10th National Convention of Agrivision-2026 Held in New Delhi
Syllabus: Agricultural education, research, extension and value‑chain development
The news
The 10th National Convention of Agrivision-2026 was held on 13-14 October at the ICAR-NASC Complex, Pusa, New Delhi. Around 450 students from 25 states participated along with scientists, senior ICAR officials, entrepreneurs and farmers. Chief Guest Dr M. L. Jat, Secretary DARE and DG ICAR, inaugurated the event. Speakers emphasized shifting from a production‑centric model to an agri‑food system, market intelligence, entrepreneurship and farmer profitability.
Background in one line: ICAR establishes Agrivision → 10th National Convention organized → Students, scientists, officials, entrepreneurs gather → Discussions on agri‑education, market‑oriented agriculture, entrepreneurship → Recommendations for value‑chain integration
Static syllabus linkage
- ICAR – statutory body under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare (established under the ICAR Act, 1961).
- Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) – policy‑making wing for agricultural education and research.
- National Agricultural Education Policy – focus on entrepreneurship, research, extension and value‑chain orientation.
- Agri‑food system concept – integrated approach linking production, processing, marketing and consumption.
Why it matters for UPSC
The convention highlights the government's push to make agriculture market‑responsive and entrepreneurship‑driven, a key theme in recent policy reforms. Understanding this helps aspirants answer questions on agricultural education reforms, value‑chain development and farmer profitability.
Prelims facts
- ICAR-NASC Complex, Pusa, New Delhi is a premier training centre for agricultural education.
- Dr M. L. Jat is Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General, ICAR.
- Agrivision is an initiative of the ICAR Agricultural Education Division.
- Around 450 students from 25 states participated in the 10th convention.
Analysis
The convention underscores a paradigm shift from merely increasing crop output to building a resilient agri‑food system that adds value and meets market demand. This aligns with the National Agriculture Policy’s emphasis on value‑chain development.
Involving students, scientists, entrepreneurs and farmers creates a platform for knowledge exchange, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture, which can generate employment and improve farmer incomes.
Challenges include translating discussions into actionable policies, ensuring participation from marginalized farmer groups, and building market intelligence infrastructure at the grassroots level.
Way forward: strengthen linkages between agricultural universities and industry, promote market‑oriented curricula, and institutionalise regular farmer‑scientist interaction forums.
Possible Mains question
Discuss the importance of integrating market intelligence and value‑chain orientation in agricultural education and research. Suggest measures to operationalise this integration for enhancing farmer profitability.
15 marks · 250 words · GS3
Model approach
- Directive: Define market intelligence and value‑chain orientation in agriculture.
- Introduction: Briefly mention recent initiatives like Agrivision and the 10th National Convention.
- Body Point 1: Role of agricultural universities and ICAR in curriculum redesign.
- Body Point 2: Need for real‑time market data and linkages with agri‑businesses.
- Body Point 3: Entrepreneurship and extension mechanisms to translate research into marketable products.
- Body Point 4: Policy support – DARE, NABARD, and state schemes for market infrastructure.
For SSC, Banking & State PSC
- ICAR-NASC is a key training institute for agricultural extension officers (SSC).
- DARE functions under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare (Banking exams).
- Agrivision focuses on student‑entrepreneur interaction in agriculture (State PSC).
Written with AI assistance from the source report and checked against it. Always verify facts with the original source .