National Conclave on sustainability, productivity and green growth: A successful step towards Sustainable development at ICAR-RCER, Patna

Patna (Bureau, odishabarta ) 16/2/24

The ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna, in collaboration with the National Productivity Council, Bihar State Productivity Council, and Indian Potash Limited organized a National Conclave on February 13, 2024. In this conclave, a total of 100 stakeholders participated, including scientists, farmers, and officials from public and private sectors. In the inaugural session, Sri J K Singh, Regional Director, National Productivity Council, Patna, provided an overview of the event, highlighting its importance in raising awareness about sustainability, productivity, and driving discussions on sustainable practices such as climate-smart interventions, productivity enhancement, green growth, and importance of policy recommendations.

In this conclave, Dr. Rajeev Ranjan, (IAS Retd.), Director, Indian Potash Limited (CRO), emphasized the significance of government initiatives like the Amrit Internship Program in collaboration with KVK. His remarks were underscored by a deep concern for the challenges of enhancing green growth, particularly within the context of a changing climate.

Dr. Rameshwar Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Bihar Animal Sciences University (BASU), Patna, Bihar, echoed the importance of natural resources and highlighted innovative solutions to enhance green growth. He also emphasized the importance of reducing water usage per kilogram of meat and milk production, as well as enhancing livestock productivity, as key strategies to mitigate Green House gas emissions.

Dr. Bikash Das, Director of ICAR-NRC on Litchi in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, drew attention to the importance of conserving and consuming locally available, underutilized fruits and vegetables. He proposed that by doing so, we could facilitate a shift towards green growth, reducing the need for transporting exotic produce. Dr. Das also emphasized the importance of employing green agronomic practices, such as biomass mulching and zero tillage, to enhance soil health.

Addressing the audience, Dr. Anup Das, Director of ICAR, RCER, Patna (Host Institute), outlined three major challenges faced by agriculture: increasing productivity per unit area, conserving natural resources, and initiating green growth approaches. He proposed strategies to address these challenges, including improving nitrogen and water use efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Dr. Das also advocated for various green growth approaches, such as customized fertilizer application, efficient irrigation systems, and the promotion of bio-fertilizers and conservation agriculture.

Dr. Raj Kumar Jat from the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), CIMMYT, Pusa, Samastipur briefed the audience on initiatives focused on climate-resilient agriculture in India, with an emphasis on sustainable agriculture.

In the technical session, Mr. Rajeev Kumar, AGM at Reserve Bank of India, Patna, focused his address on green financing schemes. Dr. Sapna A. Narula, Professor & Dean at School of Management Studies, Nalanda University, discussed sustainability issues in agribusiness. Issues like climate change impact on tribal livelihoods and Nanoscience and nanotechnology were also discussed.

The dignitaries also visited ICAR-RCER farm. Throughout the day, participants actively participated in insightful panel discussions led by subject matter experts. These discussions delved into the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing sustainable practices across various sectors, as well as exploring innovative solutions to address pressing environmental concerns. This discussion was focused on charting a few key policy deliberations that would help farmers in achieving sustainability. Dr Dhiraj kumar singh proposed a vote thanks in the panel discussion. In this programme Dr Sanjeev Kumar, Organising secretary, Dr A. Upadhyay, Head, DLWM, Dr Ujjwal Kumar Head, DSEE, Dr. Virender Kumar, Deputy Director, National Productivity Council, Shri B.K.Sinha, General Secretary, State Productivity Council; Dr. Santosh Kumar; Dr. Rajni Kumari; Dr. Dheeraj Kumar Singh; Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Dr. Akram Ahmed; Dr. Anirban Mukherjee; Dr. P.K. Sundaram; Dr. Kumari Shubha; Dr. Kirti Saurabh; Dr. Manisha Tamta, Dr. Abhishek Kumar Dubey; Dr. Saurabh Kumar; Dr. Sonaka Ghosh, Dr. Abhishek Kumar, Dr. Banda Sainath, Mr. Anil Kumar, Mr. Sanjay Rajput, Mr. Umesh Kumar Mishra and other employees were present.