control the pollution by converting Stubble waste to wealth applying Scientific &amp; Technological solutions. 09 exhibition stalls were also installed in the workshop venue to demonstrate different technical and financial aspects by Entrepreneurs, Financial Institutions, OEMs, and SAMARTH Mission. The exhibition stalls were well appreciated by all the senior officials present in the workshop.With more than 250 registered participants coming from Government, Ministries, CAQM, MoEFCC, MoA&amp;FW, MNRE, senior government officials from Punjab and Haryana, NTPC Ltd, all GENCOs from NCR region, Financial Institutions, Pellet manufacturers, Entrepreneurs, Industries associations, OEMs, Agriculture Universities, KVKs, FPOs, CBBOs and Farmer organizations the Workshop on Ex-situ utilization of agricultural residue in Thermal Power Plants was one of the biggest bioenergy gatherings ever. Many Companies/budding entrepreneurs/Farmers came to the Workshop to understand &amp; explore new business opportunities.The workshop not only addressed the issue of stubble burning but also provided an ideal platform for all the stakeholders to share their knowledge and experience for the purposeful use of agri-residue and earning potential.Dr. M.M. Kutty, Chairperson, Commission for Air Quality Management inaugurated the workshop along with Shri Ramesh Babu, Director(Operations), NTPC Ltd., Sh Arvind Nautiyal, Member-Secretary(CAQM), Sh. S. Narayanan, Member Secretary(Haryana State Pollution Control Board), Sh. Krunesh Garg, Member Secretary(Punjab Pollution Control Board), Shri Sudip Nag (Mission Director, National Mission on Use of Biomass in Thermal Power Plants &amp; Executive Director, NTPC Ltd), and senior Government officials from Punjab and Haryana.

National Mission on the use of Biomass in Thermal Power Plants (SAMARTH) collaborated with NTPC and organized a one-day workshop today in Chandigarh, on ex-Situ utilization of agricultural residue for co-firing in thermal power plants.

SAMARTH In Collaboration With NTPC Organizes Workshop On Biomass Use In Thermal Power Plants 

New Delhi (The Hawk): India Meteorological Department (IMD) runs an operational Agrometeorological Advisory Services (AAS) viz., Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) scheme for the benefit of farming community in the country. Under the scheme, medium range weather forecasts at district and block level is generated and based on these forecasts, 130 Agromet Field Units (AMFUs), located at State Agricultural Universities, institutes of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) etc., prepare Agrometeorological Advisories on every Tuesday and Friday for the districts under their jurisdiction and for the blocks of the district of their location and communicate to the farmers to take decision on day-to-day agricultural operations. AAS rendered by IMD is a step towards weather-based crop and livestock management strategies and operations dedicated to enhancing crop production and food security besides reducing crop damage and loss due to unusual weather.After successful implementation of district level AAS, District Agromet Units (DAMUs) are being established at Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in collaboration with ICAR to implement block level AAS). Till date, 199 District Agromet Units (DAMUs) have been established at KVKs across the country under ICAR network and these DAMUs prepare district and block level Agrometeorological Advisories based on district and block level weather forecasts for their respective districts and communicate to the farmers on every Tuesday and Friday. In addition to that, Impact based forecast (IBFs) for agriculture are also being prepared by AMFUs and DAMUs based on the severe weather warnings for different districts of various States and UTs across the country.IMD also monitors rainfall situation &amp; weather aberrations and issues alerts &amp; warnings to the farmers time to time under GKMS scheme. SMS-based alerts and warnings for extreme weather events along with suitable remedial measures are issued to take timely operations by the farmers. Such alerts and warnings are also shared with State Department of Agriculture for the effective management of calamity. Agrometeorological Advisories are disseminated to the farmers through multichannel dissemination system like print and electronic media, Door Darshan, radio, internet etc. including SMS using mobile phones through Kisan Portal and also through private companies under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode. The number of farmers receiving SMS varies depending on the population of farming community and area under cultivation.Farmers access the weather information including alerts and related agrometeorological advisories specific to their districts through the mobile App viz., ‘Meghdoot’ launched by Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India. These weather details are also accessible by farmers through another App ‘Kisan Suvidha’, launched by Ministry of Agriculture &amp; Farmers Welfare.Social media is also used for quicker dissemination of forecast and advisories to the farmers. At present farmers of 1,19,554 villages in 3,598 Blocks have been covered through 16,140 WhatsApp groups. State Agriculture Department officials of District and Block level are also included in these WhatsApp groups. Continuous efforts are being made to increase the number of farmers and villages covered to disseminate Agrometeorological advisories using WhatsApp.In addition to above, advisories are also being circulated through a number of Facebook pages created by AMFUs and DAMUs. Initiative on collaboration with State Government has been taken up for integration of weather forecast and Agrometeorological advisories with state government mobile apps and websites. The integration has been completed for Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand states and about 6 million farmers of above-mentioned states are getting benefitted from weather forecast and agrometeorological advisories.IMD is also taking continuous efforts to popularize the services among the farming community by organising Farmers’Awareness Programmes (FAPs) in collaboration with AMFUs and DAMUs in various parts of the country. IMD along with the experts from AMFUs and DAMUs also participate in KisanMelas, Farmers’ Day etc. to create awareness about the services, so that more farmers get benefitted. To upgrade the forecasting capabilities and enhancement in Weather &amp; Climate services throughout the country including Agromet Advisory Services various activities are underway in India Meteorological Department (IMD) under the umbrella Central Sector Scheme ACROSS. There are 4 sub-schemes of IMD under ACROSS namely, Atmospheric Observation Network (AON), Upgradation of Forecast System (UFS), Weather &amp; Climate Services (WCS) and Commissioning of Polarimetric Doppler Weather Radars (PDWR) aimed at expansion of observational network and improvement in Weather &amp; Climate services. This information was given by the Minister of State (I/C) for M/o Earth Sciences and M/o Science &amp; Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

 India Meteorological Department (IMD) runs an operational Agrometeorological Advisory Services (AAS) viz., Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) scheme for the benefit of farming community in the country. 

