ICAR-CIARI celebrates 78th Independence Day
The ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute celebrated the 78th Independence Day with great enthusiasm and joy at its primary Garacharma campus, as well as at KVK South Andaman, KVK North and Middle Andaman, KVK Nicobar, and the Regional Station in Minicoy. The flag hoisting ceremony was attended by around 350 staff members and their families. The celebrations commenced with the National Flag being raised by Dr. Eaknath B. Chakurkar, Director of ICAR-CIARI, followed by the singing of the National Anthem. In his speech, the Director acknowledged the hard work of all staff members and praised their achievements over the past year. He emphasized the institute's contributions, including the granting of nine patents this year, which encompass innovations such as a closed water circulatory system, a cinnamon bark rubbing tool, a new and safe method for blood collection from farm pigs, an acaricide formulation for tick control in livestock, a method for determining the sex of non-ratite birds, a coconut leaf separator, a parasitic egg concentrator, novel acaricide compositions for veterinary topical applications, and a dual procedure for producing liquid fertilizer and calcium alginate from brown seaweed. Additionally, four new patents have been filed, including an air layering bag, an AI gun for rabbit models, an artificial vagina for rabbit models, and a rabbit semen collector.
He also highlighted that two copyrights and one trademark were filed. Additionally, six technologies received certification from ICAR, while three breeds were registered. Furthermore, three technologies were submitted to Agrinovate for commercialization, and two plant genetic resources were registered with ICAR-NBPGR. The Hon’ble Secretary of DARE and DG of ICAR, Dr. Himanshu Pathak, visited the institute and inaugurated the administrative and training building of KVK, Nimbudera. A modern dairy unit was also inaugurated by Dr. N. K. Krishna Kumar, the former DDG(HS). During this period, a Kisan Mela was organized, along with a workshop on “Sustainable Plant Protection Strategies for ANI” and a state-level seminar and workshop on natural farming in collaboration with the Andaman Administration. Additionally, a roundtable discussion on “Climate Resilient Agriculture Technologies for Islands” was held in partnership with DST-TIFAC. The institute also made significant infrastructure developments, including a modern dairy shed, an ornamental fish breeding unit, the deployment of a fish aggregating device at Minicoy, and an essential oil field extraction unit.
He also provided an overview of the research publication, noting that 56 papers have been published with a NAAS rating of 6 or higher. During this time, our Institute's scientist, Dr. R. Kirubasankar, received the LG Commendation certificate, while Dr. K. Saravanan was honored with the Dr. C.K. Kulkarni Best Young Scientist Award from ICAR-CIFE, Mumbai, in addition to over 20 awards for best papers and presentations. He extended his congratulations to the newly joined colleagues, including AO, FAO, T-6, and SMS, wishing them success in their careers. He also encouraged the scientists to strive for excellence in their work to enhance the welfare of the farming community.
