Students exhorted to become job creators

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Tuesday called on students of the ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), to adopt innovation, entrepreneurship and a sense of national service as they step into the next phase of their careers. Addressing the 21st convocation of the institute, Chouhan urged the students to aspire to be job creators rather than job seekers, using their expertise in dairy and agricultural sciences to create employment opportunities.

“A good job with a handsome package is certainly not a bad thing, but we must explore our ideas and turn them into startups that can offer jobs to others. Our aim should be to become contributors to the nation’s growth and prosperity,” he said.

Congratulating the students, Chouhan emphasised the vital role of agriculture and dairy in building a prosperous India. He expressed confidence that India, already the largest producer of milk globally, has the potential to dominate the international dairy market. “India must lead the world in milk production and our dairy products should be found in every household across the globe. This can be achieved through commitment, innovation and institutions like NDRI,” he said.

Chouhan also launched the institute’s new website and inaugurated two new dairy products developed by NDRI — spiced lassi and paneer made from goat milk — which will be available at the institute’s milk parlour. Praising NDRI’s work, he called on the administration to work for maintaining top ranking.

Calling himself the “maternal uncle” of all students present, Chouhan inspired them to work collectively for making India a developed nation by 2047, in alignment with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Chouhan also spoke about building a poverty-free India and urged the NDRI community to adopt a village to develop sustainable livelihoods.

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Bhagirath Chaudhary, commended NDRI’s contribution to the field of animal husbandry and underscored the importance of farmers and milk producers in achieving a prosperous India.

Dr Dheer Singh, Director and Vice Chancellor of the NDRI, said the 102-year-old institute at present, operates with 134 faculty members across its main campus and two regional stations. During the convocation, degrees were awarded to 201 students — 32 BTech (Dairy Technology) graduates, 98 Master’s degree holders and 71 PhD scholars. Dr Singh noted that the NDRI has filed 107 patents, of which 56 have been granted, and commercialised 144 technologies since 2006. The NDRI has been ranked the top agricultural university five times and placed second in the latest NIRF rankings among 145 institutions.

M Lavanya was awarded with gold in doctoral programme, while Dhasarath M in master’s programme, and Riya in BTech Dairy Technology, besides several others received silver, bronze and merit awards.