Agricultural Weather Forecasting Services 

New Delhi: Rise in the prices of household and kitchen items, including rice, wheat, bajra, pulses, milk, fish, onion and other items led to increase in the All-India Consumer Price Index for agricultural and rural labourers in the month of July. The All-India Consumer Price Index Number for agricultural labourers and rural labourers (Base: 1986-87100) for the month of July, 2022 increased by 6 points each to stand at 1131 and 1143 points respectively. As per the data of Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, the rise in index varied from state to state. In the case of agricultural labourers, it recorded an increase of 1 to 13 points in 20 states. Tamil Nadu with 1301 points topped the index table whereas Himachal Pradesh with 890 points stood at the bottom. In the case of rural labourers, it recorded an increase of 1 to 13 points in 20 states. Tamil Nadu with 1290 points topped the index table whereas Himachal Pradesh with 942 points stood at the bottom.&nbsp;
Amongst states, the maximum increase in the Consumer Price Index Numbers for both agricultural and rural Labourers was experienced by Assam (13 points each) mainly due to rise in the prices of rice, chillies green, vegetables and fruits, etc.&nbsp;
—IANS

Rise in the prices of household and kitchen items, including rice, wheat, bajra, pulses, milk, fish, onion and other items led to increase in the All-India Consumer Price Index for agricultural and rural labourers in the month of July.

 All-India Consumer Price Index for agricultural, rural labourers rose in July

New Delhi: Vietnam's Deputy Chief of Mission in India Do Thanh Hai on Monday said that stronger connectivity has bolstered trade between the two countries, while pointing out towards having higher trade targets with growth in sectors like electronics, automobiles, computers, pharmaceuticals and agricultural products."Trade between India and Vietnam is growing stronger. We should have higher target. We're optimistic about growth in sectors like electronics, automobiles, computers, pharmaceuticals and agricultural products," Do Thanh Hai said during a roundtable session on Bilateral Trade Opportunities between India and Neighbouring countries."Trade has been further enhanced by stronger connectivity between the two countries. We also have direct maritime links," Thanh Hai added.The Roundtable session on Bilateral Trade Opportunities between India and Neighbouring countries was held on Monday in New Delhi, with a special focus on the North East Region. The event was hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry, North East Council. Ambassador of Myanmar to India, Moe Kyaw Aung, said that India and Myanmar share good relations and a lot has to be done in the field of trade and investment.Speaking at a roundtable session on Bilateral Trade Opportunities between India and Neighbouring countries, Moe Kyaw Aung said, "India and Myanmar enjoy good relations. We've strong cultural ties and share a long land border. A lot has to be done pertaining to trade and investment." "We are happy to be a part of ASEAN as it's a bridge between India and Southeast Asia," the Myanmar envoy added.India and Vietnam have a broad convergence of interest as emerging economies and important countries with respect to creating alternative supply chains in Asia after global disillusionment with the China-centric supply chain during the Covid pandemic.Besides, the two countries are equally concerned about the aggressive and expansionist policies of China in the Indo-Pacific region. The two countries also share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership since 2016 and defence cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership. Bilateral defence engagements have expanded over a period of time to include wide-ranging contacts between the two countries, including Defense Policy Dialogue, military-to-military exchange, high-level visits, capacity building and training programmes.The two countries have also cooperated in UN peacekeeping, ship visits and bilateral exercises.The Indian Defence Minister, during his visit, had a wide-ranging discussion with his Vietnamese counterpart, General Phan Van Giang, at Hanoi to jointly pursue effective and practical initiatives to further expand bilateral engagements. The relations between the two countries were elevated to the level of "Strategic Partnership" in 2007 when Vietnam's then Prime Minister Nguyan Jan Dung visited India.The relations were further upgraded to "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" in 2016, as Vietnam serves as an important partner in India's "Act East" Policy and Indo-Pacific Vision. The two countries signed a cultural agreement in 1976 and since then, it has led to the creation of many channels of cultural cooperation. A recent development in this regard is the establishment of the Swami Vivekananda Indian Cultural Centre in Hanoi in 2016. Earlier, the Institute of Indian and South-West Asian Studies under the aegis of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences was inaugurated in Hanoi in 2012.Around 1,69,000 Indians visited Vietnam and 31,000 Vietnamese visited India before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Vietnam is the 15th largest trade partner of India and India is its 10th largest partner with bilateral trade standing at USD 11.12 billion in 2020-21. There is an upswing in India-Vietnam relations and it is rising up to new heights. —ANI

Vietnam's Deputy Chief of Mission in India Do Thanh Hai on Monday said that stronger connectivity has bolstered trade between the two countries, while pointing out towards having higher trade targets with growth in sectors like electronics, automobiles, computers, pharmaceuticals and agricultural products.

