UPSC Articles
Biotech-KISAN Programme for North East region
Part of: GS Prelims and GS -III – Sci and tech; Agriculture
In news
- The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has issued a Special Call for North East Region as a part of its Mission Programme “Biotech-Krishi Innovation Science Application Network (Biotech-KISAN)”.
- Aim: To understand the local problems of the NER farmers and provide scientific solutions to those problems.
Reason for the Special Call:
- The present call specifically focuses on the North East Region as it is predominantly agrarian with70% of its workforce engaged in agriculture and allied sector for livelihood.
- The region produces merely 1.5% of India’s food grain and continues to be a net importer of food grains even for its domestic consumption.
- The NE region has untapped potential to enhance the income of the farming population by promotion of location specific crops, horticultural and plantation crops, fisheries and livestock production.
About the Special Call:
- Objective: Linking available innovative agriculture technologies to the farm with the small and marginal farmers, specially women farmers of the region.
- The Hubs in NER will collaborate with the top scientific institutions across the country as well as State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) and other Farmers’ organizations in the NER for demonstrations of technologies and training of farmers.
About Biotech-KISAN
- It is a scientist-farmer partnership scheme launched in 2017 for agriculture innovation.
- Objective: To connect science laboratories with the farmers to find out innovative solutions and technologies to be applied at farm level.
- Progress:
- So far 146 Biotech-KISAN Hubs have been established covering all 15 agroclimatic zones and 110 Aspirational Districts
- The scheme has benefitted over two lakhs farmers so far by increasing their agriculture output and income.
- Over 200 entrepreneurships have also been developed in rural areas.
- Ministry: Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology.
