A. Roles and
levels of autonomy relevant to the work of ICAR
The ICAR
Website (http://www.icar.org.in/en/aboutus.htm) states:
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is
an autonomous organisation “under the Department of Agricultural Research and
Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of
India. Formerly known as Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, it
was established on 16 July 1929 as a registered society under
the Societies Registration Act, 1860 in pursuance of the report of the Royal
Commission on Agriculture.
In theory it is an autonomous
body. In practice (and quasi legally), it is a Government Department. Several
Committees have discussed this organisational position. This ambiguous position
has been and is being used arbitrarily to thwart any public examination or
inquiry of ICAR’s research functions, staffing policies and practices etc.,.
including this one. At the moment the ICAR functions similar to the Board of
Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that the Supreme Court of India has had to
scrutinize and intervene in its function and management because of serious legal
and ethical improprieties.
The origins of ICAR, as
the Imperial Council of Agricultural, has been a legacy that the ICAR, has not
yet, after almost 87 years, got rid of. The primary function of ICAR, set in
1929 that of enhancing production of agricultural commodities has continued
till date even though the National needs for research has changed totally to now
enhancing productivity of all resources used in farming and agriculture and
enabling equity in incomes and profit in the market chain of all agricultural
commodities.
Considering the trends in agricultural research
management and organisation globally, that of creating public-private-community
partnerships in research, India now has to decide that fundamental and basic
research in science needs to be done largely through general Universities and
applied research through public-private-community partnerships. The role of the
ICAR has therefore to shift from doing actual research to identifying the areas
of research and innovation needed by the country in the short and medium term
and create systems where public-private partnerships for research and
innovations can thrive. ICAR can be modelled now not as a “Society” but as a
new (corporate?) body which includes in its governing board representations of
all public, private and community, stakeholders. This body should be open to
public scrutiny regularly through well established mechanisms. The reformed
Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) can be a good
example to start with restructuring the ICAR.
B. Functional work
efficiency of the Education, Research and Extension system working currently
through ICAR network
It is quite obvious just looking at the number of
Research Institutes, Centres, Projects, Universities that something is not
right with the Agricultural Education, Research and Education System. The
argument that India is a very large country and needs this vast array of
Institutions is misleading, specious and untenable. This large system is now disjointed and in
many ways disoriented. The ICAR headquarters has failed totally to integrate
functionally the entire Research, Education and Extension System resulting in
significant wastage of financial and intellectual capacities.
Yes, India needs an extensive research and innovation
system but it does not need a large research system with Institutes around
commodities and disciplines. It needs
research and innovation organisations around Agri-food systems prevalent in the
country. This can be organised regionally for example for North, East, West,
Central and South India and one at the National level. These regional organisations
would support and provide linkages with the Universities and the
public-private-community (P-P-C) research and innovation entities within the
States in each region. This would generate technologies and skills specifically
needed locally in the region for agri-food systems and chains. The National
entity would be responsible for integrating and sharing regional research
experiences and products and the larger Nationwide issues such as in management
of trans-boundary diseases and pests,
biodiversity, food safety and
assurance and participating in global agricultural commodities and technology
trade.
The suggestion above of organising research regionally
is not new and they have been recommended by previous review committees such as
those under Dr. Mashelkar. What is new is to include into research systems
P-P-C partnerships for research and innovation.
C. Means for
improvement of functional efficiencies of ICAR, SAU and KVKs D. The current
levels Lab to Land connectivity and conversions and improvements there of
The ICAR,
SAU and KVKs that make the entire agricultural research, extension and
innovation system does not really have a vision based on what the country now
needs from these systems. The current glossy vision documents produced by
Institutes are basically written by one or two scientists with little connect
to ground realities or even the needs of their commodities or disciplines.
Without a
vision, the current “strategy” is being obfuscated and (purposely?) not made
clear. It has been hijacked by various interests ranging from politicians,
scientific leaders and scientists (who control the system) to meet their own
interests, be they to make their own constituencies happy, gain more
"powerful" positions or just escape responsibilities. This has
resulted in proliferation of research institutes, Universities and with them
senior "administrative" posts and consequent wastage and low morale
in the system. Similarly, any change to the structure of these systems is
resisted (most committees and reports other than those that benefit one or more
interests are ignored for any action).
The
systems have now lost real connect with those whom it was to serve. These include
farmers, processors, market intermediaries, consumers, general public etc.,.
