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The 1986 World Food Summit, organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) defined the existence of
food security as when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious
food, that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
Another commonly used definition of food security comes from the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA): access by all members of a household at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food security
includes at a minimum - the ready availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, and an assured ability to
acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways (that is, without resorting to emergency food supplies,
scavenging, stealing, or other coping strategies).

2 Funders of food security research

2.1

Introduction

Food security research in India is primarily funded in three different ways - through the Indian Government, through
non-Government bodies, and through international funds. The Indian Government, which is the largest funder of
food security research in India, routes funds for research through its ministries. Various departments under the
ministries allocate the funds to in-house researchers as well as external researchers for research in various
aspects of food security, such as food availability, distribution, and assimilation.

2.2

Indian Government

The Indian Government has various ministries that fund and promote research on food security through their
departments and institutes.
An overview of the prime funders of food security research (Government) in India is illustrated in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1 An overview of the Indian Government funding food security research

Indian
Government

Sources of funds

Ministry of Science &

Technology

Ministry of Agriculture
(MOA)

Ministry of Health & Family

Welfare

Ministry of Human
Resource Development

Allocation of funds

Department of
Agriculture & Co
Operation (DAC)

Department of
Agricultural
Research &
Education (DARE)

Department of
Animal Husbandry,
Dairying & Farming
(DAHDF)

Indian Council of Medical

Research (ICMR)
National Institute of
Nutrition (NIN)

Department of
Biotechnology (DBT)

Indian Council of
Agricultural
Research (ICAR)

Indian Council of Social

Science Research

Other than the funders mentioned in the flowchart, food security research is also funded by DST (Department of
Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology), CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial

Research, Ministry of Science and Technology), and the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). However, results from
5

the interviews indicated that DST, CSIR and the MoES are not the key funders of food security research .
Source of funds - The Indian Government funds research on food security through ministries such as the Ministry
of Agriculture, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of
Human Resource Development .
The Ministry of Agriculture (through the Department of Agricultural Research and Education) funds research
in areas such as horticulture, natural resources management, agricultural engineering, agricultural
extension and education, and economic statistics and marketing.
The Ministry of Science and Technology (through the Department of Biotechnology) funds research in areas
such as food and crop biotechnology, and genetics and genome analysis.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (through the Indian Council of Medical Research) funds research
in areas such as nutrition research, dietary and nutritional problems prevalent among the different segments
of the population of the country.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development (through the Indian Council of Social Science Research)
funds research in various fields of social sciences which have a theoretical, conceptual, methodological, or
policy related orientation on subjects such as social sector development (malnutrition, poverty), agrarian
issues (food economy, public distribution, and agricultural economy), irrigation, and agricultural and rural
labour markets.
Allocation of funds Each of the funding ministries usually has bodies (sometimes called research departments
or research councils) that allocate funds for food security research. A centre of research (CoR) or a research group
within a CoR needs to approach these departments and research councils with their research proposals and seek
funding as the CoR cannot directly approach the ministry for research funding. These research departments and
research councils study the viability of the proposal and allocate funds.
For example:
The ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) is perhaps the most significant funder in the food security
research landscape in India, its remit covering a broad spectrum of food security relevant areas, including crop
sciences, horticulture, agricultural engineering, agricultural education, and agricultural extension. According to
ICAR, it is the central body for coordinating, guiding, and managing research and education in agriculture including
horticulture, fisheries, and animal sciences in the entire country. With 97 ICAR institutes and 45 agricultural
universities spread across the country, this is one of the largest national agricultural systems involved in
agricultural research and committed to the national research agenda in the world.

Deciding priorities The data collected indicates that there is a general pattern for how the funders decide on the priority areas of
research based on the goals set in the Five Year Plans and internal research gap analysis.
Research departments (ICAR, DBT, etc.) of the Government funders (such as the Ministry of Agriculture or the
Ministry of Science and Technology) also refer to documents such as the National Agricultural Policy, mid-term
appraisal reports of previous Five Year Plans, and recommendations from allied agricultural institutes for
determining research priorities.
Various committees are formed by each of the ministries to evaluate broad priority areas, both at the aggregate and
sector levels (for example - production, distribution, and nutrition). The committees comprise of multi-disciplinary
groups of experts in various fields. Their findings are then published in the subsequent Five Year Plan.
Various ministries set their priorities and plan distribution of funds by involving both policy makers and scientists
working in the field and laboratories. A priority setting exercise is carried out at different levels, i.e.
1.

National level - Relative importance of major research areas / sectors is determined by the policy makers.

2.

Programme level - Decisions on relative importance of different programmes within an area of research and
programmes that might spread across various areas are made jointly by the policy makers and the ministries.

3.

Research institutions level - Decisions on the relative position of different research programmes / themes in
the portfolio and formulation of projects are made by the mandates given by the ministries.

For example:
In the case of ICAR, the research priorities are guided by the agriculture sector policy of the Government of India
as defined by the Planning Commission and also by the inputs of the governing body of the council and members
of the ICAR Society19 (or ICAR), who reflect the views of the farming community, the states, and other
stakeholders. The broad allocation of resources for different sectors (e.g. crop science, horticultural science, animal
science, socioeconomic research, etc.) is transmitted from national level to programme level to research institution
level. The Director General of ICAR and his team of senior management personnel translate these broad national
priorities into research programmes with clear objectives and goals to be achieved.

Disbursement of funds A general trend emerged showing how the disbursement of funds and reporting of expenditure occurs. In many
cases an MOU is signed between the research group and the research institute, and the institute disburses the first
instalment of funds for the project in the form of a mobilisation advance. The release of funds to each research
group, led by a PI, is made as per the MOU, and it specifies the schedule of payments (initial advance and the
subsequent instalments) and the milestones to be achieved.

Subsequently, the release of funds to the research groups is linked to both O

the progress in terms of deliverables (milestones) as reported and accepted by the advisory
committee, and

the progress of expenditure during the previous reporting period

The fund for capital expenditures is usually disbursed in a single instalment at the beginning of each financial
year or at the beginning of the research project.

Requisition for the subsequent instalment of funds for each year is to be submitted as per the guidelines of the
research institute. The funders release subsequent instalments based on the achievements of the research
group against each milestone. The amount to be released in each instalment is pre-decided by the funders
and is documented in the MOU.

For example:
ICAR seeks funds from the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) under its annual budget (planned and non-planned). The
Ministry of Agriculture evaluates the annual plan budget of ICAR and presents it to the Ministry of Finance for
approval. The Ministry of Finance checks the sector budget allocations towards agriculture and sanctions the
budget. MOA then approves ICARs budget, following which ICAR has the authority to allocate funds for research
and development (R&D) in agriculture. ICAR, through its advisory committees, distributes the funds in the form of
grants to the respective research projects that have been approved. An advisory committee of ICAR monitors the
budget utilisation on a regular basis.
19 ICAR Society or ICAR (formerly known as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research) was established on 16 July, 1929, as a
registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The Union Minister of Agriculture is the ex-officio President of the
ICAR (ICAR Society) and the Director General, ICAR is the principal executive officer.

