HYDERABAD, MAY 27, 2025: The ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM), Hyderabad in collaboration with Agricultural Education Division of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi is organizing a two-day Brainstorming Session on the ‘Implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP): Status, Challenges and Way forward in Agricultural Universities’ on May 27-28, 2025. The event is attended by about 75 participants, comprising 56 Deans, Directors and Registrars from 45 State Agricultural Universities, Central Agricultural Universities and Deemed Universities, besides about 15 officials from ICAR Headquarters and other Hyderabad-based ICAR institutes. Dr. Gopal Lal, Joint Director, ICAR-NAARM, welcomed the gathering and gave a brief introduction about the purpose of this brainstorming session.
The Chief Guest, Pramod Chaudhary, National President, Bharatiya Agro-Economic Research Centre (BAERC), New Delhi, underlined India’s readiness to feed not just its population but the world, especially significant after 75 years of independence and population growth. Earlier, the Guest of Honour Dr. Bimlesh Mann, Assistant Director General (Education Planning & Home Science), Agricultural Education Division, ICAR, New Delhi highlighted the need for foreign funding for research, development of revenue generation models for institutions, identification of new research areas, and increased emphasis on natural farming practices.
On the occasion, Dr. S.K. Dubey, National Vice President, BAERC, New Delhi, highlighted the difficulties faced during NEP implementation and encouraged participants to share suggestions openly and with a service-oriented mindset, with the aim that the final report should be worthy of discussion with policymakers and ministers. Dr. Makarand Karkare, General Secretary, BAERC, emphasised that education should be rooted in wisdom and conscientiousness, aspiring to create lasting impacts. Special guest Shri K. Sai Reddy, All India President, BKS, New Delhi, stated that sustainable agriculture is synonymous with organic farming and called for transformative changes in farming practices and farmer status to drive national development.
In his presidential address, Dr. R.C. Agrawal, DDG (Agricultural Education), ICAR, and Director, ICAR-NAARM, highlighted the increase in the number of Experiential Learning Units, now focusing on natural farming. He advocated for stronger collaborations between multidisciplinary universities to better utilise institutional facilities, which would lead to overall development. He also suggested the need for annual conferences of Deans to sustain continuous engagement and innovation in academic leadership.
The workshop features technical sessions on the integration of natural farming into undergraduate programs, the implementation of the VI Deans’ Committee Recommendations, vocational education under NEP 2020, and faculty capacity-building programs in Agricultural Universities. Dr. S. Senthil Vinayagam, Head, Education Systems Division, ICAR-NAARM, was the convenor of the event.
