PIB TrackerICAR at 98: 386 new crop varieties in a year, 94% climate-resilient and 29 biofortified
Marking its 98th Foundation Day, ICAR reported developing 386 improved crop varieties across 44 crops over the past year — 94% of them climate-resilient and 29 biofortified — reaffirming a science-led, farmer-centric push toward food and nutritional security and Viksit Bharat 2047.
What happened
- The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) marked its 98th Foundation Day (established 1928).
- Over the past year it developed 386 improved varieties across 44 crops.
- About 94% of them are climate-resilient and 29 are biofortified (higher nutrient content).
- Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan called ICAR the trailblazer of India's agricultural transformation.
- The work supports food and nutritional security and the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
For Prelims
- ICAR: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (est. 1928) — the apex body for agricultural research, education and extension, under the Ministry of Agriculture.
- Biofortification: Breeding crops for higher vitamins/minerals (e.g. iron, zinc, Vitamin A) to tackle 'hidden hunger' (micronutrient deficiency).
- Climate-resilient varieties: Crops bred to tolerate heat, drought, flooding or salinity — key to protecting yields against climate change.
- Green Revolution: ICAR-linked research (with high-yielding varieties) transformed India from food deficit to self-sufficiency from the 1960s.
- Extension: ICAR's Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) transfer new varieties and practices to farmers at the district level.
- Food & nutritional security: More resilient, nutrient-rich varieties support both yield stability and better nutrition.
For UPSC: A strong agriculture-and-science example — ICAR's crop-improvement pipeline (climate-resilient and biofortified varieties) as the backbone of food and nutritional security. Use it for agricultural R&D and extension (KVKs), biofortification and hidden hunger, climate-resilient agriculture, and the Green Revolution legacy.
What it is NOT: This is a Foundation-Day statement highlighting a year's research output (varieties developed), not a single scheme or a production figure. Developing a variety is a step toward adoption; on-field impact depends on seed multiplication, extension and farmer uptake.
For Mains
Syllabus: GS3.4 · GS3.2 · Linkage L2
Anchor
Science-led agriculture — climate-resilient and biofortified varieties as the base of food and nutritional security.
Substantiation (data)
ICAR (est. 1928) at its 98th Foundation Day: 386 improved varieties across 44 crops in a year, ~94% climate-resilient, 29 biofortified; oriented to Viksit Bharat 2047.
Exemplification
Biofortified varieties against hidden hunger; climate-resilient breeding against heat/drought; KVK extension to farmers.
Problematisation
Translating varieties into field adoption needs seed systems, extension, and price/market support; climate stress keeps rising.
Way-forward
Strengthen seed multiplication and extension (KVKs), scale biofortified/climate-resilient adoption, and link research to farmer incomes.
Position
Sustained public agricultural R&D is indispensable to food and nutritional security in a warming climate.
Deploys into: Economy & agriculture — agriculture and irrigation + inclusive growth (GS3.4, GS3.2) · ICAR's research/extension (KVKs), biofortification and climate-resilient varieties, and food and nutritional security.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare · 2026-07-16 · PRID 2285387 · PIB source ↗