Overview of the Indian Government project funding process

Food security research projects in India are generally funded in one of two ways a) competitive bidding, or
b) sponsored
A trend for project funding of food security emerged. Generally the funders follow a competitive bidding or
sponsored method of funding research:
Competitive bidding - Various ministries of the Government have dedicated research institutes for research on
food. Each institute has a structured competitive bidding process to promote research in priority areas identified by
the institute. The institute typically gives funds for applied research projects that are high priority and demanddriven, and have clearly defined beneficiaries for the research results. The institutes usually call for proposals from
Principal Investigators (PI) with identified teams of scientists to support the project.
Formation of a research group under competitive bidding - Once a research project is open, the PI creates a team
or a research group. A research group consists of a number of scientists and may also be inter-disciplinary, based
on the specific needs of the project. The PI develops the project scope as well as the milestones to be achieved
and submits it. The project scope and milestones to be achieved, previous work experience; and his / her ability to
structure a group with qualified scientists determine his / her standing in the competitive bidding.
Sponsored These are projects that are awarded to scientists without a call for competitive bids. High priority
projects that need to be undertaken urgently are generally taken up under the sponsored category, as they can be
initiated quickly without going through the bidding process. Sponsored projects are also undertaken to fill research
gaps. For example, certain identified priority areas may not have been represented in the response to a competitive
call. In such cases, in order to fill critical gaps, research is supported through sponsored programmes.
Sponsored projects may have external funding or may be funded in-house by the research institutes. In cases of
external funding, the funding is routed through the research institute. Research institutes also usually collaborate
with funders and co-sponsor projects. For in-house funding, the research institutes sponsor projects from their
annual research funding budgets.
Formation of a research group under the sponsored category - The research institute decides on the PI and the
team from amongst the dedicated researchers associated with the research institute. A research group typically
consists of two or more researchers and is headed by a Principal Investigator. A group is typically formed for the
duration of a particular project and may or may not continue to work together on other projects. Each project may
have different requirements as far as expertise is concerned; hence the teams also vary.

2.3

Non-Indian Government funders

Apart from the Indian Government, many foreign governments, international foundations, and domestic foundations
and trusts are actively involved in funding food security research in India. International organisations such as the
UK Department for International Development (DFID), the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID), Ford Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Nations World Food Programme, and
domestic organisations like the Sir Ratan Tata Trust are some of the key funders of food security research in India.
While these organisations often have aid focused objectives, they can also fund research.
An overview of the prime funders of food security research (non-Indian Government) in India is illustrated in Figure
2 below.
Figure 2 Non-Indian Government funders of food security research in India

Non-Indian
Government

Sources of funds

Multi-country
alliance

USAID
(USA)

Foreign Government

United Nations (UN)

Private Foundations

DFID

ACIAR

(UK)

(Australia)

Bill & Melinda Gates

The Ford

Foundation

Foundation
Sir Ratan Tata
Trust

Allocation of funds
Wheat Genetics (in
partnership with
IARI)

CGIAR

Agriculture
Biotechnology
Development
Programme

"Reviving the Green

Revolution"

World Food
Programme (WFP)

Programme

Increasing crop
yield and
preventing soil
erosion in India Tearfund Project

Increasing yields of

Community
managed seed
and gene banks Gene Campaign
Project

sorghum, pearl millet, and

finger millet (in partnership
with ICRISAT)

Deciding priorities

- International funding organisations often prepare country-specific strategies as well as

programmes. For India, international funders often align their aid and research funding priorities with the current Five-Year
Plan, and other global strategic plans such as the Millennium Development Goals and the United Nations Development
Assistance Framework. In deciding priorities, the funders generally give due consideration to past interactions and the
mid-term evaluations of their previous country strategy programmes.

In most cases, the funders also interact with research councils like ICAR to develop a joint programme in deciding
priorities and to enable collaborative research21. The regional offices of these foreign funders in India often employ
staff locally to interact with NGOs and people working at the ground level, such as farmers and allied agricultural
labourers, to identify various issues that need immediate focus.

Disbursement of funds The precise process for deciding which projects to fund varies, but a general pattern emerged - research proposals
are invited from Principal Investigators across leading agricultural research institutes in India (with partners from
elsewhere, if permissible). Once project proposals are received they are sent out to various eminent independent
scientists in that field of research for peer review. The proposals are then evaluated by research assessment
bodies formulated by the international agencies. These bodies generally comprise a panel of experienced scientists
(both Indian and global). The project starts after obtaining this approval. The first phase of the funding is normally
released at the start of the project, with subsequent releases linked to a progress report, or achievements of any
milestones.

