| ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture, Bhubaneswar celebrated its 31st Foundation Day on 17 February 2026. Dr. Rajbir Singh, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension), Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest through virtual mode. Dr. Rajarshi Roy Burman and Dr. Ranjay K. Singh, Assistant Directors General (Agricultural Extension), joined the programme virtually as Guests of Honour. |
| Dr. Mridula Devi, Director of the Institute, formally welcomed the dignitaries, delegates, women farmers, entrepreneurs and staff. In her address, she highlighted the significant achievements of the Institute, particularly in developing ICAR Gender strategy, technology development and commercialization, patent and design registrations, and innovative extension models aimed at enhancing productivity in alignment with national priorities. She emphasized the pivotal role of ICAR-CIWA in promoting women-led empowerment in agriculture and allied sectors and acknowledged the invaluable contributions of women farmers to agricultural development. |
| In his address, the Hon’ble DDG (Agricultural Extension) congratulated the Institute on completing 30 years of dedicated service and underscored the need to develop a comprehensive roadmap for the institute to further strengthen its impact on gender responsive research and extension and women empowerment. Dr. Rajarshi Roy Burman appreciated ICAR-CIWA as a unique and premier institution committed to empowering women in agriculture. He stressed the importance of strengthening research collaborations with international organizations, ICAR institutes, State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). Dr. Ranjay K. Singh advised the Institute to intensify research on the social dimensions of climate change, particularly its impact on women farmers. He also emphasized enhancing the visibility of ICAR-CIWA’s publications through systematic showcasing on the Institute’s website. A Scientist–Farmer Interface was organized as part of the celebration, wherein women farmers interacted with the expert team of ICAR-CIWA and received solutions to their queries. Five progressive women entrepreneurs from different adopted villages were felicitated for their exemplary contributions in homestead agriculture, and value addition and processing. The programme witnessed the participation of 164 participants, including 14 Sarpanch, women farmers, entrepreneurs, and staff members of the Institute. The programme ended with vote of thanks by Dr. Lipi Das, Principal Scientist and Convener of the programme. |
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