ICAR-CIARI Organises Agriculture Education Day 2025

3 December 2025, Sri Vijaya Puram

ICAR–Central Island Agricultural Research Institute celebrated Agriculture Education Day today to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India and former Union Minister of Agriculture. To mark the occasion, ICAR-CIARI conducted a series of educational events for school students from 27 November to 3 December 2025.

The students from various schools visited explored several research and educational facilities, including the Fisheries Museum, Integrated Farming System Unit, Nakshatra Garden, Livestock Farm, Pig Shed, Butterfly Museum, Microplots, Medicinal Garden, Horticulture Plant Propagation Unit, Central Instrumentation Facility, and Library, where they interacted with scientists and learned about ongoing research initiatives.

The valedictory function was graced by Dr. Dilip Kumar Jha, Scientist-F and Officer-in-Charge, National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Sri Vijaya Puram, as the Chief Guest. Dr. Jha expressed his appreciation to the Director for the opportunity to interact with young students. He noted that before the establishment of ICAR-CIARI, systematic advancements in agriculture, fisheries, and animal sciences in the islands were limited. He commended the institute’s scientists for developing several innovative technologies for island agriculture. Addressing the students, he urged them to choose careers aligned with their interests and highlighted the vast professional opportunities in agriculture, observing that many IT professionals are now entering the field through agri-startups. He also appreciated the student–scientist interactions and emphasised the importance of such programmes in spreading agricultural knowledge within the community.

Dr. Jai Sunder, Director, ICAR-CIARI, addressed the gathering and urged students to explore the vast opportunities within the agricultural sector, which encompasses multiple disciplines under the ICAR system. He encouraged them to consider agriculture as a promising career path and advised teachers to bring students to ICAR-CIARI regularly, describing the exposure as enriching and enjoyable. He reiterated that today’s students are the future scientists who will contribute to achieving agricultural self-sufficiency in the country. Highlighting the sector’s transformation, he emphasized that agriculture has evolved into a dynamic field driven by business, entrepreneurship, and advanced technologies. He pointed to the growing role of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotics, Drones, and Sensors in agricultural development and stressed that adopting such technologies can significantly enhance productivity, improve livelihoods, and promote self-reliance. He also congratulated all the awardees and participants.

A total of 120 students from 12 schools took part in the Agriculture Education Day programmes.

(Source: ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Vijaya Puram)