ICAR Secretary Unveils Golden Jubilee Logo of ICAR–KVK Ernakulam

9 October 2026, Ernakulam, Kerala

Shri Gyanendra Dev Tripathi, IAS, Additional Secretary, DARE, and Secretary, ICAR, unveiled the Golden Jubilee logo of ICAR–Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ernakulam, under ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi at the KVK campus today. The unveiling marks the beginning of year-long celebrations commemorating 50 years of the institution’s service, culminating on 22 December 2026.

Established at Narakkal, Kerala, in December 1976 under ICAR–CMFRI, Kochi, the KVK is among the earliest Krishi Vigyan Kendras in the country, following the pioneering KVK at Puducherry. The logo unveiling was attended by Dr Grinson George, Director, ICAR–CMFRI, and other senior officials.

During the event, Shri Tripathi assured the KVK of efforts to coordinate with the Government of Kerala regarding its request for land allotment. The initiative is significant in view of the vulnerability of the KVK’s present coastal location at Narakkal to tidal flooding and cyclones.

A Pioneer in Fisheries Extension and Capacity Development

Originally established as the Krishi Vigyan Kendra for Mariculture, ICAR–KVK Ernakulam was conceived to bridge the gap between fisheries research and the practical application of scientific technologies by farming communities. During the formative years of the national KVK system, Narakkal emerged as a specialised centre for training in mariculture and prawn culture, with a focus on hands-on learning, practical demonstrations and skill development.

For more than three decades, until around 2010, fisheries and prawn farming remained central to the KVK’s capacity-building activities. Its sustained extension efforts contributed to the dissemination of scientific prawn-culture practices and the development of technical skills among coastal farming communities, extending the reach of improved aquaculture technologies beyond Kerala.

The institution’s long-standing specialisation in fisheries and mariculture reflects the founding philosophy of the KVK system, which emphasises vocational education, practical experience and the application of scientific knowledge to local livelihood opportunities.

The Golden Jubilee celebrations will commemorate ICAR–KVK Ernakulam’s five decades of contributions to fisheries and agricultural extension, technology dissemination, capacity development and rural livelihood enhancement.

(Source: ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi)