Centre to focus on research to raise farm yield based on farmers needs: Chouhan
Suggestions in this regard emerged during discussions held during the fortnight-long Developed Agriculture Sankalp Abhiyan, which was conducted nationwide from May 29, Chouhan told reporters in Indore after holding discussions with different stakeholders.
Chouhan said food grain production in the country increased by 44% over the last 11 years. "We have 16,000 agricultural scientists who conduct research and develop high-quality seeds, but there was a gap as scientists in the lab and farmers working on the land never met.
Therefore, it was decided that by merging 'lab-to-land', achievements in farming could be accelerated."
This sentiment led to the Developed Agriculture Sankalp Abhiyan, where various issues emerged. A total of 2,170 teams visited villages and met with over 1.35 crore farmers.
"During this time, it was found that several topics require research. Sugarcane farmers reported red rot disease, while soybean productivity remains stagnant.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Mahindra IvyLush with 2&3 BHKs from ₹95 Lakh*(All-incl.)
Mahindra IvyLush
Get Quote
Undo
We do not use GM seeds, so there is a need to increase productivity, reduce costs, and add value," Chouhan said.
"Earlier, research was conducted by scientists, but now research topics will be decided by talking to farmers in the fields, not in Delhi. No one can provide better information than the farmers. Farmers have made several innovations, and scientists will work on how to improve them," the minister said.
Chouhan said that further research will be conducted on how to increase per hectare productivity.
"We will develop advanced seeds through genome editing, plant soybeans with new techniques to prevent root rot, and explore many such things."
Chouhan was in Indore to attend a dialogue on ways to increase soybean production and productivity. He said, "We need to explore better utilisation and export of soybean meal. Value addition, like tofu and soy milk, can also be pursued. Progressive farmers have reported producing 20 quintals of soybeans per acre and shared their methods, which we will learn from."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
Japan megaquake warning: Experts warn of $2 trillion damage, 300000 deaths
Japan, a country synonymous with seismic activity, is once again facing grim projections. The threat of a catastrophic 'megaquake' in the Nankai Trough has prompted a sobering reassessment by Japanese authorities. Updated government estimates warn of nearly 300,000 possible deaths and $2 trillion in damages if such a quake were to strike—figures that exceed even the devastation of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. A growing threat in the Nankai Trough The Nankai Trough, a 500-mile undersea trench stretching along Japan's Pacific coastline, has long been a focus of seismic concern. It's where the Philippine Sea Plate is slowly subducting beneath the Eurasian Plate—a geological setup primed for megaquakes. Historically, such massive earthquakes have struck the region every 100 to 200 years, with the last one occurring in 1946. In January, a Japanese government panel increased the estimated probability of a magnitude 8 or greater earthquake in the trough to 75–82% within the next 30 years. This probability spike was followed by a March report that laid out a harrowing scenario: up to 298,000 deaths and the complete destruction of 2.35 million buildings. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Что происходит при сжигании лаврового листа? Undo A central concern is how fast the disaster could unfold. If such a quake strikes, some areas may have as little as two minutes to prepare. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned that waves up to 10 meters tall could slam into Tokyo and 12 other coastal prefectures, killing an estimated: 215,000 people from tsunami waves 73,000 people from building collapses 8,700 people in fires An additional 26,000–52,000 deaths could occur post-disaster due to exposure, disease, or delayed rescue efforts. While scientific efforts to narrow down the timing and location of such earthquakes continue, officials maintain that predicting the exact moment remains impossible. 'It is impossible with current science to predict earthquakes by specifying the location, time, and magnitude of an earthquake,' said Ryoichi Nomura, head of the JMA, in May. 'We ask the public to take certain steps so that you can cope with earthquakes no matter when they occur. But we also strongly urge the public not make irrational actions driven by anxiety.' A decade of planning falls short Japan's preparedness efforts go back to 2014, when the Central Disaster Management Council introduced a basic national disaster prevention plan. Based on older estimates of 332,000 deaths and over 2.5 million buildings destroyed, the government set ambitious targets: an 80% reduction in deaths and a 50% cut in building losses over the next decade. However, a Cabinet Office official admitted that these goals were not met. As Kyodo News reported, the current measures in place would only reduce the projected death toll by 20%, far from the target. Despite this, the Cabinet chose to maintain the original targets, explaining the reasoning in a recent council meeting on July 1: the country should 'continue to set a high goal.' The updated preparedness plan now recommends: Accelerated construction of embankments and tsunami-resistant evacuation buildings More frequent