Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the college and administration buildings of Jhansi-based Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, a prominent institute of the Bundelkhand region.
After the inauguration, the Prime Minister interacted with university students and asked about ways to address certain challenges like reducing import of edible oils and increasing food processing, especially in fruits and vegetables.
Modi asked a student whether awareness among farmers can be created about micro, drip and sprinkler irrigation in the drought-prone Bundelkhand region. During the interaction, the Prime Minister stressed on promoting recycling of water and rainwater harvesting through innovative and less costlier technology in the region.
“India took scientific steps to combat the attack of locust swarms in ten states in the month of May this year, an effort which must have acknowledged by the world,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the country’s scientists should also work on a ‘One Life One Mission’ basis, to innovate more towards the scientific improvement of agriculture.
PM Modi said that ‘self-reliance’ in agriculture was not limited to self-sufficiency in food grains, but that the concept encompassed self-reliance of the entire economy of the village.
“The goal of self-sufficiency in agriculture is to make the farmer a producer as well as an entrepreneur,” said Modi. He added that when farmers and farming moved forward in the form of an industry, employment and self-employment opportunities would come up in villages and in the areas near them, on a large scale.
Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University started its first academic session in 2014-15 and is offering both under-graduate and post-graduate courses in agriculture, horticulture and forestry. It is currently operating from the Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi as the main buildings were getting ready.
The PM added that continuous work was being carried out to link farming with technology, and that research institutions and agricultural universities played a big role towards it.
“Be it drone technology, artificial intelligence technology, or modern equipment, young researchers like you will have to work continuously to make it increasingly useful so that it can be used in the country’s agricultural system,” said PM Modi.
Modi said that until six years ago, only one Central Agricultural University was functioning in the country, and that currently three Central Agricultural Universities were providing education to students.
“Apart from this, three more national institutes are being established at Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Integrated Farming at IARI-Jharkhand, IARI-Assam, and Motihari,” he said.
The PM also called for taking education related to agriculture, and its practical application to school-level education. “Efforts are on to introduce the subject of agriculture to middle schools at the village-level,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that so far, more than Rs 700 crore had been spent in Uttar Pradesh under the ‘Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan’, under which employment was being provided to millions of workers. “I have been told that under this campaign in Bundelkhand, hundreds of ponds have also been repaired and that new ponds have been constructed,” he said, adding that when these were ready, millions of families would benefit from them.
“Not only this, in Bundelkhand, work is ongoing towards the ‘Atal Ground Water Scheme’ to raise the level of ground water. Be it the Bundelkhand Express Way or the Defense Corridor, these projects worth thousands of crores will work to create a plethora of employment opportunities here,” he said.
He said the day was not far when this “land of heroes, Jhansi” and its nearby areas, would become a big center to make the country self-reliant in the defence sector. “In a way, the mantra of ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan and Jai Vigyan’ will be echoed in all four directions in Bundledkhand. The central government and the government of Uttar Pradesh are committed to enriching the ancient identity of Bundelkhand, the pride of this earth,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the inauguration was long awaited and will benefit farmers not only in the Bundelkhand region but the entire country.
There is scope for promoting organic farming in the region towards which the government is working, he said, and added that the government is working towards doubling farmers’ income by 2022.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said setting up of a central agricultural university in Jhansi will benefit the drought-prone Bundelkhand region and help farmers become self reliant.
He lauded the government’s recent efforts that has brought changes in the region. The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana has helped address drought to a large extent in the region, while Jal Jeevan Mission has resolved the drinking water issue here, he added.
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