India to become global food basket, says union agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan
(Press Release) Bengaluru: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday announced that India is being actively positioned to become the world’s food basket. Speaking at the ICAR-IIHR campus in Bengaluru during the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, the Minister underscored the Centre’s commitment to transforming the agricultural landscape of the country.
Chouhan emphasized that India’s food production potential extends beyond feeding its 145 crore citizens. A collaborative roadmap will be drawn up with support from State Governments, Agricultural Universities, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), farmers, and scientists to realize this ambitious vision. The initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mission of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, and the campaign is aptly themed “Viksit Agricultural India.”
A major component of the Abhiyan is the “Lab to Land” initiative, under which over 16,000 scientists are working closely with farmers nationwide to transfer scientific knowledge and technological solutions. In just ten days, 1,896 teams have reached out to nearly nine lakh farmers across 8,188 villages, strengthening the link between research and grassroots agriculture.
In Karnataka alone, more than 70 interdisciplinary teams, comprising scientists and officials from agriculture and allied sectors, have been actively engaging with farmers on their fields. So far, 639 such teams have visited 2,495 villages, interacting with 2,77,264 farmers and collecting critical feedback to shape demand-driven, problem-solving agricultural research programs.
Highlighting the campaign’s vision of “One Nation, One Agriculture, One Team,” the Minister assured farmers of the government’s full support in securing fair prices. He announced that the Centre would bear transportation costs under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), easing market access and reducing farmers’ burden.
Chouhan also issued a strict warning against the sale of adulterated pesticides, promising severe action against offenders to safeguard the interests of farmers and the integrity of agricultural practices.
At the event, the Minister felicitated seven exemplary farmers from Karnataka, Ratnamma, Gopal Gowda, Padmini Gowda, H.K. Raghu, Mangalamma, Mahesh H.N., and Sreenivas, or their outstanding contributions to agriculture and rural development.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