nationwide drills Stockpiling essential supplies Upgrading infrastructure to be earthquake-resistant Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stressed a collective response, saying, 'It is necessary for the nation, municipalities, companies and non-profits to come together and take measures in order to save as many lives as possible,' according to local media reports. As part of the revised efforts, 723 municipalities in 30 prefectures have been designated 'disaster preparedness promotion areas.' These areas span from Ibaraki to Okinawa, where tremors of seismic intensity level 6 or higher and tsunamis over 3 meters are likely. Local governments are now required to: Draft updated disaster prevention plans Ensure evacuation procedures are in place, especially for hospitals and large public buildings Work with the central government to tailor plans based on regional vulnerabilities Notably, these updates do not include direct financial support, but the national government will provide planning guidance and expertise.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Indian-origin astronauts who took to space: Where did they study from
Astronaut Across decades and continents, Indian-origin astronauts have become symbols of human ambition, piloting spacecraft, walking in zero gravity, and pushing the frontiers of science beyond Earth's cradle. Their presence aboard international missions reflects not just individual brilliance, but the quiet power of perseverance, identity, and global education. But long before space capsules and mission briefings, there were chalkboards, lab benches, and sleepless nights over textbooks. Their cosmic journeys did not begin at the launchpad, they began in classrooms. From Indian engineering colleges to American military academies and international universities, these are the institutions that prepared them to defy gravity and redefine possibility. Raja Chari – Calibrated for command Raja Chari's path to space was charted not by chance, but by calculated discipline and intellectual precision. Long before he ever commanded a spacecraft, he was being shaped by institutions that demanded excellence in thought, character, and control. At the United States Air Force Academy, Chari pursued a Bachelor's in Astronautical Engineering, a decision that paired the rigidity of physics with the unpredictability of flight. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo It was here that he first balanced equations and expectations, military codes and celestial mechanics. Then came MIT, where as a Draper Fellow, he immersed himself in the intricate language of propulsion and orbital dynamics. His Master's degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics wasn't just academic—it deepened his fluency in flight systems that would later define life-and-death moments in the cockpit. At the US Naval Test Pilot School, he evolved from engineer to aviator, from theory to practice. Flying at the edge of the envelope, Chari learned not only to operate aircraft but to trust judgment over instinct—essential training for navigating the black silence of space. His education didn't simply prepare him to fly; it embedded in him a quiet mastery, a capacity to lead when velocity meets vulnerability. Sunita Williams – The Engineer of endurance Sunita Williams' steady grace in orbit is no accident. It was earned, shaped by years of education that demanded both discipline and resilience, and forged in classrooms where curiosity was never separate from service. At the United States Naval Academy, Williams pursued a degree in Physical Science. Her days were filled with calculations and cadet drills, a life that trained both mind and muscle. It was here she began to internalize the mechanics of motion and the magnitude of responsibility. Later, at the Florida Institute of Technology, she earned her Master's in Engineering Management. The programme gave her not just technical perspective, but systems-level clarity—equipping her to think like a mission commander before she ever became one. Her academic path did more than build knowledge; it nurtured composure. Whether commanding the ISS or walking in space, Williams drew on that same foundation—quiet, precise, enduring. Sirisha Bandla – Engineering the Future of Flight Sirisha Bandla's journey is woven from equal parts calculation and courage. As a child of aerospace dreams, she pursued education not just to understand flight, but to shape its future. At Purdue University, she earned a Bachelor's in Aeronautical Engineering at the very institution that launched Neil Armstrong's lunar legacy. There, she absorbed the fundamentals of aerodynamics and propulsion, grounding her aspirations in structure and logic. But her orbit would take her beyond engineering. At George Washington University, she earned an MBA, mastering the business and policy frameworks that now steer the private space industry. It was a transition from circuits to strategy, from the lab bench to the boardroom. Her academic journey wasn't linear—it was layered. And that dual fluency in science and systems is what placed her at the helm of commercial space exploration. Shubhanshu Shukla – ISRO's Flagbearer in Orbit Shubhanshu Shukla's ascent to the stars began in the heart of India, shaped by classrooms that nurtured both intellect and intent. His story is one of quiet determination, charted through the nation's most disciplined academic institutions. He began at City Montessori School in Lucknow, where global citizenship was more than a