India, Vietnam Should Raise Trade Targets: Vietnam's Deputy Chief Of Mission

Chennai (The Hawk): An investigation into a 44-year-old con artist who formed his own bank and robbed multiple people has been begun by the Crime Branch of Tamil Nadu police's Bank Fraud Investigation Wing.
Following Chandrabose's arrest, a high-end vehicle and Rs 56 lakh in cash were found in his possession. Police claimed that Chandrabose was not acting alone, and that several of his comrades had fled the scene. They are being sought after by the crime section special investigation team.
Chandrabose allegedly established his own Rural and Agricultural Farmers Cooperative Bank without a licence, according to Tamil Nadu authorities. In different regions of the state, he established nine branches where he took donations from customers.
In addition to two branches in Chennai city, it opened branches in Madurai, Virudachalam, Kallakurichi, Namakkal, Perambalur, Erode, and Salem.
When the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) informed the police that a bank was being run in Ambattur without a licence, the Chennai municipal police launched an investigation into the operation of the RAFC bank.
The Reserve Bank of India's Assistant General Manager (AGM) also filed an official complaint, on the basis of which the municipal crime section began an inquiry.
The bank's business model, according to the police, was to charge consumers a membership fee of Rs. 700 before giving them credit or debit cards with a Rs. 500 balance and giving their card numbers as their bank account numbers.
The investigative team determined that the bank was doing ordinary business by accepting deposits and disbursing loans. Depositors received higher interest rates, and clients could readily obtain loans.
(Inputs from Agencies)

An investigation into a 44-year-old con artist who formed his own bank and robbed multiple people has been begun by the Crime Branch of Tamil Nadu police's Bank Fraud Investigation Wing.

TN police seek bank fraud accomplices

Roorkee: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday said that the Central government is working to improve the condition of farmers and make agricultural policies farmer-centric. "The central and state governments under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have always been farmer-friendly. The extent of empowerment of the farmers is unprecedented. The Prime Minister is of the opinion that the confidence of the farmers of the country is the biggest strength of the country. The central government is working to improve the condition of farmers and to make agricultural policies farmer-centric", CM Dhami said. The Chief Minister was attending the closing session of the State Working Committee of Bharatiya Janata Party Kisan Morcha at Rajwada Farm in Uttarakhand's Roorkee. Speaking on the occasion, CM said, "It is the continuous effort of the government that the farmers of India should also get the modern facilities which are available to the farmers of the big countries of the world. It is the resolve of the Prime Minister that the journey from seed to market should not only be smooth for our farmer but it should also increase his income. In the past years, the traditional problems of farmers like shortage of urea, power cuts and irregular irrigation have been reduced, a protected environment has also been made available to farmers through schemes like Crop Insurance Scheme, Soil Health Card, Kisan Samman Nidhi and Kisan Credit Card." CM Dhami said, "Food is available to us only because of the hard work and dedication of the farmers. Everything else is subtle in front of the hard work and tireless efforts of the farmers. Village, farmer and agriculture are the three pillars of self-reliant India, the stronger they are, the stronger the foundation of self-reliant India will be. For the country's balanced development, it is very necessary that our farmers, our food providers should be empowered. The empowerment of India is incomplete without the empowerment of farmers. The dream of a developed India can also come true only when our farmer is empowered. BJP Kisan Morcha is working towards building a bridge between the government and the farmers." He further added, "India has always been an agricultural country. Our society developed around agriculture, our traditions were nurtured and our festivals were determined. Indian history is so rich on the subject of agriculture that we have ancient texts like Krishi-Parashara and Krishi Sukta." CM said that scientific and advanced agricultural science has made India prosperous for centuries. Many such descriptions are found in history when people who came from abroad were bewildered by seeing the agricultural practices of India. "The farmers of India, who consider the soil as their mother, have always fulfilled their basic duty. Our hardworking farmers have irrigated the earth with their hard work and sweat even when the country is faced with a food crisis. Due to its hardworking farmers, today India is not only self-sufficient in agricultural production but is also feeding other countries", he said. The Chief Minister said that along with making agriculture modern and smart, the farmer is being made technically competent and able to catch the market's pulse. India has emerged as a major global player in organic farming and the scope of organic farming is continuously increasing in the country. "Many farmers in our Uttarakhand are earning profit by cultivating herbs and flowers. Earlier flowers were cultivated in a total of 150 hectares only in the state, whose area has now increased to more than 1600 hectares. New innovative experiments are being done daily in the agriculture sector and innovation is being encouraged at all levels. Today farmers also use drones and artificial intelligence. Empowerment of marginal farmers is our first priority under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While making policies related to agriculture, special care is being taken that there is a minimum risk for small farmers in farming. Unprecedented efforts are being made to ensure that they get a fair and quick price for their crop and hard work", he said. CM Dhami said that the state government has done many works in the last year. "Work on Uniform Civil Code is going on. Change of religion has been banned by enacting a strict conversion law. A strict anti-cheating law has been implemented in the state to make all examinations cheating-free. A new sports policy and a new education policy have also been implemented in the state." "The cases of illegal construction on government land have come to the fore in various places of the state recently. Illegal construction will not be allowed on government land. The places where encroachments have taken place will be removed. Along with this, a special verification drive will be conducted soon in the state. He said that public interest is paramount for the state government. Our government will take the interest of the state on priority and will not back down from taking tough decisions", he added. The CM visited the stalls at the event based on various schemes being run for the farmers by the Central and State Governments and also flagged off the Shobha Yatra. —ANI

