NAARM must focus on developing leaders, says former D-G of ICAR

Former ICAR Director-General R.S. Paroda has urged the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) to shift its focus towards cultivating leaders in agricultural research and innovation. While addressing the 51st Foundation Day celebrations of ICAR-NAARM, Paroda proposed establishing an ICAR Foresight Centre utilizing existing resources.

He emphasized the need to bolster NAARM’s alumni network and forge additional Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with academies and universities, including through South-South cooperation. Mangi Lal Jat, Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director-General of ICAR, agreed that NAARM should prioritize developing human capital with technical skills, digital literacy, and managerial capabilities through strategic investments.

He also advocated for demand-driven training programs and data-driven capacity building to facilitate the transition towards value-driven and sustainable agri-food systems. Yashpal Singh Malik, Deputy Director-General (Education) of ICAR, applauded NAARM’s efforts in areas such as artificial intelligence, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), and the establishment of a digitally-enabled learning ecosystem.

Malik also commended NAARM’s a-IDEA agribusiness incubation facility, aiming to create 100 successful startups to promote agri-entrepreneurship. NAARM Director R.M. Sundaram provided an overview of the academy’s 50-year history, accomplishments, and future plans. Farmers Vault portal and NAARM Library mobile app were inaugurated during the event. Joint Director Gopal Lal was also in attendance.