Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is situated in New Delhi is the acme body in Agriculture and related allied fields. Besides being an educational institution it also conducts research on agricultural related subjects. The President of ICAR is the Union Minister of Agriculture. The Director General is the principal officer of the institute. He is also the Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE).
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has two bodies. The General Body is the supreme authority of ICAR. The Union Minister of agriculture heads this body. The Governing Body, which is the second body, is the chief executive and decision-making authority of the ICAR. The Director General heads this body.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. Formerly known as Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, it was set up on 16 July 1929 as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 in pursuance of the report of the Royal Commission on Agriculture.
The Council is the top body for organizing, directing and supervising education and research in agriculture including fisheries, horticulture and animal sciences in the entire nation. With over 90 ICAR institutes and 45 agricultural universities spread across the country this is one of the largest national agricultural systems in the world.
The ICAR has played a pivotal role in ushering Green Revolution and subsequent developments in agriculture in India through its research and technology development that has enabled the country to increase the production of food grains by 4 times, horticultural crops by 6 times, fish by 9 times (marine 5 times and inland 17 times), milk 6 times and eggs 27 times since 1950-51, thus making a visible impact on the national food and nutritional security. It has played a major role in promoting excellence in higher education in agriculture. It is engaged in development of state-of-the-art science and technology and its scientists are internationally acknowledged in their fields.
Union Minister of Agriculture, Sharad Pawar is President and Dr S. Ayyappan is Director General of ICAR at present.
In July 2006, a vaccine was developed against bird flu in the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal. ICAR provided Rs. 8 Crore for the project.
Organization of Indian Council of Agricultural Research
ICAR has following organizational structure:
* Union Minister of Agriculture is the ex-officio President of the ICAR Society.
* Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research & Education Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India & Director-General, ICAR - the Principal Executive Officer of the Council.
* Governing Body is the policy-making authority
* Agricultural Scientists` Recruitment Board
* Deputy Directors-General
* Additional Secretary (DARE) and Secretary (ICAR)
* Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor
* 24 Assistant Directors-General
* National Director, National Agricultural Innovation Project
Directorate of Information and Publications of Agriculture
ICAR has two bodies:
1. The General Body, the supreme authority of the ICAR, is headed by the Minister of Agriculture, Government of India
2. The Governing Body which is the chief executive and decision making authority of the ICAR. It is headed by the Director-General
