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Saurav Anand

India can prosper only if the farm sector grows: Vice President Dhankhar

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. (File Photo: PTI)

Speaking at the inauguration of CII Agro Tech -2022 in Chandigarh, the vice president said that sustainability and food security go hand in hand. “There cannot be long term food security without sustainable agricultural practices," he stressed.

Dhankhar, who arrived today on his maiden tour to Chandigarh after taking over as the VP, described agriculture as a tradition and a way of life in India. Referring to the strides made during the past 75 years in the field of agriculture, he stressed on the need to adapt new requirements and new challenges in coming years.

“Innovation should become the key driver of agricultural growth and our farmers should have protection against climate change and price fluctuations," he added.

Emphasising the need to generate sustainable incomes for our farmers, he called for more focus on food processing and value addition.

Mentioning that the United Nations has unanimously adopted India’s proposal to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets, Dhankhar said that in a world faced with food shortage, water scarcity and unprecedented climate crises, focus on millet cultivation is a smart solution.

Listing various affirmative steps taken by the government for farmers’ welfare such as PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Soil Health Cards, Fasal Bima Yojana and the KUSUM scheme, the Vice President said that farmers are backbone of India’s growth; care should be taken to address their concerns as well. Calling for out of the box solutions for various problems facing the agriculture sector, he stressed the need to increase synergy between research institutions and industry.

After inaugurating the CII Agro Tech -2022, the Vice President attended, as Chief Guest, the 3rd Global Alumni Meet of Panjab University where he underlined the importance of giving back to one’s alma mater, and through it, to the society at large.

Referring to the renowned institutions of ancient India such as Nalanda, he exhorted the educators, students and alumni to aim for regaining that past glory. Praising the Panjab University for producing many luminaries in the fields of politics, administration, science, industry and sports, Dhankhar wanted the University alumni to help in building an ecosystem where all students get an opportunity to gain their full potential.

Praising the visionary National Education Policy- 2020, the Vice President expressed confidence that it’ll propel India on the path of greater prosperity.

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