Some international collaborations in food research

Some Indian food security research institutes have collaborated with international food security research institutes
(Government as well as non-Government) to exchange research ideas and implement them in India. These
collaborations have allowed Indian institutes and researchers to use physical facilities such as laboratories and
equipment of the foreign partner, and actively interact with international researchers.

Indian research institutes participating abroad

Indian ministries participate in collaborative research outside India, usually through Memoranda of Understandings
(MoUs), agreements, and/or work plans signed with foreign governments and international organisations.
For example:

In the Ministry of Agriculture, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Department of
Agriculture and Co-operation (DAC) are nodal departments in such collaborations.
Similarly, the Ministry of Science and Technology, through the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), has
developed a programme for collaborative agricultural research in co-operation with foreign governments
and international organisations.

Some examples of international collaborations are given below.

India - Brazil - In 2006 ICAR signed a Work Plan with the Brazilian Agricultural Research Cooperation (EMBRAPA)
as an MOU for developing, promoting, and accelerating closer collaborative effort for development of agricultural
research and education.
India - Argentina - ICAR signed an MOU with The Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food of the
Argentine Republic for cooperation in the field of agricultural research and education.
India - Japan - The DBT and the Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan (AIST) signed, in 2008-2009,
an MOU to work jointly in the field of Life Sciences and Biotechnology. As a follow up, the AIST, Japan and DBT
organised two workshops during the year, one in Japan and another in India; and also discussed the schemes for
Cooperative Research Projects (CRP). Bioinformatics, cell engineering, glyco-sciences, biomarkers, and cellengineering have been identified as areas of co-operation.
India - Canada - The DBT and the Plant Biotechnology Institute (PBI), National Research Council, Canada (NRC)
signed an agreement to develop collaborative programmes in plant biotechnology in 2008.

3 Strengths, Weaknesses, Trends

3.1

Introduction

Conversations and discussions with senior scientists in research institutes provided insights on the dynamics of
food security research in India. These were correlated with published material and Five-Year Plans to gain an
understanding of some of the strengths, weaknesses, and trends in food security research. The gaps and strengths
identified have emerged from these conversations and not from a literature review, and thus are not comprehensive
and do not cover the full range of research being undertaken. These are meant to provide an indication of some
overarching strengths, trends and weaknesses.

3.2
3.2.1

Strengths
Strong agricultural education and research system

The Indian National Agricultural Research System (NARS) { Each country has its own NARS. NARS is defined, for a given
country, as encompassing all institutions public or private involved full time or partially in agricultural research and committed
towards a national research agenda.} is one of the largest research systems in the world. NARS is funded by the

Government and consists of six national bureaus, 48 ICAR research institutes, 138 substations of ICAR institutes, 12
project directorates in crop sciences and animal sciences, 30 national research centres, 77 all-India coordinated
research projects, 41 state agricultural universities (SAUs), one central agricultural university and 4 central
universities with faculties in agriculture. India ranks fourth in terms of total investments in public agricultural R&D in
the world following United States, Japan, and China.
Availability of skilled manpower - In India, there are over 60,000 scientists working in various Government and
non-governmental organisations engaged in active research (excluding technical, administrative, and supporting
personnel). The scientific manpower (management personnel, scientists, and teachers engaged in research,
education and extension working in the agricultural sector) is estimated at about 30,000. ICAR and many of the
research institutes under ICAR (e.g. Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI)), are actively involved in research
and education on food security.

3.2.2

Strong research focus on crop productivity and improvement

Historically research at agricultural universities has focused strongly on crop productivity and improvement.
In 1966, having survived one poor harvest but facing another, India took the extraordinary step of importing 18,000
tonnes of wheat seed from Mexico. The seeds imports resulted in doubling the Indian wheat production by 1971.
Post independence, India has witnessed significant increase in food grain production (Green Revolution), oilseeds
(Yellow Revolution), milk (White Revolution), fish (Blue Revolution), and fruits and vegetables (Golden Revolution).
Indian agricultural research has enabled an increase in farm level productivity, crop improvement, and development
of new varieties of pulses and grains. This helped India achieve self-sufficiency in food production in the mid
seventies. India continues to have a strong research focus on crop productivity and improvement.

