National Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Programmes 2025

New Year Get-Together

• New Year Get-Together of the Academy was organized on January 06, 2025 in hybrid mode to celebrate the achievements of 2024 and chart the course for the year ahead. Creation of NAAS YUVA (Youth United for Visionary Agriculture); launch of Smt. Kanak Aggarwal NAAS Girl Students Scholarship for promoting gender inclusivity and helping meritorious girl students in agricultural sciences; and Prof. M.S. Swaminathan Foundation Day Lecture to commemorate the legacy of Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, cementing the Academy’s dedication to agricultural development and innovation were the key milestones of 2024. Visionary address by Dr. Himanshu Pathak (President) and distinguished Past-Presidents, Prof. R.B. Singh and Dr. T. Mohapatra emphasized agricultural innovation, policy advocacy, and sustainable practices as key drivers for future growth. The theme for the year 2025 “Agri-Food Innovations for Rural Transformations” underscores the Academy’s dedication to leveraging scientific progress for the betterment of rural communities and the agricultural sector. The Academy was further strengthened by inducting 34 new fellows, including Foreign (2) & Pravasi (3) Fellows and 12 Associates on January 01, 2025. Most sought publications, including NAAS Year Book and Planner 2025, showcasing the Academy’s accomplishments and future aspirations were released.

Annual General Body Meeting (AGM)

• 32nd Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) of the Academy was held in hybrid mode under the Chairmanship of Dr. Himanshu Pathak (President) on June 05, 2025. Prior to AGM, a dedicated Scientific Session was organized on June 4, 2025, wherein the newly elected fellows presented their significant research contributions across diverse domains of agricultural science.
• The Presidential Address was delivered by Dr. Himanshu Pathak on the theme “Repurposing and Restructuring Agri-Extension for Aspiring India.” Emphasizing extension as the third critical pillar of Indian agriculture, he traced its historical evolution from the post-1866 Odisha famine to pioneering initiatives like the Etawah Pilot Project (1948), National Extension Service (1953), and the establishment of the first Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in 1974. But, he cautioned against the overdependence on KVKs alone for extension functions. He underlined the crucial role that agricultural extension has played in India’s growth, contributing to massive increases in production across all agricultural commodities. However, with changing demographics, market demands, technological disruption, and environmental stressors, the current extension model, supply-driven and fragmented, needs urgent transformation. Dr. Pathak concluded by urging the Academy and all stakeholders to act with ambition and collaborative resolve to create a modern, inclusive, and future-ready extension ecosystem, capable of supporting India’s journey towards a Viksit Bharat@2047.
• The Professor M.S. Swaminathan Foundation Day lecture was delivered by Dr. Soumya Swaminathan (Chairperson, MSSRF) on “One Health: Guiding our Future.” The lecture highlighted the importance of partnerships and collective action in addressing global health challenges, drawing from her father’s legacy in agriculture and her own experience as the first Chief Scientist at the World Health Organization. In her Lecture, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan underscored the significance of the One Health Paradigm in addressing the growing interconnected challenges to public, animal, and environmental health. Reinforcing Prof. M.S. Swaminathan’s vision, she concluded that it is collective excellence and community participation—not isolated efforts—that will drive systemic and sustainable change in health and environmental outcomes.

NAAS Felicitation Function

• The Academy arranged a special Felicitation Function on June 05, 2025 to recognize and celebrate the remarkable contributions of Individuals and Institutions to Indian agriculture and allied sciences. The Academy honoured 37 senior NAAS Fellows (aged 80 and above) for their lifelong service and outstanding achievements across various domains of agricultural research and development. The Academy also felicitated Padma Awardees, including Dr. S. K. Vasal (Fellow) and exemplary farmers (2), Shri Hangthing and Shri Hariman Sharma. In addition, Mr. Ajit Jain from Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd. was felicitated for his contributions to agribusiness, while senor journalists Shri Prabhudatta Mishra and Shri Harvir Singh were recognized for their outstanding contributions to agricultural media.
• The NAAS–Dhanuka Awards (14) were presented to outstanding Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) for their exemplary extension services across various zones. Additionally, eight promising researchers were conferred with NAAS Young Scientists’ Awards for their path breaking work across diverse agricultural disciplines, underscoring the Academy’s commitment to fostering young scientific talent in the country.