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday said that the Central government is working 

Central Govt Working To Bring Farmer-Centric Agricultural Policies: CM Dhami

Hyderabad: Unseasonable rainfall and hailstorms over the past two days caused damage on agricultural crops in various districts of Telangana.
On Sunday, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao issued a directive to the officials asking them to conduct an evaluation of the damages caused to the crops.
The Chief Minister has asked Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari to assess the damage to crops caused by untimely rainfall in the Choppadandi and Karimnagar rural mandal of the Karimnagar district and elsewhere in the state. The Chief Secretary was tasked with contacting the District Collectors to collect information on the extent of the damage to the crops.
Unseasonal rains and hailstorms have ruined crops in several areas of Telangana for the second time this summer.
Meanwhile, Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalar toured some regions of Karimnagar district on Sunday to assess the damage to crops from untimely downpours.
Farmers were encouraged by his promise of full compensation from the KCR government. He said that crop loss was unprecedented in several areas of the district.
The minister has stated that farmers have been handed a second blow before they have had a chance to recuperate from the first calamity.
He said the losses were minimal because the state government had paddy procurement hubs up and running in a timely manner.
Kamalakar promised the afflicted farmers that the government would buy their flooded paddy.
Farmers in the Jangaon district are demanding compensation for crop damage caused by untimely rains, and they have organised a protest on a highway.
Crops on about 2.28 lakh acres were damaged last month due to unseasonable rains and hailstorms. The compensation was proclaimed by the chief minister at the time to be Rs 10,000 per acre.
The Agriculture Department, however, opted to only compensate 1.51 lakh acres after conducting a survey. The sum will be transferred into the bank accounts of 1,30,988 farmers, according to the officials.—Inputs from Agencies

Unseasonable rainfall and hailstorms over the past two days caused damage on agricultural crops in various districts of Telangana

Telangana crops suffer from unseasonal rains again

New Delhi (The Hawk): The Prime Minister of India addresses people of the country through a popular programme called “Mann Ki Baat” on All India Radio to interact with the citizens on contemporary issues. Since its start on 03 October 2014, it has covered a total of 99 episodes till 26 March 2023. The current agricultural issues have been in focus to inspire and motivate the farming community and other stakeholders. In order to assess the reflections on inspiration and motivation of the programme on farming communities, a joint study by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi and National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, (MANAGE), Hyderabad was carried out. The outcome of the studies appeared in different journals*. A launching programme of these publications was held today (25-04-2023) in New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR in presence of senior officers of Ministry of Agriculture &amp; Farmers Welfare including ICAR.
Insights from these studies revealed that the natural farming, conservation of natural resources and willingness to adopt the Integrated Farming Systems (diversification) were the smallholder farmers’ most preferred topics covered in the Mann Ki Baat episodes. Another assessment with millet farmers revealed that the message communicated through Mann Ki Baat interaction and follow-up actions by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra professionals have strengthened farmers’ perceptions on the process of adoption of improved varieties of millets and production system and created congenial environment for agri-entrepreneurship. Digital technology, including drone and mobile, highlighted in Mann Ki Baat episode(s), was found to have significant influence on increase in farmers’ awareness and knowledge about adoption of agricultural technology. Mann Ki Baat could also create a positive environment on Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs) to ease the agri-business and reducing the cost of cultivation of farmers (20-25%). Study on beekeeping showed that after the Mann Ki Baat programme, beekeepers, with better exposure to institutional knowledge and resources, were found to earn better profit in group than individual one, except technical problems being faced. Message on Kisan Rail could also sensitize and mobilize the farmers to avail its services. The Kisan Rail could facilitate farmers to transport their perishable agri-produce with lesser time and higher net profits with reduced involvement of middlemen. Therefore, we learned that Mann Ki Baat programme was crucial in creating favourable environment among the farmers for enhancing awareness and their mobilization.

The Prime Minister of India addresses people of the country through a popular programme called “Mann Ki Baat”

Launch Of Research Studies Published On Mann Ki Baat (Inner Thoughts) In Context Of Agriculture

Research (ICAR) along with the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) and the World Bank, is working to transform the curriculum in Indian agricultural universities. Planning is in place to uplift the institutes lacking infrastructure by providing them state-of-the-art language labs and a blended-learning platform. Despite the ambitious plans, sustaining the pace of transformation and the continuity of modernisation could be challenging.&nbsp;

The ICAR is also creating a Learning Management System (LMS) to allow students to pursue their education from remote places. With the World Bank, ICAR issued the Delhi Declaration on ‘Modernisation of Agricultural Education System’ highlighting the need to incorporate digital resources and tools for effective and accessible teaching and learning in Agriculture.

