Latest news with #RajendraPrasadCentralAgriculturalUniversity
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Union min launches agri campaign to boost farmers' welfare
Patna: Union minister of state for agriculture and farmers' welfare Ram Nath Thakur on Thursday said the govt under PM Narendra Modi was committed to the all-round development of agriculture and improving farmers' socio-economic conditions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Launching the Centre's flagship 'developed agriculture resolution campaign' (DARC) at Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU), Pusa (Samastipur), Thakur said the Centre has recently increased the minimum support price (MSP) for several crops, greatly benefiting farmers. "The latest initiative of DARC will also immensely benefit the farmers," he added. Thakur said the campaign would leverage scientific expertise and government support to address agricultural challenges and boost productivity. "By engaging with a vast number of farmers and providing solutions to their problems, the campaign aims to make a lasting impact on the agricultural sector," he said. He praised the university's scientists for increasing agricultural output and securing over a dozen patents in two years under vice-chancellor P S Pandey. He also lauded the university's nationally recognised Litchi Show. RPCAU vice-chancellor P S Pandey said DARC would benefit over 1.5 crore farmers. "A total of 174 teams of 5–6 scientists each have been formed in Bihar and Jharkhand," he said. Director of extension education Mayank Rai added that 38 university teams would visit at least three villages daily for 15 days. "Across Bihar, 130 teams will engage with over 6.5 lakh farmers," he said. DARC nodal officer Ratnesh Jha urged farmers to share their concerns, which will be uploaded and monitored by the university and govts.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Digestive daredevilry: Scientist savours 23 litchis in 3 minutes
Patna: In a spectacle that could only be described as fruity madness or digestive daredevilry, Shaista Tabassum, an agricultural scientist at Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University in Pusa, Samastipur, shocked everyone by downing 23 litchis in just 3 minutes. The occasion? The university's Litchi Mahotsav, a serious (but also seriously juicy) affair aimed at promoting Bihar's famed litchi production. But the highlight was not a groundbreaking climate-resilient farming solution. No, it was the "Litchi Khao, Inam Pao" (Eat Litchi, Win Rewards) contest, essentially an excuse to stuff one's face in the name of agricultural advancement. "The litchis were sweet, the stopwatch was cruel," said Tabassum, still blinking in post-sugar haze. "By the 18th litchi, I could not tell if I was chewing fruit or my own ambition. But science demanded sacrifice," Tabassum added. Vice-chancellor P S Pandey, who observed the event with a mix of pride and mild disbelief, said, "We are combining litchi with honey, lemon, gooseberry, basically anything within arm's reach, to make it marketable year-round. Soon you will find litchi in everything but your shampoo." The event, attended by students, scientists, and an increasingly worried registrar, also discussed long-term litchi storage. But let's be honest – after witnessing someone inhale nearly two dozen litchis in 180 seconds, who is thinking about storage?
Time of India
26-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
RPCAU VC selected for Centre's agriculture campaign
Patna: In a significant development, the govt of India has nominated the vice-chancellor of Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU), P S Pandey, as one of the three regional nodal officers for the successful implementation of the Developed Agriculture Commitment Campaign (DACC) across the country. The other two nodal officers are the vice-chancellors of Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University-Jhansi and Central Agricultural University-Imphal. The DACC will be held from May 29 to June 12 in more than 700 districts. A team of scientists will travel from village to village, directly interacting with farmers. The campaign will include participation from 731 'krishi vigyan kendras', 113 Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes, state-level departments and officials from agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, as well as innovative farmers. The campaign aims to reach and interact directly with 1.5 crore farmers across the country. In Bihar, the director of Bihar Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute (BAMETI) will serve as the state nodal officer. As many as 33 teams of scientists, each consisting of four to five experts, have been constituted at RPCAU for the successful implementation of the campaign. Each team will visit three villages per day. As the regional nodal officer, Pandey will oversee the implementation of the campaign in Bihar and eight other states, ensuring that the team of scientists addresses farmers' problems and provides feedback to the office of the regional nodal officer, said university sources.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
89 RPCAU teachers attend induction programme
Patna: Altogether 89 teachers, including 39 women, from 22 states attended the monthlong programme 'Guru Dakhsta' (teacher induction) organised by Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU) at Pusa (Samastipur) on Tuesday to enhance the skills and knowledge of its newly appointed the programme, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research ( ICAR )'s deputy director general R C Aggarwal emphasized the need for capacity building of teachers in higher education institutions as trained manpower is the backbone of any university. He appealed to the teachers to teach compassionately and encourage students to think as the guest of honour, RPCAU's former vice-chancellor R K Mittal congratulated the newly recruited teachers and asked them to work hard to turn this institution into a world-renowned his presidential address, RPCAU's vice-chancellor P S Pandey highlighted the rigorous selection process involved in the appointment of new teachers of the university. "The ' Guru Dakshta ' programme has been so designed as to further empower all these bright minds brought from across the country," he registrar Mrityunjay Kumar and programme director Ram Dutt also addressed the programme will cover 87 lectures by esteemed experts from academia, research and industry. Additionally, the teachers will also visit Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and research stations to gain hands-on experience of their functioning.
