CRITERION VI: GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT 6.1 Institutional Vision and Leadership
6.2 Strategy Development and Deployment
6.2.1 Does the university have a perspective plan for development? If yes, what aspects are considered in the development of policies and strategies?
The Institute has been the flagship of India’s agricultural research and technology development. It functions on the premise that research is the engine of science-led agricultural growth. The perspective plan sets IARI’s path of scientific research, technology development and extension and human resource development leading to the realization of new paradigms for achieving the congruence among enhanced productivity, sustainability, ecological and environmental security and socio-economic equity.
Vision and mission
The Institute, over the past 110 years, had responded most dynamically to the needs, challenges and opportunities of Indian agriculture and adjusted its mandate, plans and programmes accordingly to deliver agrotechnologies and human resource for meeting the demands of the Nation. The mission of the Institute is to explore new frontiers of science and knowledge, and to develop human resources and policy guidance to create a vibrant, responsive and resilient agriculture. In order to realize this mission, the Institute has the mandate to conduct basic and strategic research and to undertake need based research that leads to crop improvement and sustained agricultural productivity; to serve as a centre for academic excellence;
and to provide leadership in its various activities. The vision of the Institute is to steer the policies, strategies, priorities, programmes and activities of IARI to meet the emerging challenges and opportunities and to maintain its leadership role.
Teaching and learning
The Post Graduate School of IARI continues to spearhead the development of trained manpower required for agriculture research, education, extension and entrepreneurship in the country. So far, the Institute has been concentrating on developing the manpower to meet the national demands in all the major disciplines of agricultural sciences. Now that the country has developed a much stronger base for higher education in agriculture at the SAUs and deemed universities which are also playing an important role in human resource development, IARI has a good opportunity to concentrate on the development of trained manpower in frontier areas of agricultural sciences through introduction of new courses and disciplines.
Research and Development
To realize the mission laid down by the Institute, i.e., to explore new frontiers of science and knowledge, to develop human resources and policy guidance to create a vibrant, responsive and resilient agriculture, the mandate of the Institute is as follows:
• To conduct basic and strategic research with a view to understanding the processes, in all their complexity, and to undertake need-based research that leads to crop improvement and sustained agricultural productivity in harmony with the environment
• To serve as a centre for academic excellence in the area of post-graduate education and human resources development in agricultural sciences
• To provide national leadership in agricultural research, extension, and technology assessment and transfer by developing new concepts and approaches and serving as a national referral point for quality and standards
• To develop information systems, add value to information, share the information nationally and internationally, and serve as a national agricultural library and database.
Presently the research, education, and extension activities of the Institute are carried out through a network of 20 discipline-based divisions, 2 multidisciplinary centres, 8 regional stations, 2 off season nurseries, 10 centres of AICRP and a common set of service units. The Institute also serves as the headquarters of 3 All India Coordinated Research Projects. In addition, National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, NCIPM, Directorate of Maize Research, IASRI and NBPGR are located in the campus, and participate in the teaching programme of the Institute.
The Institute is moving upstream with an increased thrust on strategic and basic researches which will not only keep enriching the stream of scientific knowledge, technology generation and product development, but would also enhance the nation’s competitiveness in this age of scientific revolution. IARI has strengthened its existing key areas of research and education and barged into newer frontier areas such as molecular biology and biotechnology, genetic engineering, phenomics and genomics aided crop improvement, nanotechnology, novel agrochemicals, biologicals, nutraceuticals, precision and organic farming and biofuels and others. While crop improvement and breeding will continue to be its major mandate, the thrust is being shifted to new strategic areas. The Institute provides leadership in environmental related new and emerging areas such as climate change, impact of CO2 enrichment on crop productivity, greenhouse gas emission from different crops and cropping systems, development of technologies to mitigate emission of greenhouse gases and development of technologies for climate resilient agriculture.
Human Resource Planning and Development
IARI rightly deserves the sobriquet “Mother Institute” as its alumni form the backbone of teaching, research and research management of agriculture in the country. The contribution of IARI towards human resources development for the national and international agricultural research and education systems is unparalleled.
The Institute plays a key role in training manpower for the expanding agricultural extension system in the states, especially in agricultural universities. It has effectively demonstrated the relevance of new technologies and designed new extension strategies for technology dissemination. In the process, it has also provided valuable scientific feed-back to the scientists. The infrastructural facilities which have been developed at IARI during the recent years provide ideal conditions for advanced level trainings in the frontier areas like crop biotechnology, phenomics, post-harvest technology, integrated soil and nutrient management, integrated pest management, environment management, water management, application of nuclear science in agricultural research, eco-friendly technologies, agricultural management, economic assessment, etc.
New ‘breed’ of human resources would be needed to deal with IPR and bio-safety issues and the uncommon opportunities arising from biotechnological and information system revolutions.
The IARI Library, playing the role of National Agricultural Library of India, maintains the tempo of its growth and development with a collection of 6.0 lakh publications—books, monographs, scientific journals, research bulletins, theses and electronic data bases, etc. It serves 2000 registered members of its own besides serving 8000 research scholars visiting the Library and availing photocopying, bibliographic and electronic literature services.