“To meet the requirements of the students as per NEP 2020, we have to set up mechanism for blended learning through the best teachers in our agricultural universities,” deputy director general, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) . The blended learning system will be available not only to the students but also to farmers and graduates of other disciplines who wish to undertake vocational courses in agriculture,&nbsp;

&nbsp;
<h2>Revising curricula</h2>

NAHEP is operational since 2018 and has been extended till March 2024. Under this project, 54 universities were provided support and reformative measures were intruduced. “To support this, Institutional Development Plan (IDP) focused on undergraduate programmes. Centre of Advance Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST), supported the opening of 16 centres of excellence for PG and PhD programmes and the third component is Innovation Grant (IG) for research and development.&nbsp;

The focus is to expand blended learning for wider reach in villages, where agricultural education is still limited. “We hope to build a student-centric system and as facilitators, we want to provide the platform to students to be able to access revised curricula that involve the usage of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and drone technology,”&nbsp;

The PG and PhD curriculum has been revised, the UG curriculum will be updated as per the latest requirements. We are in the midst of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution, which will affect agricultural technologies. For example, We have created an LMS where students can choose a credit-based course or non-credit-based courses including those on emerging technologies,” explains, highlighting the need for teacher training in the adoption of new technologies.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;

<h3>Online platforms can empower learners</h3>
ICAR intends to bring teachers from all the agricultural universities on one platform to create digital content for the LMS. It has already facilitated portals such as Agri-DIKSHA, which have boarded 74 public-funded agricultural universities and several private colleges. “Smart classes conducted through Agri-DIKSHA portal help students listen to lectures from their favourite teachers and participate in live question-answer sessions,” . A resilient education system that can work perfectly in situations such as the Covid-induced lockdowns. the idea was adopted during lockdown so that in any future eventuality, the exams could be held and the practicals can be conducted through Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR).&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;the apparatus to our universities, and we will make the system robust so that we can provide readymade alternatives to students including online classes and conducting online exams. We have created the infrastructure for the undergraduate students so that they can learn through the state-of-the-art technologies,” . NAHEP has supported more than 1,000 students to study for three-six months at the undergraduate level in more than 28 countries.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We have provided the language labs to enable students to learn foreign languages, along with helping them with personality development. We have provided Rs 23-25 crores under the IDP to universities through which the infrastructure for students has been developed,” , pointing out that one good thing that has happened in agricultural universities is that 10 years ago there were only 23% of girls in them, but today they have 47% girls. In states such as Himachal Pradesh, there are 80% of girls in agricultural universities and in Tamil Nadu, there are 82% of girls in agricultural education.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

However, that it is important that the transformation that has been set in motion should sustain itself, and that making digital content available for the continuously changing technological landscape can also be challenging but it must be done to perpetuate a culture of excellence in India’s agricultural universities.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Research (ICAR) along with the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) and the World Bank, is working to transform the curriculum in Indian agricultural universities

Learning Management System and Language Labs will transform agricultural education in India

Vijay Garg 
Research (ICAR) along with the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) and the World Bank, is working to transform the curriculum in Indian agricultural universities. Planning is in place to uplift the institutes lacking infrastructure by providing them state-of-the-art language labs and a blended-learning platform. Despite the ambitious plans, sustaining the pace of transformation and the continuity of modernisation could be challenging.&nbsp;
The ICAR is also creating a Learning Management System (LMS) to allow students to pursue their education from remote places. With the World Bank, ICAR issued the Delhi Declaration on ‘Modernisation of Agricultural Education System’ highlighting the need to incorporate digital resources and tools for effective and accessible teaching and learning in Agriculture. “To meet the requirements of the students as per NEP 2020, we have to set up mechanism for blended learning through the best teachers in our agricultural universities,” deputy director general, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) . The blended learning system will be available not only to the students but also to farmers and graduates of other disciplines who wish to undertake vocational courses in agriculture,&nbsp;
Revising curricula
NAHEP is operational since 2018 and has been extended till March 2024. Under this project, 54 universities were provided support and reformative measures were intruduced. “To support this, Institutional Development Plan (IDP) focused on undergraduate programmes. Centre of Advance Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST), supported the opening of 16 centres of excellence for PG and PhD programmes and the third component is Innovation Grant (IG) for research and development.&nbsp;
The focus is to expand blended learning for wider reach in villages, where agricultural education is still limited. “We hope to build a student-centric system and as facilitators, we want to provide the platform to students to be able to access revised curricula that involve the usage of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and drone technology,”&nbsp;
The PG and PhD curriculum has been revised, the UG curriculum will be updated as per the latest requirements. We are in the midst of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution, which will affect agricultural technologies. For example, We have created an LMS where students can choose a credit-based course or non-credit-based courses including those on emerging technologies,” explains, highlighting the need for teacher training in the adoption of new technologies.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Online platforms can empower learners
ICAR intends to bring teachers from all the agricultural universities on one platform to create digital content for the LMS. It has already facilitated portals such as Agri-DIKSHA, which have boarded 74 public-funded agricultural universities and several private colleges. “Smart classes conducted through Agri-DIKSHA portal help students listen to lectures from their favourite teachers and participate in live question-answer sessions,” . A resilient education system that can work perfectly in situations such as the Covid-induced lockdowns. the idea was adopted during lockdown so that in any future eventuality, the exams could be held and the practicals can be conducted through Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). the apparatus to our universities, and we will make the system robust so that we can provide readymade alternatives to students including online classes and conducting online exams. We have created the infrastructure for the undergraduate students so that they can learn through the state-of-the-art technologies,” . NAHEP has supported more than 1,000 students to study for three-six months at the undergraduate level in more than 28 countries.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;—The Hawk Features

Research (ICAR) along with the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) and the World Bank, is working 

Learning Management System And Language Labs  Will Transform Agricultural Education In India

New Delhi: Body parts of a slaughtered cow was found inside the bushes in Delhi's Aman Vihar area on Thursday, a Delhi Police officer said.

According to police, on Thursday an information was received at Aman Vihar police station regarding a cow slaughter in the area following which a police team was dispatched for the spot.

"On spot, a police team found a slaughtered cow head and other remnants. After this, a mobile crime team was called at the spot which inspected the place of incident and took photographs from different angles," said a senior police official.

