ICAR Consults Industry and Academic Experts on Proposed PG and Ph.D. Programmes in Natural Farming
08 October 2026, New Delhi: The Agricultural Education Division of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) today organised a consultation meeting with industry experts and academic stakeholders on the proposed Postgraduate (PG) and Ph.D. programmes in Natural Farming. The meeting was chaired by Dr. M. L. Jat, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General, ICAR.
The consultation was organised to obtain inputs from industry and academia for strengthening and finalising the proposed curricula and ensuring that the programmes address the emerging requirements of Natural Farming, farmers and the wider agricultural sector.
Addressing the meeting, Dr. M. L. Jat emphasised that the proposed PG and Ph.D. programmes in Natural Farming should be future-ready, globally relevant and closely connected with farmers, industry and society. He stressed the need to incorporate emerging areas such as biological inputs, soil health, certification, value chains, marketing, digital technologies and entrepreneurship in the curriculum.
Dr. Jat also emphasised the importance of developing conceptual clarity on different streams and approaches to chemical-free farming, enabling students and researchers to understand the principles, practices and emerging dimensions of Natural Farming in a comprehensive manner.
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Earlier, Dr. Yashpal Singh Malik, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Education), ICAR, emphasised the need for multidisciplinary, competency-based and industry-oriented curricula aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He highlighted the emerging opportunities in Natural Farming and the need to prepare students with relevant knowledge and skills to address evolving requirements in the sector.
Dr. C. K. Timbadia, Vice-Chancellor, Gujarat Natural Farming Science University (GNFSU) and Chairman of the Syllabus Formulation Committee, and Dr. A. S. Yadav, Assistant Director General (Education Quality Assurance and Reform), ICAR, presented the proposed M.Sc. and Ph.D. curricula before the stakeholders.
The meeting concluded with valuable inputs from industry experts and academic stakeholders, which will contribute to the timely finalisation and implementation of the proposed PG and Ph.D. programmes in Natural Farming.
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