3.2.3

Rich bio-diversity

Indias vast bio-diversity has enabled researchers to work in areas to optimise conservation and livelihoods of rural
communities with an explicit emphasis on poverty reduction, social and gender justice, and improving access to
food. This wide bio-diversity helps boost the types of research on food security, and allows experimentation on
numerous species of plants, crops and grains.
Various non-Government research organisations, such as the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF),
are conducting research in areas such as integrated management of biodiversity resources in partnerships with
village communities aimed at conservation of traditional varieties of food grains; participatory plant breeding; bioresource and knowledge based village development.

3.3

Weaknesses

3.3.1

Lack of research focus on storage and distribution of food

The Public Distribution System (PDS) in the country facilitates the

supply of food grains to the poor at a subsidised price. However,
questions are being asked about the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of
the PDS, especially in the light of the growing food subsidy and food
stocks.
The Planning Commission has emphasised through policies, the need
for greater research focus on the food grain distribution network
through the Public Distribution System (PDS). The Commission
endeavours to eliminate hunger and make food available to the poor
across India and in a cost-effective manner. It has recommended a
restructure of the PDS and wants to explore various distribution and procurement alternatives such as smart cards,
food credit / debit cards, food stamps and decentralized procurement.
A majority of the scientists interviewed remarked that research on the PDS and its effective implementation is
lacking in India. According to the Right to Food Campaign, plenty of food is available, but its distribution amongst
the very poor and the destitute is scarce or non-existent, leading to mal-nourishment, starvation and other related
problems. Food research organisations need to work together with other social science research organisations
(such as the ICSSR), in order to address this gap.
* The Panchayat Raj is a decentralised system of governance based on self governance at the grass roots level.
The system works at three levels - village, block, and district.

3.3.2

Lack of research on post harvest technology

Post Harvest technology refers to appropriate storage systems, processing for value-added products,
packaging and storage requirements for agricultural products.
The post-harvest losses are currently estimated at around 30 per cent for fruits and vegetables and 7-10 per
cent for food grains. Post-harvest treatment largely determines final quality - whether a crop is sold for fresh
consumption, or used as an ingredient in a processed food product.
The interviews highlighted several areas of weaknesses

that research organisations associated with the post-harvest sector in India tend to work in isolation from each
other

the research associated with post- harvest technology is not transferred to the farming community through the
right channels of education

the extension services in post-harvest technology are particularly weak - this is also associated with a poor
record of technology transfer and ill-timed managerial capacity of many institutions, which leads to gaps
between research, farmers, and industry.

Assessment of post-harvest losses suggests that research also needs to be done on remedial measures for
increasing the life of the produce. Extensive research is needed in

primary processing (cleaning, grading, drying , decortications etc.) of food grains and oilseeds

development of high quality novel (functional and nutraceutical) products from coarse cereals, pulses and
wheat

development of a package of technology for processing of traditional and forest based oilseeds and developing
value added products

development of extruded products from different cereals and other food grains

Interviews also highlighted that research is needed in

advanced extrusion processing for producing specialty food products

application of bio-technology and nano-technology in food processing for value addition and preservation

development of novel fermented products from coarse cereals and pulses

development of technology for pilot scale production of fermented beverages from vegetable milk, whey and
other substrates

3.3.3

Lack of focus on absorption of food

The absorption of food in the body depends on factors that are not directly linked to food, - including community
and environmental hygiene, safe drinking water, primary healthcare and access to clean toilets. It has emerged that
more research needs to be done on issues such as:
nutrient education for the masses
limiting the spread of water borne diseases
improving the overall sanitation of communities
As absorption of food is not directly linked to agricultural research, there is lack of synergy between the agricultural
research institutes like ICAR and the public health research institutes like the Indian Council of Medical Research
(ICMR). This is mainly because the agriculture research institutes are governed by the Ministry of Agriculture while
the public health research institutes fall under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Greater interdisciplinary
research between organisations and institutes and cooperation between ministries is needed to help mitigate this
weakness.

