The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to set up Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in Assam at a cost of over Rs 155 crore to promote agri-education and realise second green revolution in the north eastern region.
The first IARI was set up in the national Capital way back in 1967. The Narendra Modi Government had announced a plan to set up four such institutes in the Budget 2014-15. The IARI-Assam was delayed as the previous Government did not give land. The current Sarbananda Sonowal Government has given 587 acres of land at Gomukh, Dimaji and work will start. Also the proposal for 98 positions has been approved. The Prime Minister is expected to lay a foundation of IARI on May 26, this month.
Sources in the Ministry of Agriculture said that the IARI-Assam would focus more on research activities and will teach 67 MSc students and 106 PhD students. “It will promote research, education, extension programmes in its mission towards developing quality human resource, generation of farmer-friendly technologies to enhance productivity, quality and profitability, promote agro-based industries and generate employment opportunities for holistic and sustainable development of the agriculture sector in the North-Eastern region,” the sources said.
“Development of N-E is a priority for the Government and has the potential to bring second green revolution. It will be an off-campus of IARI, New Delhi, and undertake integrated multi-disciplinary research through Schools of Crop Sciences, Natural Resource Management, and Animal Sciences and Fisheries,” the statement said.
lARI-Assam would be a Post-Graduate Institution of higher learning in Agricultural Education. It will have the hallmark identity of an IARI including all sectors of agriculture like field crops, horticultural crops, agro-forestry, animal husbandry, fisheries, poultry, piggery, silk rearing, honey production. “IARI-Assam would work on the agrarian challenges and complexities of N-E India in coordination with all existing Central and State Government research and development Institutions and private sector enterprises,” the statement said.