Latest news with #Madhubani
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Rajendra Sonia turmeric sees huge surge in demand
1 2 3 4 Patna: A variety of turmeric, 'Rajendra Sonia', developed by Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU)-Pusa, is witnessing a huge surge in demand nationwide because of its high curcumin content. Significantly, this particular variety of turmeric contains a high curcumin content, ranging from 6% to 8.5%, making it a much sought-after commodity for its medicinal properties. Curcumin, a key component of turmeric, is known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. According to the agricultural scientists, its high concentration in 'Rajendra Sonia' makes it an attractive option for various applications, including pharmaceutical and food industries. RPCAU's vice-chancellor P S Pandey told this newspaper that the demand for 'Rajendra Sonia' turmeric is increasing across states, with many institutions and organisations seeking to cultivate it locally. The variety's high quality and certified curcumin content have contributed to its growing popularity. "The university's efforts to promote 'Rajendra Sonia' turmeric are expected to benefit the farmers significantly. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like AirSense 11 – Smart tech for deep sleep ResMed Buy Now Undo With the GI tagging of specific products, including Shahi litchi and Madhubani paintings, farmers can expect higher prices for their produce. For instance, the GI tagging of 'marcha dhan chura' from Motihari has already led to a significant increase in its price, benefiting local farmers," he said, adding that the university is working on identifying specific elements in various crop varieties to enhance their demand and value. RPCAU's scientist A K Mishra reported that the institution has sold over 347 quintals of 'Rajendra Sonia' turmeric seeds to institutions and organisations in several states, including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. "The university has also distributed 130 quintals of Rajendra Sonia turmeric seeds to the farmers in the state, enabling them to cultivate and sell the crop at a higher price. This initiative is expected to boost the income of farmers and promote the cultivation of high-quality turmeric in the region," Mishra added.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
40% increase in agri production in last 11 years: Union minister
Patna: Union minister for agriculture and family welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday called upon agricultural scientists to develop advanced technologies, including portable fertiliser testing tools, in response to farmers' demands so that India could become a developed nation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Speaking as the chief guest at the fourth convocation of Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU) at Pusa (Samastipur), Chouhan emphasised that since most Indian farmers operate on small landholdings, there is a greater need for compact, efficient machinery rather than large-scale equipment. More than 850 scholars of the university received their degrees, and nearly 20 of them were awarded gold medals at the convocation. Union minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare, Ram Nath Thakur, and the state's deputy chief minister and agriculture minister Vijay Kumar Sinha also attended the convocation. The minister called for research focused on extending the shelf life of perishable agricultural produce like litchi and tomato. He also urged the students to put their knowledge and research to practical use and contribute to ensuring food security of India. Chouhan pointed out that under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, the country's food reserves are abundant. "We are now exporting wheat, and there was a significant increase in rice production as well. The production of food grains reached such levels that additional storage facilities are being arranged in the country," he said. "There has been 40% increase in agricultural production and Basmati rice exports worth Rs50,000 crore in the last 11 years under PM Modi govt, and we need to increase production per hectare," Chouhan said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The minister also emphasised the importance of promoting natural farming as a sustainable solution to safeguard the planet for future generations. He called upon the degree recipients to adopt farming as their careers and implement their knowledge in ensuring the implementation of natural farming. He further said, "Samastipur is the gateway to Mithilanchal, the sacred land of King Janak and Goddess Sita, who is an inspiration to women in India." The convocation was held in accordance with the traditions of the age-old Mithila culture, as the guests were wearing Mithila paag (headgear) with Madhubani painting on the occasion Speaking on the occasion, state deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said that Bihar launched a number of schemes to promote the production of millets, pulses, and oils. RPCAU scholars engaged in research on these crops are being paid a monthly stipend of Rs 10,000, besides an annual contingency grant of Rs one lakh. Furthermore, the industries department has also set up an innovation and incubation centre on this campus, the minister said. RPCAU's vice-chancellor P S Pandey, in his annual report, pointed out that in the last nine years after its central takeover; the university developed 23 new varieties of different