3.3.4

Lack of focus on allied factors relating to food security research

th

The 11 Five-Year Plan (2007-2012) observes that that there are several research gaps in allied factors related to
food security such as

implications of climate change on agriculture and vice versa need to be studied and a dedicated
research programme should be initiated to combat global warming
a major research priority is warranted in areas of balanced and site-specific nutrient supply and efficient
water management strategies
greater emphasis on Integrated Pest Management (IPM)- the existing package of practices is not fully
integrated between various plant protection sciences, and this results in duplication, overlapping as well
as unrealistic recommendations in the name of IPM.

there is a need for interdisciplinary research in plant protection to elucidate basic issues of herbivory as
well as to develop suitable mitigations.

overall, there is a need to identify integrated farming systems in different agro-ecological regions,
internalizing synergies of different components to enhance resource utilisation, income, and livelihood
generation and to minimize environmental loading

research into technological fatigue37 in terms of yields obtainable with the newest varieties being delivered
by the NARS

3.3
3.4.1

Trends
Increased awareness on nutritional security

Thanks to the Green Revolution, India achieved sufficiency in cereals such as rice and wheat at the national
level way back in the 1980s. However, national food security did not translate into nutrition security due to lack
of effective research on nutritional security or on availability of a balanced diet comprising cereals and millets,
pulses, vegetables and fruits, and animal products. This gap is now being addressed. Researchers are turning
their focus on the nutritional aspects in addition to increase in productivity yield.
The Indian National Science Academy held a symposium on
Nutrition Security for India in August 2009 to spread awareness of the importance of nutrition in diets. The
symposium highlighted key issues which are being addressed through research such as

nutrition awareness at all levels (policy makers, planners, professionals and people in general)

access to a balanced diet, for every individual, and at an affordable cost

safe environment and drinking water (to ensure absorption), and preventive and curative health care

Social science researchers highlighted that research into production targets have more or less been achieved and
now the focus is on addressing nutritional and dietary issues

39

It also emerged that an interdisciplinary approach is increasingly being taken to ensure that nutritional goals can be
achieved. Professionals and grassroots workers from the fields of nutrition and dietetics, health and medicine,
agriculture, animal husbandry, environmental sciences, education, and social sciences provide the scientific and
technical understanding and knowledge, while politicians, bureaucrats, private sector and NGOs ensure that
scientific wisdom is turned into policies and programmes.

3.4.2

Active Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) registrations encouraged by research

institutes

Indian researchers, in the recent past, have realised and recognised the importance of IPR registrations.
Recognition of intellectual property rights provides an effective means of protecting and rewarding innovators and is
now recognised as an asset and a means of rewarding and harvesting the fruit of agricultural R&D. IPR is now
seen as an important tool to help incentivise innovators in this area.
The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), in its Policy Paper on Intellectual Property Rights in
Agriculture, recognises the need to improve opportunities for IPR protection in agriculture and allied sectors. The
paper clearly mentions the need to improve the mechanisms for enforcement of IPR protection, access to
resources and protected technology , and an equitable benefit sharing of such technology developed

for the betterment of agriculture research

to act as a catalyst for any further innovations in technology

3.4.3

Increased focus on the impact of climate change on food productivity

The threat of climate change is expected to impact agricultural productivity and may shift crop patterns, but the

magnitude of impact varies greatly by region across India.

