Ludhiana, February 2
The stage is set for the conference of Vice-Chancellors and directors of central and state agricultural universities and deemed-universities at G.B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pant Nagar on February 4 and 5.

For the forthcoming conference, Punjab Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor, Dr K.S. Aulakh, has submitted a six-point additional agenda besides the one already circulated by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for the consideration of the conference.

He said, the PAU has suggested discussion on inter-institutional linkages, setting up of Priority Monitoring and Evaluation Cell at ICAR, e-chaupal at Krishi Vigyan Kenders, focusing on basic biotechnology and international initiatives in biotechnology and amendments in all-India Inter-Agricultural Universities’ Sports and Games.

The conference is being held when there is growing realisation in the state agricultural universities to keep pace with development in the cutting edge science and technology in an effective partnership mode and to empower farmers.

Dr Aulakh said PAU is credited with drawing attention of the Vice-Chancellors at the last year’s conference held in Mumbai to the issue of focusing attention on target group of small and marginal farmers for technology transfer and their empowerment. PAU had also emphasised on links with the private sector and requiring state agricultural universities to ‘test’ technologies developed by the private players before allowing these to be disseminated to the farmers. PAU had also mooted the proposal to establish ‘‘technology promotion cells’’ for links with the industry to commercially exploit their innovations and inventions for sustainable agriculture.

There is emerging demand that ICAR should continue to provide ‘‘one time catch up grant’’ to state agricultural universities for repair of existing buildings and to renovate the lecture theatres and laboratories as was envisaged in the IXth Plan Dr Aulakh said ICAR has to play the role of a big brother in providing more finances to the state agricultural universities for teaching, research and extension, as state funding was not commensurate to the requirements due to financial crunch. He appreciated the fact that ICAR was already aware of this situation.

There are 41 state and central agricultural universities in the country. The conference is expected to draw a blueprint for sustainable agriculture to provide profitable returns to small and marginal farmers and to ensure environmental security. In fact, Dr Aulakh said given the available information, communication technology it was imperative to reach the ‘‘un-reached’’ farmers to raise farm productivity and incomes and financial state of the farmers.

Referring to the six points suggested in the agenda sent to the conference, Dr Aulakh said inter-institutional linkages through liberal electronic connectivity with a centralised system of subscription to e-journals and on-line union catalogue of existing library collections of all institutes needs to be developed to share scientific information and resources. On priority monitoring and evaluation cell, he said, ICAR must assess the role of such institutes as such cells would provide insight into research priorities of the institutes. e-chaupals should be set up at KVKs, on the pattern of ITC experiment to help farmers adopt new technologies as enhance credibility of agricultural institutes.

Dr Aulakh was concerned about petty small scale seed companies producing Bt cotton and exploiting the farmers while public institutes were a mute witness. This was happening because of lack of sufficient financial support to employ biotechnology and genetic engineering in state agricultural universities to step up crop yields with in built resistance to diseases and pests.

ICAR could perhaps take a lead by setting up centres of excellence in select state agricultural universities and its own field institutions for the development of competitive new gene constructs and to break monopolisation of biotechnology by private sector. State agricultural universities must be made available new genes for use in routine breeding programme so that transgenic crop varieties rather than hybrids alone could be produced. Dr Aulakh also felt the need to make scientists entitled to access information pertaining to ‘‘genomics and proteomics’’ as was the practice in advanced countries for which ICAR has again to take the initiative to provide funds for such institutes to meet the aspirations and expectations of such international initiatives.

Regarding inter-varsity sports and games, PAU feels that to give broader and wider opportunities to players and sports persons, ICAR should conduct competitions in all games on inter-university pattern and one agricultural university may be allotted one or two games at a time depending upon sports infrastructure and extend financial support.

Ludhiana, February 2
“Selfless leaders like Mr Bakhtawar Singh Gill can uplift society and it is high time we followed in the footsteps of that great philanthropist’, said Mr Manjit Singh Khattra at inter college Gurbani Gayan competition organised at GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sadhar by the NSS and the Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle in memory of Sardar Gill here today.

Fourteen teams from different colleges of Jalandhar, Mukandpur, Kottan, Sidhwan, Ludhiana, Raikot and Doraha took past.

HMV Jalandhar got the Group first prize, Ramgarhia Girls College, Ludhiana, was second, Amardeep Shergill Memorial College, Mukandpur, third and SGG College, Raikot, fourth. Special and consolation prizes were given to another eight teams.

In the individual category, the first prize went to Arshpreet Kaur of Ramgarhia Girls College, second to a student of HMV Jalandhar and third to Baljit Singh of Mukandpur.