Further, the police team also collected the remains of the animal and sent them to veterinary hospital for autopsy.

"A case under section 429 (Mischief by killing or maiming cattle, etc., of any value or any animal of the value of fifty rupees) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant section of the Agricultural Cattle Preservation has been registered," the official said.

"Multiple teams have been constituted to look into the matter and to nab the culprits at the earliest," the official added. IANS

Body parts of a slaughtered cow was found inside the bushes in Delhi's Aman Vihar area on Thursday, a Delhi Police officer said.

Body parts of slaughtered cow found in Delhi

Body parts of a slaughtered cow was found inside the bushes in Delhi's Aman Vihar area on Thursday, a Delhi Police officer said.


Agartala: The North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC) under the Ministry of DoNER, has undertaken Geographical Indication (GI) certification of 13 products of the northeastern region.
Tripura's 'Queen' variety pineapple, exported to many countries including Dubai, the UK, Qatar, and Bangladesh, is one of them.
In continuation to NERAMACs endeavors towards promoting GI, an awareness seminar was held here on Friday, with the main focus to authorise 300 farmers to use GI tagging of the NERAMAC processed certification.
Tripura Agriculture and Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath was present in the seminar, where over 200 pineapple producers attended.
NERAMAC's Managing Director Commodore Rajiv Ashok (Retd) said that the GI initiative is a significant step towards promoting and protecting the traditional agricultural practices and products of the northeastern region. The initiative will provide recognition to the unique qualities and reputation of the 'Queen' pineapple and protect it from misuse and imitation.
He also noted that the authorisation process of farmers would enhance the competitiveness of the produce in domestic and international markets and create opportunities for increased income and livelihood.
Nath said that the GI initiative is part of the Central government's broader efforts to promote sustainable agriculture, protect the rights of farmers, and enhance the country's agricultural exports.
GI expert Rajni Kant Dwivedi spoke about the importance of northeastern region specific GI products and emphasised the need for a comprehensive approach to promote the region-specific GI products.
—IANS

 The North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation (NERAMAC) under the Ministry of DoNER, 

NERAMAC undertaking GI certification of 13 products of NE region

New Delhi (The Hawk): The Indian Agricultural Research Institute, popularly known as the Pusa Institute and the harbinger of Green Revolution, scales to the pinnacle of the crest of the ranking by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for the year 2023 under the category of Agriculture and Allied sectors. The eighth edition of National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) was announced by Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs and Education, Government of India on June 5, 2023. NIRF released the ranking of around 8,686 Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) which participated in the ranking exercise. Earlier there were four categories and seven subject domains. Agriculture and allied sector has been added as a subject domain for the first time.
IARI continues its commitment for excellence in agricultural research, education and extension. The institute has already embarked upon the path to evolve as a global university. It has started undergraduate programmes in 4 disciplines of agriculture, community science, B. Tech (Engineering) and B. Tech (Biotechnology). Aligning with New Education Policy 2020; plans afoot to initiate several diploma and certificate courses to lay emphasis upon vocational education. Besides the hard work and brilliance of the faculty of IARI; the planning and guidance of the Director and the Vice -Chancellor of the of the institute, Dr Ashok Kumar Singh; and the dedicated efforts of the Dean &amp; Joint Director, Education, Dr Anupma Singh and Assoc Dean Dr Atul Kumar have gone a long way in securing the first position. The institute sincerely acknowledges the motivation, support and guidance of the honourable Secretary DARE and DG ICAR, Dr Himanshu Pathak as well as the DDG (Education), Dr RC Agrawal and DDG (Crops), Dr. T.R. Sharma.

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute, popularly known as the Pusa Institute and the harbinger of Green Revolution

Indian Agricultural Research Institute Shines As Acme Of Excellence In Agriculture Sciences Under NIRF 2023

New Delhi (The Hawk): Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi signed a MoU with Amazon Kisan to combine strengths and create synergy between the two organizations for guiding the farmers on scientific cultivation of different crops for optimum yield and income. ICAR will provide technological backstopping to the farmers through Amazon’s network. It will improve farmers’ livelihood and boost crop yield. This MoU in farmer’s partnership with Amazon Kisan program will help ensuring access to high quality fresh produce for consumers across India, including through Amazon Fresh. Dr Himanshu Pathak, Secretary DARE &amp; Director General ICAR, on this occasion, emphasized upon secondary agriculture for better remuneration for the farmers. He further highlighted the importance and role of critical inputs in agriculture and season-based crop plans. He mentioned that ICAR will collaborate with Amazon for technologies, capacity building and transfer of new knowledge. On the behalf of ICAR, Dr US Gautam, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension) and Mr. Sidhrtha Tata, Senior Product Leader from Amazon Fresh Supply Chain &amp; Kisan signed the MoU. The outcomes from a pilot project at Pune between ICAR-KVK and Amazon has motivated to further expand the collaboration to extend the precise agriculture practices developed through extensive research. Krishi Vigyan Kendra’s will strengthen a wider group of farmers by leveraging technological base through transfer of technology and capacity building programmes. ICAR and Amazon will work together on other farmer engagement programs at Krishi Vigyan Kendras, conducting demonstrations, trials, and capacity building initiatives to enhance farming practices and farm profitability. Furthermore, Amazon will provide training support and assist farmers in marketing their produce through its online platform, facilitating direct connections with consumers.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi signed a MoU with Amazon Kisan to combine 

