Mangaluru Press Club to honour rice conservationist B.K. Deva Rao on July 31
He will speak the 'Press Club Guest of Honour' programme at 11.30 a.m. on Thursday.
Mr. Rao received the 'Plant Genome Saviour Farmers Reward, 2020-21' from President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi in September 2023.
The reward was instituted by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority (PPVFR), as per the provisions of the PPVFR Act, 2001.
The citation presented to Mr. Rao then (in 2023) said that he is an ardent conservationist who maintains a diverse collection of agricultural crops.
His efforts include preserving 240 varieties of rice, consisting of 117 traditional varieties from Karnataka, 25 from Kerala, 15 from West Bengal, five from Tamil Nadu, 10 aromatic rice from Maharashtra, two from Andhra Pradesh, and one variety each from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Manipur, Jharkand, Assam, and Madhya Pradesh.
Apart from rice, he also conserves five to six varieties of arecanut, 50 of jackfruit, five of nutmeg, four of black pepper, 25 of Indian yams, and six cassava varieties and about 100 medicinal plants.
It said that Mr. Rao has contributed to agricultural development by sharing 30 rice varieties with Zonal Agricultural and Horticultural Research Station, Brahmavar in Udupi district and the Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural Sciences, Shivamogga.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Who are the 7 Indians Singapore President invited after they rescued woman from sinkhole? All about them
Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam has invited the seven Indian migrant workers who saved a woman driver from a sinkhole. They have been invited to the Istana presidential palace on August 3. The Indian workers who have been invited to the presidential palace are: Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah, 47, and his co-workers Velmurugan Muthusamy, 27, Poomalai Saravanan, 28, Ganesan Veerasekar, 32, Bose Ajithkumar, 26, Narayanasamy Mayakrishnan, 25, and Sathapillai Rajendran, 56. Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah is a site foreman whose quick thinking saved the woman. Pitchai Udaiyappan Subbiah and his colleagues were working at a PUB worksite near the One Amber condominium when the incident happened. The migrant workers heard a loud sound and rushed out of the site to see a massive sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road South. They also saw a black car which had fallen into the sinkhole and a woman trying to come out of it. A concrete component in the shaft "failed" at around 5.50 pm last Saturday, according to the national water agency. Around the same time, a sinkhole formed on the adjacent road, causing a car to fall in. Subbiah then instructed three of his colleagues to throw a nylon rope to the woman and pull her out. One of them offered to go in and help her climb, but Subbiah opted for the rope, reasoning that the rescuer might not be able to get out either. The woman was out of the sinkhole in three-five minutes. Meanwhile, 1,639 donors have contributed SGD72,241 for the seven heroes, according to a Facebook page of the ItsRainingRaincoats (IRR), a Singapore charity. Also Read | Sinkhole swallows whole PMC truck in Pune's Budwar Peth, netizens react: 'Space technology' The President's Office said, 'There will be opportunities for interaction between the guests - including the migrant workers – and the president during the Istana open house.' The workers have been commended by the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) Assurance, Care and Engagement (ACE) Group, a division that aims to support migrant workers' well-being. The ACE Coin, given to each of the workers, is a "token of appreciation" presented to migrant worker volunteers and partners who have made meaningful contributions towards supporting and caring for the migrant worker community.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Rice conservator Deva Rao asks farmers to take up paddy cultivation as sub-profession to save as many varieties
Octogenarian B.K. Deva Rao, winner of Plant Genome Saviour Farmers' Reward for 2020-21 and conservator of over 300 varieties of rice/paddy on Thursday asked farmers to save as many rice varieties by taking up paddy cultivation as a sub-profession. Speaking at the Mangaluru Press Club Guest of Honour programme Mr. Rao, 81, said that the government's support to paddy cultivation is not enough. He said that paddy fields acted as rainwater harvesting systems and helped to re-charge water bodies and groundwater. 'They kept streams, rivers and rivulets alive,' he said. 'Local rice varieties have rich nutritional values. In addition, some varieties like 'atikaya' and 'atikaraya' have medicinal values,' said Mr. Rao, who has been saving the varieties by cultivating them every year on his about five acre plot organically, said. Mr. Rao said that the number of local varieties of rice in the country has come down from about two lakh to 25,000. He, who is also the conservator of 80 local mango and 50 jackfruit varieties, said that the government should ensure that paddy growers got good price for their produce. If the price is very encouraging it will prompt more farmers to take up paddy cultivation, he said. Mr. Rao stressed on the need to go for organic method of cultivation to retain the nutritional values of rice. He said that area under paddy around his Mittabagilu village, near Ujire, in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada has come down from 200 acres to about 10 acres now. His son B.K. Parameshwar Rao, an electrical engineer-turned-farmer, who has been helping father in saving the varieties said: 'The cost of cultivation varied from ₹120 to ₹150 a kg, yet we are selling rice below the cultivation cost.' 'Retaining the top soil is very important in paddy cultivation,' Mr. Parameshwar Rao said. Mr. Parameshwar Rao said that the Forest Department should cultivate wild fruits, tubers and other crops within forest area to prevent wild animals from attacking the crops of farmers. Press Club president P.B. Harish Rai and others felicitated Mr. Rao on the occasion.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
SWAYAM July 2025 exams to be held by NTA from 11 to 14 December; check official notice here
NTA announces SWAYAM July 2025 exam dates, tests scheduled for December NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency (NTA), under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, has officially announced the examination dates for the SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) July 2025 semester. As per the public notice dated 29 July 2025, the exams will be held on 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th December 2025. What is SWAYAM? SWAYAM is an initiative by the Government of India aimed at providing accessible, high-quality education through online courses offered by leading Indian institutions. The platform promotes digital learning for students, teachers, and lifelong learners across disciplines and academic levels. Exam Dates & Conduct The SWAYAM-15 examination for the July 2025 semester will be conducted by the NTA over a span of four days in December 2025: • 11 December 2025 (Thursday) • 12 December 2025 (Friday) • 13 December 2025 (Saturday) • 14 December 2025 (Sunday) The exam will cover a range of subjects from humanities and science to commerce and technology, depending on the courses enrolled by candidates. How to Prepare for SWAYAM July 2025 Exams 1. Check Course Requirements: Log in to your SWAYAM course dashboard and review the syllabus, assignments, and examination requirements. 2. Stay Updated: Visit the official NTA website regularly for updates such as admit card release dates, exam centre information, and exam timings. 3. Download Admit Card: Admit cards will likely be released a few weeks before the exam. Ensure all personal and course details are correct. 4. Reach Out for Help: For any issues or clarifications, candidates can contact the NTA Help Desk at +91-11-40759000 or email at swayam@ Direct link to download the official notice here Final Notes Candidates are encouraged to complete their course assignments and practice previous exam questions to improve their performance. The SWAYAM platform remains a key pillar of India's vision for inclusive and digitally-empowered education. For more updates, always refer to the official website and avoid unofficial sources. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
