The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) and the Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS) jointly organized an interactive meet and felicitation ceremony to honour two eminent agricultural scientists -- Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Director General, ICRISAT, and Dr. M.L. Jat, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) & Director General, ICAR—on their appointments to prestigious leadership roles in their respective institutions, in New Delhi on Friday.

A significant highlight of the programme was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between TAAS and NAAS, aimed at enhancing collaborative initiatives in agricultural science, research, and policy development.

During the event, Dr. M.L. Jat called upon the agricultural fraternity to come together in achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Amrit Kaal. 

He emphasized the urgent need for science and evidence-based policymaking in agriculture and bringing smile on their faces, while also underscoring the importance of creating sustainable livelihoods for farmers. It is a time for common collaborative mission to bring smiles in famers face and align our goals to our nation’s goals, he added.

“We must study emerging agricultural demands in the context of global megatrends. Strengthening both internal systems and external capacities, and ensuring their synergy, is key to building a resilient agricultural ecosystem,” he stated. He further highlighted the challenges arising from the diversity of Indian agriculture and the necessity for well-planned, integrated approaches to address them.