सभी को नमस्कार।

Distinguished faculty, members of the staff, alumni and distinguished audience. It is an absolute privilege and honour to join University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad's Amrit Mahotsav.

 

The celebration is unique, a journey of 75 years coupled with another very important event, alumni meet. Alumni is the spinal strength of any institution. If you look at the fund of foreign universities, you will find their alumni have contributed hugely. The fund of Harvard is over 50 billion U.S. dollars.

 

I appeal to the distinguished alumni today and those who pass out in the future, make your contribution. It doesn't matter how much contribution you make, your contribution will generate a connect with the institution, that connect is very important. That connect will have geometrical impact, it will contribute to the growth of the boys and girls who get education here. I am sure alumni will meet and take necessary steps.

 

I will be happy to receive alumni of this institution at Vice President Enclave and confer with them. I'm doing it with a purpose because of the several institutions in the country, this institution stands out. Commendations to the Vice Chancellor, faculty, staff, students for advancing agriculture sciences and transforming farmers' lives this is indeed a great service to the nation.

 

I urge other institutions to emulate the good work you are doing. I was so happy and delighted to learn that your university is keeping live connect with the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Congratulations!

 

Your university is involved with agri-marketing courses, your university is taking lead in training people for marketing, export of agricultural items. These are the things that will transform lives of the farmers and give them cutting edge. This industry along with ICAR, ICAR has a huge empire. Number of institutes, universities, over 730 Karshi Vigyan Kendras. They must exemplify dedication, innovation and this will be a National service because they have to ensure farm sector develops. We need to vigorously enhance contribution of these institutions, so that lives of farmers is much better. The network of ICAR, its institutions is perhaps world's most extensive network. This system now must be firing on all cylinders for benefit of the farmers.

 

Let me take you ladies and gentlemen to where we are at the moment. The position of our Bharat at the moment. We have exponential economic rise, economic upsurge. We are the largest global economy growing so fast. We are going from one milestone to another. We are heading from fifth largest global economy to the third largest global economy in two years. We have phenomenal infrastructure growth. We have deep digitisation, technological penetration. Our national image, image of the Prime Minister is highest ever in the history of this country.

 

World's fastest growing economy has converted the nation into a nation of aspirations. We are the most aspirational nation in the world today because after road, after rail, after air, after digital connectivity, you want more. After toilets, after pipe water, after gas connections, you want more. After affordable housing, you want more. After massive banking inclusion, you want more. Because these things were beyond our dream. We never thought our ordinary people will get these benefits in the villages. A toilet, pipe water, gas connection, affordable housing, road connectivity, internet connectivity. We never thought of it. Therefore, प्रधानमंत्री जी ने देश में एक वायुमंडल पैदा कर दिया - yeh dil maange more”

 

We have become a nation of high expectations and in this era of high expectations, there has to be full contribution of the farm sector. Farm sector is primarily driven by institutions like yours. Mahatma Gandhi realised the importance of farm sector and called it India's economic backbone.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, this is more relevant today than ever before. We have Prime Ministers after Prime Ministers who took care of the farmers, Lal Bahadur Shastri, “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” then we had Atal Bihari Vajpayee who started Kisan Divas when Chaudhary Charan Singh, the fifth Prime Minister, completed 100 years. He added to Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan. Then we had a Prime Minister in Narendra Modi ji who created a record after 60 years to be in power for a third time continually and he added Anusandhan. इन सबको जमीन पर उतारने के लिए सबसे महत्वपूर्ण योगदान है, आप जैसी संस्थाओं का है।

 

Farm sector will shine, the nation will brighten up, The nation will blossom. The economy will be northwards, upwards, incremental. I was so happy when I heard an announcement of Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal. National Turmeric Board, a great step for turmeric. The production will be doubled in five years, interventions will be there in affirmative stance to generate export market. Farmers will benefit, farmers will add value to that also and let me tell you friends, importance of turmeric. You are aware turmeric has great medicinal value. तो कोई मेरे जैसा किसान का बेटा व्यापारी की दुकान पर गया और बोला, 'हल्दी (Arishina) का भाव क्या है?' उसने कहा, 'चोट कितनी गहरी है?’ The price is determined by the nature of injury. Turmeric Board बनाकर भारत सरकार ने turmeric को healing touch दे दिया है।

 

I strongly urge the government to have more such boards so that every agro-produce gets value additions and special treatment. Friends, time has come to analyse and relieve the farm sector of primary stresses. The government is doing much, but the farmer is dependent on inclement weather. Unpredictable market situations. If there is scarcity, he suffers. If there is plenty, he suffers. Therefore, we will have to devise methods to see that our farmers keep good economic and mental health.

 

The distress of farmers calls for urgent national attention. Farmers need economic security. We cannot afford in this nation that is rising and the rise is unstoppable and the rise is never before to put concerns of farmers on back burner. Time is a essence of resolution of all issues but I would say time is of absolute essence when it comes to finding resolution of farmers' problems.

 

The government is working, we want everyone to be in synergetic mode to converge with a positive mind to find solutions. We must be mindful that farm stress impacts beyond agriculture sector because agriculture is identified by the farmer as generational legacy. ICAR and agriculture must strengthen collaboration for technical assistance, economic support, value addition, and fair pricing to de-stress the farm sector.

 

Viksit Bharat is no longer our dream, Viksit Bharat is our goal. Viksit Bharat is our certain destination but we must remember it will get accelerated. It will get fast-tracked once we give full attention to the farm sector. Empower the farm sector by development of warehousing, marketing, value addition, and dairy management.