crops and 27 new agricultural techniques. Kashvi Kajal and Parna Chatterji were awarded the visitor's gold medals for UG topper students across the colleges. The chancellor's gold medal for the overall PG topper was awarded to Aditi Banik and Amimsha Limboo Subba. The vice-chancellor's gold medal to PhD toppers was awarded to Debabrata Nath and Jeevitha. Patna: Union minister for agriculture and family welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday called upon agricultural scientists to develop advanced technologies, including portable fertiliser testing tools, in response to farmers' demands so that India could become a developed nation. Speaking as the chief guest at the fourth convocation of Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU) at Pusa (Samastipur), Chouhan emphasised that since most Indian farmers operate on small landholdings, there is a greater need for compact, efficient machinery rather than large-scale equipment. He also called for research focused on extending the shelf life of perishable agricultural produce like litchi and tomato. More than 850 scholars of the university received their degrees, and nearly 20 of them were awarded gold medals at the convocation. Union minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare, Ram Nath Thakur, and the state's deputy chief minister and agriculture minister Vijay Kumar Sinha also attended the convocation. Chouhan pointed out that under the leadership of the PM Modi, the country's food reserves are abundant. "We are now exporting wheat, and there was a significant increase in rice production as well. The production of food grains reached such levels that additional storage facilities are being arranged in the country. This marks a record growth in agricultural output," he said. The minister also emphasised the importance of promoting natural farming as a sustainable solution to safeguard the planet for future generations. He called upon the degree recipients to adopt farming as their careers and implement their knowledge in ensuring the successful implementation of natural farming. The convocation was held in accordance with the traditions of the age-old Mithila culture, as the guests were wearing Mithila paag (headgear) with Madhubani painting on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, state deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said that Bihar launched a number of schemes to promote the production of millets, pulses, and oils. RPCAU scholars engaged in research on these crops are being paid a monthly stipend of Rs 10,000, besides an annual contingency grant of Rs one lakh. Furthermore, the industries department has also set up an innovation and incubation centre on this campus, the minister said. RPCAU's vice-chancellor P S Pandey, in his annual report, pointed out that in the last nine years after its central takeover; the university developed 23 new varieties of different crops and 27 new agricultural techniques. It was also awarded 13 patents on its innovations, besides a GI tag on 'Marcha Dhan', a variety of paddy, during the period. The university introduced several new PG diploma and certificate courses, including AI, IoT, big data analytics, drone technology, and e-marketing, with a view to meeting the needs of modern agriculture, he added. Kashvi Kajal and Parna Chatterji were awarded the visitor's gold medals for UG topper students across the colleges. The chancellor's gold medal for the overall PG topper was awarded to Aditi Banik and Amimsha Limboo Subba. The vice-chancellor's gold medal to PhD toppers was awarded to Debabrata Nath and Jeevitha.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Union agri minister urges scientists to develop compact machinery for farming, fertiliser testing tools
Patna: Union minister for agriculture and family welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday called upon agricultural scientists to develop advanced technologies, including portable fertiliser testing tools, in response to farmers' demands so that India could become a developed nation. Speaking as the chief guest at the fourth convocation of Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU) at Pusa (Samastipur), Chouhan emphasised that since most Indian farmers operate on small landholdings, there is a greater need for compact, efficient machinery rather than large-scale equipment. He also called for research focused on extending the shelf life of perishable agricultural produce like litchi and tomato. More than 850 scholars of the university received their degrees, and nearly 20 of them were awarded gold medals at the convocation. Union minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare, Ram Nath Thakur, and the state's deputy chief minister and agriculture minister Vijay Kumar Sinha also attended the convocation. Chouhan pointed out that under the leadership of the PM Modi, the country's food reserves are abundant. "We are now exporting wheat, and there was a significant increase in rice production as well. The production of food grains reached such levels that additional storage facilities are being arranged in the country. This marks a record growth in agricultural output," he said. The minister also emphasised the importance of promoting natural farming as a sustainable solution to safeguard the planet for future generations. He called upon the degree recipients to adopt farming as their careers and implement their knowledge in ensuring the successful implementation of natural farming. The convocation was held in accordance with