AUG 23: Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, virtually addressed the National Space Day programme organised at ICAR, Pusa Campus, New Delhi. The event, held on the theme “Research and Development in Space Technology for Agricultural Transformation”, witnessed the participation of ICAR Director General Dr. M.L. Jat and senior agricultural scientists.
Shri Chouhan underlined that space science has brought miraculous changes in agriculture, making record-level food production possible. He described scientists as “modern sages” who have transformed farming and secured food security for the nation.
The Minister highlighted how ISRO’s Geo Portal is enabling farmers with accurate information on rainfall, drought, soil moisture, and crop health. Farmers are now able to plan sowing and harvesting more efficiently with access to near-precise weather forecasts and real-time agricultural data.
He explained how remote sensing technology is helping assess crop loss with accuracy, particularly under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. Earlier, flawed crop-cutting experiments led to compensation gaps, but satellite imagery now ensures fairer assessments and transparency. The NISAR mission by NASA-ISRO is also playing a critical role in providing soil moisture and biomass estimates at both micro and macro levels.
Calling for urgent innovations, Shri Chouhan said farmers need devices to detect fake fertilisers and pesticides, which have been causing severe crop damage in some regions. He urged scientists to address challenges in productivity, crop viruses, and smallholder farming through focused research under the spirit of “One Nation – One Team – One Goal.”
The Minister also expressed pride in India’s achievements in space exploration, including the Chandrayaan landing on the Moon’s South Pole and congratulated astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla for inspiring the nation. He said India is carrying forward the scientific legacy of Aryabhata, with new missions like Gaganyaan marking milestones in space research.
Extending greetings on National Space Day, Shri Chouhan called for adopting a scientific outlook in agriculture, livestock, and natural resource management to ensure sustainable growth.
