Ministry of Agriculture (India)
Encyclopedia
The Ministry of Agriculture, a branch of the Government of India
, is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules and regulations and laws relating to agriculture in India
. The 3 broad areas of scope for the Ministry are agriculture, food processing
and co-operation. The ministry is headed by Sharad Pawar
. Harish Rawat
and Charan Das Mahant are the Ministers of State and P.K. Basu is the Secretary of State for Agriculture & Food Processing Industries.
is a largely agrarian economy - with 52.1% of the population estimated to directly or indirectly employed in agriculture and allied sectors in 2009-10. Agriculture in India
is of significance because of this as well as a history of food shortages and a growing population.
In 1881, Department of Revenue & Agriculture was set up to deal with combined portfolios of education, health, agriculture, revenue. However, In 1947, Department of Agriculture was redesignated as Ministry of Agriculture.
The administrative head of the Ministry is the Secretary of Agriculture & Co-Operation.
of India. This program sought to improve the overall state of agriculture in India by providing stronger planning, better co-ordination and greater funding to improve productivity and overall output. The total budget fo this program in 2009-10 was just over INR 380 billion.
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
, is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules and regulations and laws relating to agriculture in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The 3 broad areas of scope for the Ministry are agriculture, food processing
Food processing
Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry...
and co-operation. The ministry is headed by Sharad Pawar
Sharad Pawar
Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar , popularly known as SAHEB , is the president of the Nationalist Congress Party which he founded in 1999, after separating from the Indian National Congress...
. Harish Rawat
Harish Rawat
Shri Harish Rawat a politician from Indian National Congress party and a member of the 15th Lok Sabha. Previously he was a Member of the Parliament of India representing Uttarakhand in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament...
and Charan Das Mahant are the Ministers of State and P.K. Basu is the Secretary of State for Agriculture & Food Processing Industries.
Background
IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
is a largely agrarian economy - with 52.1% of the population estimated to directly or indirectly employed in agriculture and allied sectors in 2009-10. Agriculture in India
Agriculture in India
Agriculture in India has a significant history. Today, India ranks second worldwide in farm output. Agriculture and allied sectors like forestry and logging accounted for 16.6% of the GDP in 2007, % of the total workforce and despite a steady decline of its share in the GDP, is still the largest...
is of significance because of this as well as a history of food shortages and a growing population.
Origins
Department of Revenue and Agriculture and Commerce was set up in June 1871 to deal with all the agricultural matters in India. Until this ministry was established, matters related to agriculture were within the portfolio of the Home Department.In 1881, Department of Revenue & Agriculture was set up to deal with combined portfolios of education, health, agriculture, revenue. However, In 1947, Department of Agriculture was redesignated as Ministry of Agriculture.
Structure & Departments
The Ministry of Agriculture consists of the following three Departments.- Department of Agriculture and Co-operation. This Department's responsibilities are assigned to it in the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 as amended time to time. Co-operation in this context refers largely to promote farmer co-operative movements.
- Department of Agriculture Research and Education. This Department's responsibilities are basic and operation research, technology development, improving linkages between various organisations and state governments across the country. In addition, this Department manages the Indian Council of Agricultural ResearchIndian Council of Agricultural ResearchIndian Council of Agricultural Research , New Delhi, India is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India...
. - Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries. This Department's primary responsibilities are to increase the productivity of livestock and aquaculture.
The administrative head of the Ministry is the Secretary of Agriculture & Co-Operation.
Programs
A leading program of the Ministry is the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana - which was launched in 2007 on the recommendations of the National Development CouncilNational Development Council
The National Development Council or the Rashtriya Vikas Parishad is the apex body for decision making and deliberations on development matters in India, presided over by the Prime Minister...
of India. This program sought to improve the overall state of agriculture in India by providing stronger planning, better co-ordination and greater funding to improve productivity and overall output. The total budget fo this program in 2009-10 was just over INR 380 billion.
Reports & Statistics
The Ministry publishes an annual report titled "Agricultural Statistics At a Glance". This gives a detailed picture of the state of the India's agriculture including demographics of the agrarian sector, crop production (including state-wise and crop-wise break-ups), rural economic indicators such as credit, etc. The latest report has been published for 2010.See also
- Minister of Agriculture
- Agricultural insurance in IndiaAgricultural insurance in IndiaAgriculture in India is highly susceptible to risks like droughts and floods. It is necessary to protect the farmers from natural calamities and ensure their credit eligibility for the next season...
External links
- Ministry of Agriculture
- Directory of Ministry of Agriculture websites
- Ranbir Singh KanwarRanbir Singh KanwarRanbir Singh Kanwar was an eminent plant breeder and agronomist who helped usher in the green revolution in India. He obtained his Ph.D. from Ohio State University, Columbus under a joint Indo-US development program. His major contribution was in the area of breeding sugarcane varieties which...
Sugarcane Research in North India - http://www.icar.org.in/ India Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR)
- Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices
- Plant Quarantine Organisation of India
- National Seeds Corporation Limited