the traditions of the age-old Mithila culture, as the guests were wearing Mithila paag (headgear) with Madhubani painting on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, state deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said that Bihar launched a number of schemes to promote the production of millets, pulses, and oils. RPCAU scholars engaged in research on these crops are being paid a monthly stipend of Rs 10,000, besides an annual contingency grant of Rs one lakh. Furthermore, the industries department has also set up an innovation and incubation centre on this campus, the minister said. RPCAU's vice-chancellor P S Pandey, in his annual report, pointed out that in the last nine years after its central takeover; the university developed 23 new varieties of different crops and 27 new agricultural techniques. It was also awarded 13 patents on its innovations, besides a GI tag on 'Marcha Dhan', a variety of paddy, during the period. The university introduced several new PG diploma and certificate courses, including AI, IoT, big data analytics, drone technology, and e-marketing, with a view to meeting the needs of modern agriculture, he added. Kashvi Kajal and Parna Chatterji were awarded the visitor's gold medals for UG topper students across the colleges. The chancellor's gold medal for the overall PG topper was awarded to Aditi Banik and Amimsha Limboo Subba. The vice-chancellor's gold medal to PhD toppers was awarded to Debabrata Nath and Jeevitha.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Pact inked with two private companies to promote Madhubani painting, local arts
Patna: A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Bihar Skill Development Mission (BSDM) with two private companies to promote Madhubani painting and other local arts, during a function held on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day on Tuesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now State labour resources minister Santosh Kumar Singh also launched a centralised portal of the directorate of planning and training, and a QR code for skill competition registrations on the occasion, besides distributing offer letters, along with the department secretary, among the youths selected in the Mega Job Fair 2025, held from July 10-15. One Rohit Kumar Gupta of Nalanda received a job in Japan with the highest annual package of Rs 24 lakh. Minister Singh said that in this era, World Youth Skills Day has become a symbol of youth's self-reliance and identity. "Centres of Excellence, ITI institutes and Kushal Yuva Programme are proving to be milestones in this direction. There is a need to increase investment in industry-based training, agriculture and food processing sectors in Bihar. Our govt is providing training and employment opportunities with stipends to youth through 'Mukhyamantri Pratigya Yojana' and 'Prime Minister Internship Scheme'," he said. Secretary Deepak Anand stated the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital skills in the modern times."Technology and AI are no longer just a specialised field but have become a part of every business, service and industry. In such a scenario, it becomes imperative that our youth are equipped not only with traditional education but also with modern, market-oriented and digital skills. Today's era is that of Industry 4.0, where traditional training has been replaced by advanced technical subjects like AI, machine learning, cloud computing, data analytics and digital marketing," he said.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Bihar Skill Development Mission inks pact with two private companies to promote Madhubani painting, local arts
Patna: A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Bihar Skill Development Mission (BSDM) with two private companies to promote Madhubani painting and other local arts, during a function held on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day on Tuesday. State labour resources minister Santosh Kumar Singh also launched a centralised portal of the directorate of planning and training, and a QR code for skill competition registrations on the occasion, besides distributing offer letters, along with the department secretary, among the youths selected in the Mega Job Fair 2025, held from July 10-15. One Rohit Kumar Gupta of Nalanda received a job in Japan with the highest annual package of Rs 24 lakh. Minister Singh said that in this era, World Youth Skills Day has become a symbol of youth's self-reliance and identity. "Centres of Excellence, ITI institutes and Kushal Yuva Programme are proving to be milestones in this direction. There is a need to increase investment in industry-based training, agriculture and food processing sectors in Bihar. Our govt is providing training and employment opportunities with stipends to youth through 'Mukhyamantri Pratigya Yojana' and 'Prime Minister Internship Scheme'," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Secretary Deepak Anand stated the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital skills in the modern times."Technology and AI are no longer just a specialised field but have become a part of every business, service and industry. In such a scenario, it becomes imperative that our youth are equipped not only with traditional education but also with modern, market-oriented and digital skills. Today's era is that of Industry 4.0, where traditional training has been replaced by advanced technical subjects like AI, machine learning, cloud computing, data analytics and digital marketing," he said.
