Srinagar: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir and Centre for Development of Advance Computing (CDAC), Kolkata, Thursday hosted the 4th National Steering Committee (NSC) on the national program on Electronics and ICT Applications in Agriculture and Environment (AgriEnIcs).
The 4th NSC was held to review the progress of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) sponsored projects operational from the last two years across the country.
Experts from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), CDAC-Kolkata and ICAR, New Delhi participated in the CSC hosted by SKUAST-K’s Division of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Horticulture. Joint Director, MEITY, Dr Om Krishan Singh, and Chairmen NSC, Dr Aloknath De, attended the meeting as the guests of honour.
Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Prof Nazir Ahmed Gani, who was the chief guest at the occasion, emphasised that the ‘National Program on Electronics and ICT Applications in Agriculture and Environment (AgriEnIcs)’ can be a game changer for Indian agriculture and can play a pivotal role in reducing the cost of production, improving resource efficiency and maintaining the quality of the produce.
Joint Director, MEITY, Dr Om Krishan Singh, briefed that the program was initiated in 2021 for a duration of two years. It encompasses five areas including Poultry, Dairy, Machine vision system, vision-guided robotic system and air quality monitoring system. He stated that different prototypes have been developed under the program and their commercialisation is in process. Member NSC, Ronit Kumar, said that this session is a great platform in which universities, government agencies as well as private companies are working together and discussing the key issues.
All the Deans, Directors of SKUAST-K and all the relevant scientific staff of SKUAST-K attended the inaugural session. The august gathering was welcomed by
Director Research, SKUAST-K, Prof Haroon R Naik, highlighted different technologies developed under the program. Director Extension, SKUAST-K, Prof Dil Mohammad Makhdoomi, expressed gratitude for the valuable contributions of all the stakeholders involved in the program.

KR Desk