 

Agriculture reform is imperative because we are changing every day. There is paradigm shift. Much is being done but Indian Council of Agriculture Research and institutions like yours will have to be now farmer-centric. Every scientific development must correlate to the ground realisation. The impact must be felt on the ground and that is why I complimented the Vice-Chancellor of your university. Agribusiness, export knowledge centres, these are required. The children of farmers will get attracted, they will be involved with activities with which they are familiar right from birth. I compliment you.

 

Your initiatives are an example of how others must perform. हम कहते हैं, farmer देश का अन्नदाता है, देश का भाग्य विधाता है। मैं कहता हूं, farmer इससे कहीं और ज्यादा है। आज farmer हमारे रीढ़ की हड्डी है। जहां अर्थव्यवस्था का प्रश्न आता है, किसान सामाजिक समरसता का सबसे बड़ा पहरी है। Societal stability, social harmony, societal peace इन सबके रास्ते किसान के खेत से निकलते हैं।

 

Kisan contributes to our GDP massively, you must recognise it. You must recognise that kisan keeps a large segment of our population busy. Involved, happiness of Kisan would lead to happiness of everyone. मुझे यह कहते हुए हर्ष भी है और थोड़ा चिंतन का भी मन करता है। Agro based industry, agriculture produced based industry. Textile है, फूड है, edible oil है, बहुत सी हैं। They are prospering, they are earning profits. Our farmers should equally share the profits. These institutions must commit their CSR fund for welfare of the farmer. For research of the farm sector, they must liberally think in this direction, because farm produce is their lifeline and that heartbeat is controlled by the farmer. We have to do three things.

One, keep our farmer happy. Two, keep our farmer happy and, three, keep our farmer happy at any cost.

 

The farm sector needs transformation, transformation is continual. Technology integration, technology is changing fast but farmers still clings to the old tractor. Tractor is one area in which government subsidy is the highest. Farmer must adopt technology, should be persuaded to adopt technology and for that, Karshi Vigyan Kendra must be nerve centre. Every Karshi Vigyan Kendra normally caters to 50,000 farmers. Just imagine if those 50,000 are actually connected to the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, there will be a positive revolution in agriculture for the farm sector.

 

Friends, we must also keep in mind when the farmer is economically fine, economy gets driven because there is a spending power of the farmer. When farmer spends, economy is automatically driven. Therefore, we will have another positive impact. There will be no non-performing assets in farm sector if the farm sector is vibrant, greased, lubricated, taken care of, attended. We must pay attention to the farmer as we pay attention to a patient in ICU. A patient from ICU when comes out fully ready performs very remarkably.

 

Indian Council of Agriculture Research has unparalleled reach that reach must be reflected on ground. That reach must resonate in the ears of every farmer, they must be identified with activities of Indian Council of Agriculture Research.

 

PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, a great innovative scheme, already about 3.5 lakh crores have gone to the farmers, 100 millions in number but I would want and strongly commend that any subsidy that is given to the farm sector in any form, be your fertilisers or otherwise, it must directly reach the farmer.

 

Let the farmer decide, even fertiliser subsidy which is used, this government has done for the first time, there is no other government has done. Earlier the government used to subsidise fertiliser price but the market determined the price. For the first time the government has determined the price of DAP 1350 rupees and said rest we will bear but economists in agronomy must think if this assistance has to go directly to the farmer, it will initiate the farmer into alternative to chemical fertilisers.

 

The farmer can utilise these funds for going organic and natural. I'm sure this will be taken more. We cannot be a Viksit Bharat unless per capita income of every Indian goes eightfold. Prime Minister is determined for it. All steps are being taken, infrastructure, facilities, handholding, startups, unicorns but the farmer must also increase it eightfold. That is a challenge and the resolution emanates from such like institutes. You must prioritise your goals to keep that in mind.

 

For constant of time, ladies and gentlemen, I will not be able to share my thoughts further but I leave you with one thought. मैंने जब भारत को देखा था, मंत्री की हैसियत से 1990 में, और जो आज देख रहा हूं, उसकी ना तो मैंने कल्पना की थी, ना उसका सपना लिया था, ना उसका अंदाजा लगाया था। मैंने कभी नहीं सोचा था कि दुनिया की बड़ी संस्थाएं भारत की वाह-वाही करेंगी।

 

International Monetary Fund says, India is a favourite global centre for investment and opportunity. World Bank तालियां बजा रहा है कि भारत ने 140 करोड़ जनता के लिए जो Technological penetration किया है, digital adaptation किया है, accessibility की है, वह चार दशकों में भी संभव नहीं है। हमारी जो आकांक्षा बढ़ रही है, उसका एक ही आधार है कि जो कुछ देख रहे हैं, वह हमें और सोचने पर मजबूर करता है कि ज्यादा क्यों नहीं? 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, अब 6G के बिना मन ही नहीं लगता।

 

भारत उन चुनिंदा देशों में है जो 6G के commercialisation में लगे हैं। Quantum computing जैसी जबरदस्त बात, दुनिया के 5-6 देश हैं, भारत उनमें से एक है।भारत इस शताब्दी का सबसे महत्वपूर्ण देश है, बिंदु केंद्र है, और इस सबके लिए हमें हमारे अन्नदाता को प्रणाम करना चाहिए। अन्नदाता का आदर करना चाहिए, अन्नदाता के लिए सुखद व्यवस्था की व्यवस्था करनी चाहिए, और अन्नदाता की जितनी सेवा करेंगे, अपने को वो दुगनी मिलेगी।

Thank you.

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JK/RC/SM

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