motto, it was a way of thinking. There, Shukla's early promise was matched by a rigorous education rooted in moral clarity and academic rigour. At the National Defence Academy in Pune, he pursued a Bachelor's in Computer Science, training alongside India's future military leaders. It was here that intellect met endurance, and where his vision for space was sharpened by discipline. Graduating from the Indian Air Force Academy, Shukla took to the skies as a fighter pilot, honing skills in precision, composure, and high-altitude decision-making. Those same instincts would carry him into orbit as ISRO's first astronaut aboard the International Space Station in 2025. His education wasn't just preparation, it was propulsion. Kalpana Chawla – Scholar of the Skies Kalpana Chawla's legacy began in the unlikeliest of places: a modest town in Haryana, where she dreamed of flying while most were grounded by expectation. Her academic path became her rebellion, and ultimately, her immortality. At Punjab Engineering College in Chandigarh, she became one of the first women to graduate in Aeronautical Engineering. In a field dominated by men, Chawla's quiet resolve spoke volumes. Each calculation, each sleepless night at the drafting table, was a step toward the stars. She took her dreams westward to the University of Texas at Arlington, where her Master's in Aerospace Engineering layered her ambition with depth. Her questions became more complex, her confidence sharper. At the University of Colorado Boulder, she earned her PhD, cementing her status not just as a student of the sky, but as a contributor to the science that would one day carry her into it. Her degrees weren't just academic achievements, they were launch codes, unlocking the boundless. Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
How to Become an AI Genius: Lessons students can learn from Meta's $100 million hires
If you want to become an AI genius – the kind that Mark Zuckerberg offers $50–$100 million to join his quest for artificial general intelligence (AGI) – here's the blueprint, decoded from Meta's elite hires. 1. Build a rock-solid maths foundation Almost every AI superstar Meta poached – from Lucas Beyer to Trapit Bansal – started with hardcore mathematics or computer science degrees. Linear algebra, calculus, probability, and optimisation aren't optional. They are your bread and butter. Why? Because AI models are just giant stacks of matrix multiplications optimised over billions of parameters. If you can't handle eigenvectors or gradient descent, you'll be stuck fine-tuning open-source models instead of inventing the next GPT-5. 2. Specialise in deep learning Next comes deep learning mastery. Study neural networks, convolutional networks for vision, transformers for language, and recurrent models for sequence data. The Vision Transformer (ViT) co-created by Lucas Beyer and Alexander Kolesnikov redefined computer vision precisely because they understood both transformer architectures and vision systems deeply. Recommended learning path: Undergraduate/early coursework : Machine learning, statistics, data structures, algorithms. Graduate-level depth : Neural network architectures, representation learning, reinforcement learning. 3. Research, research, research The real differentiator isn't coding ability alone. It's original research. Look at Meta's dream team: Jack Rae did a PhD in neural memory and reasoning. Xiaohua Zhai published groundbreaking papers on large-scale vision transformers. Trapit Bansal earned his PhD in meta-learning and reinforcement learning at UMass Amherst before co-creating OpenAI's o-series reasoning models. Top AI labs hire researchers who push knowledge forward, not just engineers who implement existing algorithms. This means: Reading papers daily (Arxiv sanity or Twitter AI circles help). Writing papers for conferences like NeurIPS, ICML, CVPR, ACL. 4. Dive into multimodal and reasoning systems If you want to be at the AGI frontier, focus on multimodal AI (vision + language + speech) and reasoning/planning systems. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Glicemia acima de 100? Insira essa fruta na sua dieta Saúde Nacional Undo Why? Because AGI isn't just about language models completing your sentences. It's about: Understanding images, videos, and speech seamlessly Performing logical reasoning and planning over long contexts For example, Hongyu Ren's work combines knowledge graphs with LLMs to improve question answering. Jack Rae focuses on LLM memory and chain-of-thought reasoning. This is the cutting edge. 5. Optimise your engineering skills Finally, remember that AI breakthroughs don't live in papers alone. They need to run efficiently at scale. Pei Sun and Joel Pobar are prime examples: engineering leaders who ensure giant models run on hardware without melting the data centre. Learn: Distributed training frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow) Systems optimisation (CUDA, GPUs, AI accelerators) Software engineering best practices for scalable deployment The bottom line Becoming an AI genius isn't about quick YouTube tutorials. It's about mastering mathematics, deep learning architectures, original research, multimodal reasoning, and scalable engineering. Do this, and maybe one day, Mark Zuckerberg will knock on your door offering you a $50 million signing bonus to build his artificial god. Until then, back to those linear algebra problem sets. The future belongs to those who understand tensors. Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
