India, Jan. 20 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, today held a virtual interactive meeting with the participants of Developing India Young Leaders 2026. This meeting was organised in continuation of the Developing India Young Leaders Dialogue held on 12th January 2026 at Bharat Mandapam.
On this occasion, Dr. M.L. Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, welcomed the Union Minister and the youth and stated that young people will be the innovators, entrepreneurs, and key policymakers of the future. This virtual dialogue will provide a new opportunity for young agricultural leaders to share and implement new ideas at the national level.
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that youth are not just students for him, but a great opportunity to harness their talents to transform Indian agriculture. Emphasizing the role of ideas and innovations, he said they can achieve food security, nutritional security, increase farmers' income, and make agriculture more farmer-friendly.
He urged the youth to contribute innovative and practical ideas on topics such as reducing pulses and oilseed imports, low-cost food processing technologies, agricultural mechanization, and the effective use of digital infrastructure for direct transfer of fertilizer subsidies. He encouraged the youth to develop innovative models for small and marginal farmers by connecting to a common platform at the national level.
He also stated that the suggestions received during the dialogue will be categorized by topic and discussed at the institutional and national levels. He urged young people to submit their ideas in writing, which will be evaluated based on national importance, relevance, scalability, and practicality. Effective ideas will be further supported and recognized.
During the virtual dialogue, young leaders from Telangana, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and other states shared their ideas and suggestions with the Union Agriculture Minister. Participants presented practical solutions related to agricultural innovation, livelihood enhancement, and sustainable agricultural development, keeping in mind national priorities.
The dialogue session was actively attended by young leaders and ICAR officials. Participants offered practical and solution-based suggestions focused on national priorities. These included the development of a "One Nation - One Organic Digital Platform" (with digital traceability and market integration), promotion of e-marketing and village-level markets, widespread use of bio-inputs and microorganisms to improve soil health, and an integrated advisory system linking soil health, crop planning, weather information, and data-based advisories.
Dr. J. K. Jena, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Education), ICAR and other officials from the Education Division of ICAR were also present during the interaction.
This dialogue proved to be an important step towards achieving the goal of developed agriculture and developed India through youth participation.
Disclaimer: The original story of this translated version is available on Press Information Bureau.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
