PM to launch four schemes to boost agriculture, train students

Aiming to fast-track PM Narendra Modi’s flagship ‘lab-to-land’ programme, the Union Agriculture Ministry has drafted four schemes for effective technology dissemination. 

Taking to Millennium Post, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said: “To make agriculture and rural professions intellectually stimulating as well as economically rewarding, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed four new programmes to enrich farmer-scientist interface.”

The four programmes, which will be launched by the Prime Minister on July 25 – the 87th Foundation Day of ICAR – aims at attracting the rural youth towards agriculture and allied sectors. The programmes – Farmers FIRST, ARYA, Student READY and Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav – are in addition to several other announcements to be made by the PM to showcase the NDA governments achievements in the past one year in poll-bound Bihar.

Singh has been camping in the state since July 15 to make the ICAR Foundation Day event a huge success. According to the Minister’s office, he will skip the first week of Lok Sabha’s Monsoon Session for the purpose.

Singh said: “Farmers FIRST is contemplated to enrich farmers-scientists interface for technology development, while ARYA aims at attracting the rural youth towards agriculture. It will help create new-age farmers. Through this programme, youths will be imparted agri-related skills.”

“Student READY is a rural entrepreneurship and awareness development scheme, which aims at imparting skill training to students,” Singh said, adding that the fourth scheme ‘Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav’ aims to implement the ‘lab-to-land’ programme on large-scale and take technologies to villages. “Under this programme, agricultural scientists will visit at least one village every month and interact with farmers,” the Minister added.

It is for the first time that the research institution will celebrate its foundation day outside the national Capital.