Brainstorming Sessions /Expert Consultation

• Organized a Brainstorming Session (BSS) on “Policy Interventions for accelerating Indian Farm Mechanization to Achieve the Goal of 75% Level by 2047” in hybrid mode on January 21, 2025. The need for a holistic approach for mechanization and using the right machine for the right purpose, at the right time, and for the right crop were emphasized. .
• Organized a BSS on “Preparing Future-Ready Youth for Entrepreneurship Development in Agriculture” on April 22, 2025. Need for a systems-based approach to agricultural education that integrates skill development, vocational training and covers the entire agri-food value chain from pre-production to post-production was realised.
• Organized an Expert Consultation in hybrid mode on July 04, 2025 on the proposed Indian Council of Fisheries and Veterinary Sciences (ICFVS) or Bhartiya Fisheries & Livestock Research Council (BFLRC) to discuss pros and cons of such move and a general opinion was built to strengthen the existing National Agricultural Research System .
• Organized a BSS on “Managing Emerging Environmental Contaminants in Aquaculture and Fisheries” on July 18, 2025 in hybrid mode. The session focussed on sources, impacts and management strategies for chemical and microbial contaminants, as well as policy development, risk assessment, monitoring systems and sustainable aquaculture practices.
• Organized a BSS on “Marine Nutraceuticals for Boosting Bio-Economy in India” on July 28, 2025 in hybrid mode to deliberate on the immense potential of marine-derived nutraceuticals in enhancing the bio-economy of India.
• Organized a BSS on “Precision Irrigation System Using AI and IoT” on August 22, 2025 in hybrid mode to deliberate on the application of AI and IoT, which could provide superior solutions for optimizing the use of scarce water resources, thus helping to achieve sustainability in farming systems.
• Organized a BSS on “Innovative Approaches for Sustainable Crop Residue Management” on September 15, 2025 in hybrid mode to deliberate on strengthening institutional mechanisms, deploying remote sensing technologies for monitoring crop residue burning, and scalingup the use of bio-decomposers for paddy straw management. Farmers representatives contributed valuable ground-level perspectives, stressing the need for affordable machinery, more efficient use of farm-machinery available at Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs), and the urgent need of capacity building at the grassroots level.
• Organized a BSS on “Harnessing the Functional Plant Microbiome for Next-Generation Plant Health Management” on September 26, 2025 in hybrid mode with greater emphasis on integrating microbiome research with policy initiatives and extension services across NAREES of India to ensure practical adoption by farmers.
• Organized a BSS on “Enhancing Efficiency and Sustainability of Farmer Producer Organisations: Challenges and Strategies” on October 17, 2025 in hybrid mode. Need to link FPOs with research and development Institutions to enhance innovation and sustainability was felt.
• Organized a BSS on “Semiochemicals-Driven Strategies for Sustainable Pest Management in Indian Agriculture” on November 21, 2025 in hybrid mode with focus on scientific, regulatory, and policy priorities required to mainstream semiochemicals in Indian agriculture.
• Organized an Experts Consultation on the proposed draft Seed Bill 2025 in collaboration with Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS), Indian Society of Plant Genetic Resources (ISPGR), Indian Society of Seed Science and Technology (ISSST) and Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding (ISGPB) on November 22, 2025. Based on the discussion on various provisions of the Seed Bill , many constructive suggestions emerged.
• Organized a BSS on “Horticultural Innovations to Enhance Export from India” in hybrid mode on November 28, 2025,highlighting the significance of Indian horticulture sector and its contribution to global horticulture production, and emphasized the need for a policy framework to strengthen strategies aimed at boosting India’s horticulture exports.
• Organized a BSS on “Artificial Intelligence and its Applications in Agriculture and Agricultural Research“ on December 12, 2025 and addressed the opportunities and challenges associated with AI by bringing together stakeholders from diverse sectors.
• Organized a BSS on “Fisheries Research and Development Priorities for Partnership in South Asia” on December 27, 2025 to navigate the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities that lie ahead on the pursuit of a sustainable and thriving fisheries and aquaculture sector across South Asia.
• Organized a BSS on “Genome Editing in Agriculture – Prospects and Challenges” on December 31, 2025 to unfold the present status and future promise of the genome editing technology, which need to be an integral part of crop and animal improvement programme in agriculture.

Other Activities

• Arranged a meeting on February 03, 2025 to discuss the Agriculture Budget allocation for 2025–26, which was chaired by Dr. Himanshu Pathak (President, NAAS).
• Organized XVII Agricultural Science Congress at GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar during February 20-22, 2025. The Congress provided opportunities for the networking between the NAAS Fellows and agricultural scientists from across India.
• Arranged a meeting of the Conveners of the Regional Chapters on February 20, 2025 at GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar in hybrid mode to review the progress of activities conducted and action points to be undertaken by the Regional Chapters. Another meeting of the Conveners was held on June 04, 2025 in hybrid mode.
• Virtual interactive meetings with NAAS Foreign and Pravasi Fellows were held on July 18 and August 19, 2025 to harness global expertise to advance India’s research, education & extension and active engagement of Pravasi/Foreign Fellows in order to expand the Academy’s global outreach. In addition, suggestion to establish two International Chapters (one chapter covering North America, Latin America, Carribean, Europe & Africa and other chapter covering Australia, New Zealand, South-East Asia, Central Asia & South Asia) of the Academy emerged during the meetings. Prof. P.V. Vara Prasad (USA) and Dr. H.S. Bariana (Australia) were identified as Conveners.
• Organized an international workshop on “Best Practices in Agricultural Co-operatives in the Global Arena: Empowering Co-operatives in India for Sustainable Economic Growth and Rural Transformation“ during December 15-16, 2025 at NASC, New Delhi with participants from USA, Canada, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, apart from Indian practitioners and policymakers. Discussion on governance, digital revolution, value chain integration, women’s co-operatives and capacity building created opportunities for arriving at effective strategies for enhancing the co-operative sector in India.