Recent studies have found that increase in temperature (by
about 2C) will reduce potential grain yields in most places.
Reduction in yields as a result of climate change are predicted
to be more pronounced for rain fed crops (as opposed to
irrigated crops) and under limited water supply situations as
there are no coping mechanisms for rainfall variability. The
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) observed that the
vagaries of climate change could destroy vast areas of
farmland in India, ultimately affecting food production.
There is a greater emphasis by research institutes on
promoting research in this direction as climate change has the
potential to affect agriculture through changes in temperature, rainfall (timing and quantity), CO2, solar radiation,
and the interaction of these elements. For example, in 2009, ICAR launched a national network project titled
Impact, Adaptation, and Vulnerability of Indian Agriculture to Climate Change with focus on the impact of climate
change on different sectors of agricultural production.

3.4.4

Recent Government initiatives and programmes to boost research

The Central Government has increased focus on food security research through various programmes such as the
National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), and the Rashtriya Krishi
Vikas Yojana (RKVY). These programmes, all within the last five years, aim to incentivise and promote agricultural
production and provide support to Institutions that promote agriculture, horticulture, etc.
NAIP - The World Bank co-funded NAIP (National Agricultural Innovation Project) was conceived in 2006, to
develop well-tested models for application of agricultural research and technology for profitability of farming,
income generation and poverty alleviation.
NFSM - The National Food Security Mission was launched in 2007 as a centrally sponsored scheme, to increase
the production and productivity of wheat, rice and pulses on a sustainable basis to ensure food security of the
country. The approach of NFSM is to bridge the yield gap in respect of these crops through dissemination of
improved technologies and farm management practices based on research done in these areas.
RKVY To address the low growth rates in agriculture, the National Development Council (of the Planning
Commission) of India introduced the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) in 2007. This is a Central Assistance
Scheme that aims to incentivise states to increase public investment in agriculture and allied sectors.

3.4.5

Addressing yield gaps in different agro-climatic regions

th

The 11

Five-Year Plan observes that yield gaps vary

considerably from crop-to-crop and from region-to-region, and

a strategy must be implemented to address issues for each
agro-climatic region. The plan highlights the need for
agricultural research that is applicable to varied agro-climatic
zones.
st

ICAR, in its 81 AGM held in December 2009, announced that

they are encouraging research on crop genetics. They have
made appreciable efforts so far by developing till date, 147
successful varieties of important crops for different agro-climatic regions of the country. As climatic conditions vary
widely across the geography of India researchers observed that there is an increasing trend towards promoting
agro-climatic and region specific research.
This research on yield gaps in different agro-climatic regions is promoted to

assess the impact of climate variables on the growth, productivity, and physiological responses and quality of
different crops

understand the nature of bacterial impact on seeds and crops due to climate change landscape

Region-specific factors causing low productivity Agro-climatic region

States

Region-specific constraints

Western Himalayan region -I

Jammu and Kashmir,

Himachal Pradesh,
Uttaranchal

Severe soil erosion, degradation due to heavy

rainfall, floods and deforestation, poor roads,
poor input delivery, inadequate communication
infrastructure and marketing

Eastern Himalayan region-II

Assam, North- Eastern

states, Sikkim

Aluminium toxicity and soil acidity, soil erosion

and floods, shifting cultivation, non-availability of
electricity, poor roads, poor input delivery system
and communication infrastructure

Lower and middle Gangetic

Plains regions-III and IV

West Bengal, Bihar,

Eastern Uttar Pradesh

Flood, water logging, improper drainage, salinity,

alkalinity, arsenic contamination, non-availability
of electricity, high population growth, poor roads
and communication infrastructure

Upper and trans-Gangetic

plains region-V and VI

Western Uttar Pradesh,

Punjab, Haryana

Groundwater depletion, decreasing total factor

productivity, micronutrient deficiency, nonavailability of electricity, and high population
density

Eastern plateau and hill

regions-VII

Orissa, Jharkhand,
Chattisgarh

Moisture stress, drought, and soil acidity, iron

toxicity, non availability of electricity, high
population growth, poor roads, poor input
delivery and communication infrastructure