Hisar, April 24 : The President of India, Droupadi Murmu graced and addressed the 25th convocation of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University at Hisar, Haryana today.
Speaking on this occasion the President Murmu said that Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University has been making significant contributions in the education, research and extension of agriculture since its inception. If today Haryana is the second largest contributor to the food grain stocks under Central Pool, the credit goes to the farmer-friendly policies of the Central and State Governments, technological initiatives of HAU, and willingness of the farmers of this state to adopt the latest agricultural techniques.
The President said that today India has become a food grain exporting country from a food stressed country despite the huge population. But today there are many concerns in front of agriculture like increasing population, shrinking agricultural land, falling groundwater level, decreasing soil fertility, and climate change for which agricultural professionals have to find solutions. They have to find ways to provide nutritious food to our huge population while causing minimum damage to the environment and biodiversity. It is a challenge as well as an opportunity before agricultural professionals.
The President said that technology has an important role in reducing the cost of farming, increasing productivity, making agriculture environment friendly and more profitable. She said that water is an important component of agriculture but it is available in limited quantities. Therefore, judicious use of water in agriculture is very important. There should be maximum use of technology in irrigation so that exploitation of water resources can be minimized. She said that the role of institutions like HAU is important in the development and dissemination of such technology.
The President said that universities should act as laboratories from where knowledge spreads and benefits the entire society. She was happy to note that HAU is making concerted efforts for dissemination of crop production techniques among the farmers. She urged to intensify these efforts for the maximum benefit of people of the country, especially the residents of Haryana.
The President said that agriculture is a huge sector. Apart from grain, fruit and milk production, animal husbandry and fisheries, there are many other industries which are directly linked to agriculture. India has emerged as a start-up hub. The world’s third largest start-up ecosystem is in India. The agriculture sector supplies raw materials to many industries. Therefore, this sector provides immense possibilities for start-ups. She was happy to note that HAU has established an Incubation Centre to promote entrepreneurship through innovation, technology upgradation and skill development. She expressed confidence that students would take advantage of this positive environment and contribute to the development of the country.
Earlier, Today, The President Droupadi Murmu while chairing the 19th convocation ceremony at National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) Karnal conferred degrees on 544 students including gold medals.
While congratulating the students receiving degrees, President, Droupadi Murmu said that with these degrees a new chapter has been started in their life and each one of them should continue the streak of learning new things along with making significant contributions to the welfare of the people.
The President urged the students to contribute significantly to the progress of the nation and become entrepreneurs along with getting employment in the dairy industry. There are immense possibilities for growth in this field and you should take advantage of these possibilities, said Droupadi Murmu.
She said that India is the largest producer of milk in the world. India accounts for about 22 percent of the world’s milk production. The dairy sector contributes about 5 percent to the country’s GDP and provides livelihood to 8 crore families directly and indirectly from the dairy industry.
With the participation of more than 70 percent, Women are playing a significant role in the dairy sector.
“Women empowerment is playing a significant role in the management of the dairy industry. More than 70 percent of participants in the dairy sector are women. It is a matter of happiness that today more than one-third of the degree awardees are girls and 50 percent of the gold medalists are also girls. The dairy sector holds special importance in making women self-reliant and in bringing changes in their social and economic status. To ensure that women have equal rights and equal opportunities to lead, we need to provide more opportunities for training and skill development of women. Along with this, there should also be a system of providing easy loans for women entrepreneurs in the dairy farming business,” said Droupadi Murmu. She said that many species of cow and buffalo are found in India. Some breeds have the ability to give 4 to 5 times more milk than other breeds. It is a commendable thing that NDRI has achieved a new milestone in producing milk by giving clones of cows and buffaloes. With this innovation, the milk production capacity of the animals can be increased and the income of the farmers will also increase, said the President.
