Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday, 16 July 2026 extended greetings to agricultural scientists and farmers across the country on the occasion of the 98th Foundation Day of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), crediting the apex body with a historic role in reshaping Indian agriculture over nearly a century.

Context

Posting on X, the Minister opened with the rallying cry 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan' ('Hail the soldier, hail the farmer, hail science, hail research') — a formulation that layers former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's original slogan with the science-and-research addendum popularised by the current government. Chouhan described ICAR's 98-year journey as a 'glorious witness to unprecedented achievements,' offering 'heartfelt congratulations and best wishes' to every agricultural scientist and farmer.

The post was addressed jointly to the farming community — referred to as annadata bhai-behon ('food-provider brothers and sisters') — and to ICAR's scientific community, underscoring the minister's framing of research and farming as inseparable partners in national development.

Policy Backdrop

ICAR was established on 16 July 1929 as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research to coordinate and expand agricultural science across British India. After independence it was reorganised and, by 1973–74, placed firmly at the apex of the National Agricultural Research System, overseeing a network of specialised institutes and state agricultural universities.

The council's most celebrated chapter remains its central role in the Green Revolution of the mid-1960s, when ICAR-supported research released high-yielding wheat and rice varieties that transformed India from a food-deficit nation into a food-surplus one. Chouhan's post specifically cited 'development of improved seeds' and 'climate-adaptive farming techniques' as markers of ICAR's continuing contribution — themes that directly echo the council's current research priorities around climate-smart agriculture and precision farming.

The minister linked ICAR's work to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's twin goals of Atmanirbhar Krishi (self-reliant agriculture) and Viksit Bharat (Developed India by 2047), stating that the country is 'moving rapidly' toward those targets under Modi's leadership, 'in which ICAR's contribution is significant.'

Stakeholders and Impact

India's agricultural research ecosystem encompasses tens of thousands of scientists, researchers and extension workers operating through ICAR's more than 100 institutes and national research centres. Their work feeds directly into the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of farmers who depend on publicly developed seed varieties, soil-health advisories and pest-management protocols.

Chouhan's message also carried a mobilisation note, calling on 'all of us together' to keep contributing toward 'empowering Indian agriculture further' and realising the vision of Viksit Krishi ke liye Viksit Bharat — 'a developed agriculture for a developed India.' The phrasing signals that the government sees ICAR's scientific output as a direct input into its broader 2047 development roadmap, tying agricultural productivity to the country's economic ambitions.

What's Next

Foundation Day events typically coincide with the release of ICAR's annual achievements report and the announcement of newly developed crop varieties or technologies. Observers will watch for any new climate-resilient or high-yield varieties cleared for release, as well as parliamentary debate on agricultural research allocations in the forthcoming budget session.

With India's farm sector facing mounting pressures from erratic monsoons and shifting global commodity markets, the government's continued emphasis on public-sector agricultural research through ICAR is likely to remain a central pillar of its rural-development and food-security strategy in the years ahead.