Community Engagement
The changing socio-economic scenario also calls for stimulation and support of micro-enterprises with greater focus on rural entrepreneurship development through agribusiness extension system with sound farmer-advisory services based on demand driven technologies. Local self-government in the form of Panchayati Raj institutions is expected to play an important role in promoting and transferring suitable technologies at village level and generating effective linkages with various development agencies. Inter- sectoral micro-level planning for rural development involving different sectors like forestry, environment, irrigation, agro-industry, health and education will become a necessity for synergizing their collective output. Women empowerment through capacity building programmes will also have be developed to ensure livelihood security.
Internationalization
At the international level, the Institute has close linkages with several of the CGIAR’s international agricultural research centres (IARCs), more particularly with ICRISAT, CIMMYT, IRRI, IFPRI, INSAR, IIMI, ICARDA and IPGRI and CABI. Among other international organizations, FAO, IAEA, USAID, UNDP, WMO, UNIDO (through ICGEB) and UNEP have been the closest allies. Several bilateral research linkages involving developed and developing countries exist. These include linkages with USDA, selected universities in USA, Rockefeller Foundation, European Commission, ODA, DANIDA, IDRC, SIDA, JAICA, JIRC, CSIRO, ACIAR, MASHAV (Israel), IRRDB, AVRDC, (Taiwan), PPIC, etc.
The PG School should be able to generate substantial resources through enhanced enrolment of foreign and NRI-sponsored students. On the lines of the universities, the Institute will need some flexibility in the ICAR rules and guidelines in sourcing such additional funds. The capacity of the Institute will further be strengthened to prepare projects capable of attracting funding from international sources, both multilateral and bilateral, such as the World Bank, UNDP/FAO, other UN agencies, CGIAR (mostly through joint and partnership activities), consortia, ACIAR, JAICA, JIRCA and the European Commission.
Industry Interaction
The researches carried out at IARI have generated an environment for industrialization and exports. For example, Pusa Basmati 1 has led to the modernization of rice mills and exports. The horticultural crops, through increased production, have induced a growth in the processing industry and exports of value added products. The private agro-chemical industries got a boost from the indigenous technologies for pesticides and agro-chemicals developed at the Institute for commercial adoption.
The Institute has established a Business Development Cell for looking after the commercialization of IARI technologies, IPR issues, filing of patents, etc. Some of the successful technologies, processes, etc., generated and commercialized are listed as follows: Neem based pesticide formulations; Additives for improved photo stability of Azadirachtin-A; Greenhouse environment management and protection system;
Micro controller for greenhouse environment control; Animal feed block formation machine; Vegetable and fruit grader; Rock phosphate enriched biogas slurry; Pusa zero energy cool chamber; Diagnostics for viruses.
6.2.2 Describe the university’s internal organizational structure and decision making processes and their effectiveness.
The administrative and technical head of IARI is its Director. The Board of Management, with the Director as its chairman, served by four councils, namely, Research Advisory Committee, Academic Council, Extension Council and Executive Council, provides the overall management direction. The Director is assisted by a Joint Director (Research), a Dean & Joint Director (Education) and a Joint Director (Extension), who is equivalent to the Directors of ICAR institutes, which are not deemed universities. Joint Director (Administration) looks after the day-to-day administrative work. The Comptroller has the overall charge of the audit and accounts matters. Presently, the research, education, and extension
activities of the Institute are carried out through a network of 20 discipline-based divisions, 2 multidisciplinary centres, 8 regional stations, 2 off-season nurseries, 10 centres of AICRP and a common set of service units. The Institute also serves as the headquarters of 3 All India Coordinated Research Projects.
The Institute has a total sanctioned strength of 3,221 comprising 598 scientific, 530 administrative, 730 technical and 1,363 supporting staff.
6.2.3 Does the university have a formal policy to ensure quality? How is it designed, driven, deployed and reviewed? No formal policy is in vogue.
6.2.4 Does the university encourage its academic departments to function independently and autonomously and how does it ensure accountability?
Yes. IARI encourages all its academic departments to function independently. However, to ensure accountability, some of the critical decisions on academics are made through Dean and Director to ensure coordination and accountability.
6.2.5 During the last four years, have there been any instances of court cases filed by and against the institute? What were the critical issues and verdicts of the courts on these issues?
No
6.2.6 How does the university ensure that grievances or complaints are promptly attended to and resolved effectively? Is there a mechanism to analyze the nature of grievances for promoting better stakeholder- relationship?
The institute has a Vigilance Section as well as a Grievance Committee for redressal of the grievances.
6.2.7 Does the university have a mechanism for analyzing student feedback on institutional performance?
If yes, what was the institutional response?
Student feedback system is prevailing. Institutional response is to implement the positive and effective points.
6.2.8 Does the university conduct performance audit of the various departments?:
No
6.2.9 What mechanisms have been evolved by the university to identify the developmental needs of its affiliated institutions?
Not Applicable
6.2.10 Does the university have a vibrant College Development Council (CDC) or Board of College and University Development (BCUD)? If yes, detail its structure, functions and achievements.
No. However, Institute has Board of Management (BoM) Committee in place (for details: see Section 3.1.1).