Since they serve very little purpose, the general population, many who are not
aware they exist and their supposed function, largely ignore these systems.
The
reorientation of the system and making it useful will have to start with its
vision around how it aims to contribute to the Indian society. This vision will
necessarily deal with solving issues and "hotspots" in Agri-food
systems around productivity and profit. This is the "environment" in
which the system has to function. Productivity is not only of the farmland but
of all resources used and its products (and services such as of recreation and
environment) till consumed and of "waste" generated from the system.
From this vision there will be a need for clear missions and reorganisation of
the system with structures that deliver its missions. These structures will
need to be "open" and transparent, as the present opaqueness in the
system breeds many of its ills. The system also needs an assessment and
evaluation that understand the scientific research and innovation processes and
can evaluate impact that is both tangible and intangible.
D. Levels of
research needs of the Indian Agricultural systems being currently met through
the ICAR network of education, research and extension and suggestions for
improvements if needed any
As indicated above, current agricultural research is
oriented towards increasing production and focussed around breeding new
varieties of crops and animals with very little attention to productivity and
profit. Because of this, the country has
now ended with farmers not able to earn their livelihoods because of very high
production costs and consumers not having access to safe, nutritious and
ethically produced food.
ICAR Institutes and State Agricultural Universities
have very little capacities to generate and apply new technologies useful to
Indian farmers, most who are smallholders, such as nanotechnologies,
information and communications technologies, geospatial technologies, materials
sciences and optics which now use light to enhance productivity.
There is very little systems research and research
needed to improve value addition in market chains. Whatever little useful
research done is not integrated into technologies useful to farmers,
processors, market intermediaries and consumers.
The various new levels of research needed are 1.
Integration 2. Systems Research and 3. Effective
use of new technologies for smallholder producers.
F. New modes of financing ICAR
system
This has already been discussed above. ICAR funding
has to shift to be a true public-private-community partnership.
G. Potentials for Public Private
partnerships in agricultural research
This has been
discussed in brief above.
H. Enabling weak and marginal
farmers through research as public and social good activity and resource
mobilization mechanisms for such actions
This has been
discussed in brief above
I. Preparing
Indian Agricultural sector toward next generation technologies in molecular
breeding and modern technologies
This question around being enamoured around “Molecular breeding” indicates towards a
significant short sightedness of those who have designed this review.
Today, Indian agri-food systems need a lot more that
just new varieties of crops. They need new technologies to improve productivity
of all inputs, reduction in costs, improvement in quality and reduction in
drudgery. India urgently needs affordable, accessible, safe, nutritious and
ethical food. Only molecular breeding
will not solve issues in these objectives. As indicated above India has to
apply all available technologies such as nanotechnologies, information and
communications technologies, geospatial technologies, materials sciences and optics
which now use light to enhance productivity appropriately to meet the above
mentioned objectives.
J. Addressing
agriculture-water-energy interconnections and offering new research-led
solutions
Water and Energy are two very critical inputs to
agriculture and farming. Several new technologies such as those already
mentioned can be applied in processes of farming, processing, transport,
packaging, storage, marketing, consumption and waste management to address
issues of water and energy use. However the present structure of ICAR and India
agricultural research, extension, education and innovation systems is totally
inappropriate to pursue such research and innovation.
K. Role of ICAR in
increasing the agricultural GDP of India
Agri-food business from farming to consumption can be
estimated very conservatively to be contributing more than 30-35 per cent of
India’s GDP and not the 12-14% as estimated from agriculture.
However, for India, using increase in GDP as an
indicator/measure for impact of its Agri-food research is not only misleading
but very short sighted. This issue does not need an answer as it is apparent
that such a measure would be extremely harmful to Indian society which has vast
numbers in deep poverty.
L. Right sizing of
R&D investments as a percentage agricultural GDP.
As indicated
above, this is an absurd approach not warranted in India.
M. Role of ICAR in
the national mission of doubling the farmer’s income and rendering agriculture
a remunerative socio economic activity and
Already indicated above. Doubling of farmers real incomes is possible as envisaged
by 2022 if even existing technologies are appropriately used by Indian farmers.
However the problems lie beyond doubling incomes. There is a plateauing of
production and productivity now and new technologies are urgently needed for
agricultural and Agri-food systems long term growth and sustainability. This
needs to be seriously looked into considering very rapid urbanisation, need for
new avenues of employment and in sustaining agriculture and rural livelihoods.
N. Any other
suggestion that is likely to enable Indian agricultural research system.
