NITI Aayog Member Prof Ramesh Chand does Anatomy and Surgery of Indian Agriculture at Banasthali

In India today, focus has indeed shifted from Raising Food Production to Raising Income of Farmers that is Food Security to Income Security.

The Economics Department of Banasthali organizes Professor P.N. Mathur memorial Lectures every two years. Late Prof. P.N. Mathur an eminent social scientist – economist was a founding member and Vice-President of Banasthali Vidyapith. In the previous years, eminent economists including Prof. V.R. Panchmukhi, Prof. A.M. Khusro, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prof. B.B. Bhattacharya, Prof. Bibek Debroy and Mr. Ashok Thakur have delivered the memorial lectures. For the year 2018, the memorial lecture on Indian Agriculture was delivered on 25 Feb 2018 by Prof Ramesh Chand NITI Aayog member which has rank and status of Union Minister of State and 15th Finance Commission.

He has a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. He is Fellow, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Indian Society of Agricultural Economics. Prof. Chand has 33 years of experience in research and teaching in the field of agricultural economics and policy. He has been involved in policy formulation for agriculture sector for the last 15 years. Prior to joining NITI Aayog, he was Director National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research, New Delhi. In addition, Prof. Ramesh Chand is also Member of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center), Mexico; Member of the Policy Advisory Council (PAC) of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Canberra, Australia; and Member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Food Security and Agriculture. In the past, Prof. Ramesh Chand has worked in senior academic positions as ICAR National Professor; Professor and Head, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi University; and Professor at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Prof. Chand has been Visiting Professor at University of Wollongong, NSW Australia and at Institute of Developing Economies, Chiba Shi, Japan.

He has also been Consultant with international organizations such as FAO, UNDP, ESCAP, UNCTAD, Commonwealth and World Bank. Prof. Chand has chaired important committees on Food and Agricultural Policy set up by various Ministries, of Government of India. He has served as India’s nodal officer for agriculture for SAARC for 7 years and represented India in meetings of G20, UNESCAP. Prof. Chand has authored seven books and published more than 100 research papers in reputed national and international journals in the areas of Agriculture – production, growth, development and policy as well as Farmers issues, Market and Trade. He is also recipient of Jawaharlal Nehru Award (1984) and Rafi Ahmad Kidwai Award (2006) of Indian Council of Agricultural Research. He was President-Elect, 2016 of Indian Society of Agricultural Economics, Mumbai, India.

Prof Ramesh Chand had a rousing welcome at Swagat Dwar of Banasthali, visited various landmarks which included Shantabai Shiksha Kutir bith place of Banasthali, Kala Mandir, Flying Club, Horse Riding Club, School of Design, School of Automation, Jamnalal Bajaj School of Legal Studies etc. After the ceremonial lamp lighting, Prof Siddharth Shastri Vice President Banasthali introduced the speaker to the audience by presenting his credentials. Prof Aditya Shastri Vice Chancellor also welcomed Prof Ramesh Chand on behalf of Banasthal Pariwar. In his speech Prof Ramesh Chand described Banasthlai founder Pandit Hiralal Shastri as Visionary who implemented Beti Bachao Beto Padhao in 1935 itself and expressed that his life story be included in School syllabus to motivate future generation and his biography be written.

Since nearly 50% of farmers belong to small farmer category, Prof Ramesh Chand said that they needed to generate income from sources beyond agriculture. The loans extended hardly met 20% of the costs and farmers had to resort to private money lenders at exorbitant interest rates. He also felt that different criteria need to be place for loan sanction to farmers in different states. He lauded the role of Jain Irrigation in Jalgaon area and said it was worth emulating in other laces also. Water management needed top priority according to him since the quantity consumed is 5000 litres per kg of rice produced in India. Amendments in laws concerning Agricultural Produce Marketing Act (APMCs), Land Leasing, Essential Commodities and private investment are key, according to Prof Ramesh Chand, for doubling of farmers’ income by 2022. The session included open house with questions being bowled by students and faculty and Prof Ramesh Chand batting with finger tip statistics.

Prof Chita Purohit President Banasthali presented a glittering memento to Prof Ramesh Chand and the session ended with singing of National Anthem. The students and faculty who had come for the lecture left with beaming faces and pride that they were indeed part of an institution which is a jewel in the crown among the women’s universities not only in India today but across the globe.

For more details about Banasthali see http://www.banasthali.org

About Banasthali: The Institution which is also the largest fully residential women’s university in the world has played a big role in revolutionizing women’s education in the country for the last eight decades with a belief that there is a tremendous role of higher education in empowering the women. Banasthali has scripted numerous success stories in a wide range of fields, and stands tall among the citadels of learning in India today. Team Banasthali with Vice Chancellor J C Bose Memorial Award for eminent scientist recipient Prof Aditya Shastri a highly acclaimed alumnus of BITS Pilani, SUNY State University of New York Stony Brook and MIT USA is indeed racing forward to be the very best among global women universities. Matter of pride that NITI Aayog has selected Banasthali along with ISB CCMB in Top 10 to host Atal Incubation Centre. Proud to be Banasthali alumni who call themselves as Banasthalites can be found in all latitudes, longitudes and altitudes in all walks of life across the globe.

Banasthali University
P.O. Banasthali Vidyapith
Rajasthan – 304022
Phone 91 1438 228456 / 228341
Email: info@banasthali.ac.in
Website: http://www.banasthali.org
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This release was published on openPR.