1 August 2026, New Delhi
ICAR–National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi, celebrated its Golden Jubilee and 51st Foundation Day on 1 August 2026, commemorating 50 years of excellence in the conservation, characterization and utilization of India's plant genetic resources.
The celebration was graced by Dr R.S. Paroda, Chairman, Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS), as the Chief Guest. Dr M.L. Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR; Shri G.D. Tripathi, Additional Secretary, DARE and Secretary, ICAR; and Dr N.K. Singh, J.C. Bose Fellow, ICAR–National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, were among the distinguished dignitaries present on the occasion.
In his keynote address, Dr R.S. Paroda outlined the Saptarishi concept as a strategic roadmap for the future of plant genetic resource management. He emphasized the need for comprehensive collection of crop wild relatives, modernization of the National Gene Bank, future-proofing genetic resource conservation systems, DNA fingerprinting, development of digital data and Digital Sequence Information (DSI) platforms, strengthening global genomic governance, and accelerating crop improvement through a seamless continuum from genebank to farm, supported by pre-breeding programmes and community seed banks.
Addressing the gathering, Dr M.L. Jat congratulated ICAR-NBPGR on completing five decades of dedicated service and appreciated its significant contributions to the conservation of plant genetic resources. He underscored the importance of strengthening pre-breeding activities to effectively connect the National Gene Bank with crop improvement programmes. He also emphasized intensifying the national plant genetic resources evaluation mission through stronger institutional networking and positioning India as a global leader in international plant genetic resource governance with robust legal frameworks for the equitable sharing of genetic resources.
In his address, Shri G.D. Tripathi congratulated the scientists and staff of ICAR-NBPGR on the successful completion of 50 years and expressed his satisfaction at being associated with the establishment of the Safety Copy Gene Bank, a significant milestone in strengthening the country's long-term conservation infrastructure.
Presenting the institute's annual achievement report, Dr D.K. Yadava, Deputy Director General (Crop Science), ICAR, highlighted several key initiatives undertaken during the year, including the establishment of the Safety Copy Gene Bank and a DNA fingerprinting facility. He also outlined major achievements in the establishment of community seed banks, plant quarantine services and germplasm conservation activities.
A major highlight of the celebration was the 13th Dr Harbhajan Singh Memorial Lecture, delivered by Professor N.K. Singh, who shared valuable insights into the identification and utilization of Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) from crop genetic resources. He also highlighted advances in genome sequencing projects covering rice, tomato, wheat, pigeon pea, jute and mango, demonstrating their potential for accelerating crop improvement and strengthening food and nutritional security. The programme also featured the release of several publications authored by ICAR-NBPGR scientists, showcasing the institute's scientific contributions to plant genetic resource research and conservation.
The establishment of the Safety Copy Gene Bank, coupled with the institute's growing emphasis on DNA-based research and modern genomic tools, marks a significant step towards safeguarding India's invaluable plant genetic heritage for future generations. These initiatives are expected to strengthen the sustainable conservation and utilization of genetic resources while enabling future scientists and breeders to address emerging challenges related to food security, climate change and sustainable agricultural development.
(Source: ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi)
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