Indian Council Of Agricultural Research Signs A MoU With Amazon Kisan To Empower Farmers

Lucknow: The 168th meeting of the Board of Directors of the State Agricultural Produce Market Council was held on Monday under the chairmanship of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Various guidelines were given by the Chief Minister in the meeting while ensuring the protection of the interest of the farmers. CM Yogi lauded the efforts being made by the State Agricultural Produce Market Council, keeping in mind the interests of the farmers. "The efforts being made by the State Agricultural Produce Market Council, keeping in mind the interests of the farmers, are commendable. Mandis contribute well to revenue collection even after minimizing the mandi fee. Against an income of Rs 614 crore in the financial year 2021-22, there was an income of Rs 1520.95 crore in 2022-23. Besides, Rs 251.61 crore in revenue was collected in the first two months of the current financial year. The increase in revenue collection from mandis is commendable, even though the mandi fee is minimal", said CM Yogi Adiyanath. "To make crops globally competitive, a tissue culture laboratory should be established at Acharya Narendra Dev University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj (Ayodhya) to make quality planting material, quality planting of horticulture crops, and disease free. This laboratory should be established on a spacious campus of at least 3 hectares. Funds for this will be arranged by the Mandi Parishad.", added the Chief Minister. Further, he also talked about the Chief Minister Farmers Scholarship Scheme. "Chief Minister Farmers Scholarship Scheme is proving very useful. Presently Rs 3000 monthly scholarship is being provided to the students of agriculture and home science in 05 universities and 23 colleges. Agriculture and Technology University, Banda, Aligarh Muslim University, Rani Lakshmibai Central Agricultural University, Jhansi and Bundelkhand University, Jhansi and 37 other colleges should also be included in this so that more youths get the benefit of the scheme", said CM Yogi. CM Yogi also suggested that the outlets of Natural and Organic products be extended up to the district headquarters. Talking about Kisan Mandis, CM Yogi added, "Keeping in view the convenience of the farmers, the state government has constructed a large number of rural haats and modern farmer's markets. New "Haat Paiths" and Kisan Mandis should be built by local needs. Keep them well-maintained. There should be space for street vendors here.". The UP Chief Minister also concentrated on the lighting arrangements in the Mandis. He suggested that waterlogging not be existed in the mandis. Adding further, CM Yogi said, " It is encouraging that hostels are being constructed in agricultural universities with the help of Mandi Parishad. The construction work of these hostels should be completed in a time-bound manner keeping in view the quality. These under-construction hostels should be inspected by the Agriculture Minister." He also focussed on a systematic plan for the unusable land/building in various districts of Uttar Pradesh. CM Yogi also said, "Several policy initiatives are being taken by the state government to promote agriculture and food processing. Planned work is also being done to encourage natural farming. An 'Agri Mall' is being set up in the capital Lucknow to ensure that the farmers get a fair price for their produce, branding of the product and proper market. Please expedite action in this regard. Farmers will be able to sell their fruits and vegetables directly in Agri Mall." —ANI

 The 168th meeting of the Board of Directors of the State Agricultural Produce Market Council was held on Monday

Testing Labs Will Be Set Up In Agricultural Universities For Verification Of Organic Products: UP CM

New Delhi: The Delhi government on Thursday decided to kick-start the Van Mahotsav in Delhi from July 9 at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in Pusa, to enhance the green cover in the city. It will go on till August 20.&nbsp;
The concluding ceremony of the Van Mahotsav will be held at the Chhatrasal Stadium.
"The Van Mahotsav programme will commence with the launch of an online portal, allowing Delhi residents to book free saplings. This grand campaign will be celebrated in various constituencies of Delhi. Additionally, the distribution of free medicinal plants will also take place during this Van Mahotsav," the Delhi government said in a statement.
Environment and Forest Minister Gopal Rai said: "Pollution remains a major challenge in Delhi at all times. Since coming into power, under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, our government has been continuously working to reduce the pollution levels in Delhi. As a result of all these efforts, there has been a consistent decrease in the pollution levels within Delhi, and a significant increase in the green cover (green area) of the city has been observed."
Rai claimed that in Delhi, where the green cover was 20 per cent in 2013, it increased to 23.06 per cent in 2021.
Rai further stated that each year they organise tree plantation and as of now they have planted 1 crore 18 lakhs saplings.
He said this year, by planting 52 lakh saplings, the government will be able to achieve a target of approximately 1 crore 70 lakhs saplings.
—IANS

The Delhi government on Thursday decided to kick-start the Van Mahotsav in Delhi

Delhi Govt To Organise Van Mahotsav 

Imphal: To provide security to the farmers, the Manipur government has downsized security for VIPs, police said on Sunday.
A police official said that 2,207 additional security personnel would be provided in seven districts and the Superintendents of Police concerned, would deploy security in consultations with the Agricultural Department and the local farmers.
“We have shortage of security personnel in view of the current unrest in Manipur. That’s why we have partially curtailed the VIP security to provide security to the farmers,” the official told IANS.
According to the official, 822 additional security personnel would be deployed in providing security to farmers in Imphal West district, followed by 300 security personnel in Churachandpur, 298 in Imphal East, 236 in Bishnupur, 204 in Kakching, 200 in Kangpokpi, and 147 in Thoubal district.
As the planting period of the current agriculture season is very short, the security would be provided to the farmers for their uninterrupted farming work.
The police official said that the government has requested the farmers not to venture out to their paddy fields without any security and farmers were asked to contact the concerned police stations and the Superintendents of Police of their respective districts before moving to their agricultural fields.
Earlier, Assam Rifles also provided security to the farmers while they are working in their fields.
Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh last week discussed with the Ministers and officials the issue of ensuring uninterrupted supply of fertilisers and other agricultural inputs to the farmers. Officials said that the Chief Minister had directed that all out efforts must be taken to supply the fertilisers and other agricultural inputs to the farmers, specially those living in the violence-hit areas.
—IANS

To provide security to the farmers, the Manipur government has downsized security for VIPs, police said on Sunday.

