Connect with:
Tuesday / April 15. 2025

logo
mobile-logo
HomePosts Tagged "Dharmendra Pradhan"
AgroPolicy, Floriculture, India

Developed in collaboration with the CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), this polyhouse is expected to promote high-value crop cultivation and support sustainable farming and climate-smart practices in the region.

Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan visited Jujumura block in Sambalpur district to inaugurate a series of agricultural initiatives aimed at strengthening the rural economy and supporting farmer collectives. During the visit, Union Minister inaugurated a state-of-the-art polyhouse facility at Sabujasanatanpali Farmer Producer Company Limited (FPCL), Jujumura. Developed in collaboration with the CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), this polyhouse is expected to promote high-value crop cultivation and support sustainable farming and climate-smart practices in the region, especially in floriculture value-chains.

The partnership with CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow represents a strategic investment by the Government to advance climate- resilient and sustainable agricultural practices in Odisha. Leveraging its expertise in plant science and biotechnology, NBRI is supporting the development and dissemination of climate-smart crop varieties, and facilitating nature-based solutions for soil and water management in horticultural value-chains, thereby contributing to enhancing the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers, aligning with the state’s broader goals of sustainable agricultural transformation and resilience in the face of climate change.

Sabuja Sanatanapali Farmer Producer Company Limited (SSFPCL), formed in 2021 by a determined group of farmers in Jujomora, Sambalpur, has grown into a vibrant collective of over 1,450 members—55 per cent of whom are women. The FPC which is supported by Palladium Consulting India Pvt. Ltd., and NABARD, has now become a beacon of inclusive rural entrepreneurship in the region showcasing how empowered farmers through collective action, innovation, and government support can drive sustainable rural development and transform local economies.

In a significant boost to market infrastructure, Union minister also laid the foundation stone for a new market yard in Sanatanpali, which will serve as a hub for aggregation and sale of produce by local farmers.

Marking a significant milestone in the journey of Sabujasanatanpali Farmer Producer Company Ltd., Sri Pradhan also flagged off the season’s first marketing consignment of watermelons through the FPC. This marketing initiative was facilitated by Palladium Consulting India Pvt. Ltd., the Technical Support Unit to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Government of Odisha, which has been playing a key role in strengthening Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) ecosystem in the state by facilitating access to markets and infrastructure through technical expertise. In collaboration with the Gates Foundation, the Government is actively working to enhance businesses of FPOs across the state by linking them to domestic and international markets and promoting adoption of climate-resilient practices to ensure sustainable growth for smallholder farmers. This event symbolizes the growing potential of farmer-led enterprises in the region and their expanding market reach, aiming to empower small- holder farmers and improve livelihoods.

Developed in collaboration with the CSIR-National Botanical

AgroPolicy, India, R&D, Sustainability

The project is to be implemented with assistance from AOM Group and Centurion University

Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship flagged off Gabon’s first Agri- SEZ project from New Delhi. The project will be implemented by the AOM group with Centurion University as the technical and knowledge partner. In the first phase of the program, 30 farmers and 20 B.Sc./M.Sc. Agri and B.Tech/M. Tech Engineering students from the Gajapati district, which is an Aspirational district of Odisha, will be travelling together as agri-technical and technical consultants for the agriculture SEZ which is being developed under this project.

Speaking on the occasion, Pradhan said that the launch will add a new chapter to that relationship, he further added. He also expressed confidence that the establishment of an Agriculture and Food Processing Special Economic Zone in Gabon will be a significant milestone towards enhancing food security and self-sufficiency in the country.

Speaking about the India-Africa relationship, he said that, in the last 9 years, India-Africa relations have gone from strength to strength, recording more than 35 high-level visits from India and more than 100 similar ones from Africa. Anti-colonial solidarity, diasporic goodwill, and the principle of ‘South-South’ cooperation, among others, are also playing a significant role in strengthening the partnership between India and the African continent, he further added.

He also said that development partnership is a key pillar in India’s African policy. Being a trusted partner in the journey of socio-economic development, India has extended concessional loans of over $ 12.3 billion to Africa and $ 700 million of grant assistance with development projects in various sectors.

He said that Gabon and other African countries have a lot to learn from India’s development journey and recent initiatives like the Aspirational Districts Program.

He also spoke about India-Africa’s long-standing relations in the areas of education and skill development.

The project is to be implemented with

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Start ups, Sustainability

Guwahati Declaration encourages advancement in discoveries through sustainable routes

Guwahati Declaration was recently unveiled by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, Entrepreneurship and Skill Development and Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam during the recently held North East Research Conclave (NERC) 2022 at IIT Guwahati.

The Guwahati Declaration launched at the valedictory function of the conclave by Lok Ranjan, Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER), in the presence of Kailash Karthik, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup is intended to create a set of guidelines, through which individual, as well as a collective responsibility to promote and encourage innovation at the grass-root level and strive to stimulate and execute indigenisation and entrepreneurship, can be taken up. It also encourages advancement in discoveries through sustainable routes.

At least 100 start-ups are expected to be incubated with around 100 doctoral students to be added within the next three years. The ecosystem support necessary for these developments will be provided for achieving their success. 

Under this declaration, a framework to achieve holistic and converging objectives and build targeted mission-mode collaborative efforts will be initiated. Progress on ten broad thrust areas will be initiated that would lead to sustainable socio-economic development, efficient bio-resources utilisation, automation of indigenous tools and technology, disaster management, and climate change aspects. 

These broad working areas include: 

1. Biomedical and environmental devices development and testing

2. Food processing technology

3. Advanced functional materials and biomaterials

4. Drug discovery from natural resources

5. Drone technology development and application

6. High altitude waste management

7. Fossil fuel and alternative energy utilisation and devices

8. Geo-spatial technology

9. Livelihood projects

10. Automation in agriculture, sericulture, pisciculture

The declaration requires individuals and institutions to build upon their strengths and expertise for promoting and nurturing innovation at the grass-root level, engaging individuals from an early level to inculcate the values of innovative thinking and collective growth. 

Institutes and universities across the northeast region and nation will have to be intertwined with various state and central government ministries, PSUs and industries and create a knowledge centre, facilitating the declaration objectives. 

Guwahati Declaration encourages advancement in discoveries through