Manipur govt downsizes security for VIPs to provide cover to farmers

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government has undergone a change in strategy concerning power supply to the agricultural sector by opting to provide 10 hours of electricity across all districts in the state, which was initially announced for 14 districts.
State Energy Minister, Kanubhai Desai, earlier said that farmers in 14 districts would be granted an additional two hours of power supply due to the delayed onset of rainfall in August. The decision was a response to the particularly parched weather conditions experienced throughout August 2023, making it the driest month in the past decade.&nbsp;
However, the state government on Thursday unveiled a fresh directive, amending the power supply distribution.
The updated plan designates Bhavnagar, Porbandar, Gir Somnath, Botad, and Morbi districts to receive 10 hours of power supply starting from September 2. For the remaining districts, the allocation of agricultural power will commence on September 5, enabling 10 hours of supply.
The previously indicated 14 districts will be receiving the revised 10-hour power supply from September 1.
— IANS

The Gujarat government has undergone a change in strategy concerning power supply to the agricultural sector

Gujarat govt alters agri power plan, expands 10-hour supply to all districts

New Delhi: The Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V.K Saxena has hit back at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the issue of increasing circle rate for agricultural land in Delhi saying that the file was silent on the rationale and the manner for classification of villages into Green Belt for the purpose of differentiated rates.
The AAP had claimed that the circle rate increase for agricultural land by the Delhi government was halted by the LG.
"Governor has perused the proposal of the Dept at pre pages and before forming an opinion, has desired that following points may please be clarified:&nbsp;
“(1) The proposed rates are based on the report dated 15. 04. 2017 of a Working Group constituted for capturing rates of Agricultural Land and since 2017 a number of villages have been urbansied.
“It appears this has resulted in overlapping of some villages in the categories of Urbanised and Green Belt Villages in respect South-West of district.
“(2)The file is also silent on the rationale and the manner for classification of villages into Green Belt for the purpose of differentiated rates circle.”
The LG office said that there were differences in rates in SW Distt for rural and urban villages.
“In rampant situations, where portions of the same village are rural as well as urban, with almost non existent demarcation.”
"Will it not provide corruption breeding discretion to officials?" the L-G office said.&nbsp;
—IANS

The Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V.K Saxena has hit back at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the issue of increasing circle rate for agricultural land in Delhi

Agricultural land circle rate: There were major issues in Delhi govt file, says L-G

<span style="color: rgb(62,63,63);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 20px;font-family: PT Serif", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif;">Jammu: <span style="color: rgb(62,63,63);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: 16px;font-family: PT Serif", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif;">The crime branch of J&amp;K Police said on Sunday that it has unearthed a major scam in stamp paper usage in which two advocates and three stamp vendors are involved. 
A crime branch statement said that the economic offences wing of the crime branch in Jammu carried out searches at five places in R.S. Pura, Greater Kailash and Bidhnah areas of Jammu district.
<span style="color: var(--arrow-c-mono2);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: var(--arrow-fs-m);font-family: Merriweather, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif;">“FIR number 89/23 under sections 420, 465, 468, 471, 409 and 130-B of the IPC has been registered against the involved persons.&nbsp;
<span style="color: var(--arrow-c-mono2);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: var(--arrow-fs-m);font-family: Merriweather, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif;">“Many documents, computers, laptops, etc., have been seized during the raids after a written complaint was lodged in which the complainant stated that huge losses had been inflicted to the revenue department through a scam involving stamp papers used in judicial documents.
<span style="color: var(--arrow-c-mono2);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: var(--arrow-fs-m);font-family: Merriweather, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif;">“The complainant alleged that the fraud includes issuance of fake agriculture certificates, which are essential documents in the purchase and sale of agricultural land. These certificates are being issued illegally often to individuals with no genuine connection to agriculture.
“Further that some unscrupulous individuals, possibly in association with employees of the Sub Registrar’s Office, are fraudulently re-using stamp papers multiple times.
<span style="color: var(--arrow-c-mono2);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: var(--arrow-fs-m);font-family: Merriweather, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif;">“After preliminary investigation, the investigating team found that the activities of the accused had compromised not only the legal integrity of land transactions, but also inflicted substantial financial losses to the revenue department and the state exchequer.
<span style="color: var(--arrow-c-mono2);background-color: rgb(255,255,255);font-size: var(--arrow-fs-m);font-family: Merriweather, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif;">“The modus operandi of this organised gang involved a network of individuals, including certain Revenue Department officials, property dealers, stamp paper vendors, commission agents, and other intermediaries.
“It is evident that these individuals are operating with a high degree of coordination, facilitating the issuance of agriculture certificates in exchange for substantial sums of money”, the statement said.&nbsp;
—IANS

The crime branch of J&K Police said on Sunday that it has unearthed a major scam in stamp paper usage in which two advocates

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SAMARTH In Collaboration With NTPC Organizes Workshop On Biomass Use In Thermal Power Plants

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