Kovind urges agricultural scientists to help in improving lives of farmers

President Ram Nath Kovind urged agricultural scientists Thursday to assist in improving the lives of farmers who have helped India achieve food security and build its foreign exchange reserves through exports of farm produce.

Addressing the first convocation of Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University here, he linked the state of farmers with the overall prosperity of a nation.

"It is only by improving farmers' lives that overall prosperity of a nation can be ensured. Those specialising in agricultural studies have to play an important role in achieving this goal," Kovind said.

Agricultural scientists must also be mindful of the possible impact of climate change across the world and devise ways to protect productivity, he said.

The president underscored the need to improve the nutritive value of farm produce besides new innovations to offset challenges posed by limited availability of land and frequent rainfall deficits.

Kovind also fondly recalled his tenure as the Governor of Bihar and paid tributes to first President Rajendra Prasad, after whom the university has been named, and former Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur, who hailed from this north Bihar district.

Earlier, a state university, the institution was granted central status through an Act of Parliament in 2016.

Addressing the function, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar spoke about the progress made in the field of agriculture in the state in the last one decade and the steps taken by his government to facilitate the same.

He also recalled the contribution of American philanthropist Henry Phipps Jr in establishing the Indian Agricultural Research Institute here which led to the acronym PUSA (Phipps of USA), after which the locality in Samastipur came to be known and which is also the reason why the street in Delhi, where the institute was subsequently moved is known as Pusa Road.

Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh lauded the contribution of scientists associated with the university and assured them all central help for the betterment of the institution.

More than 300 undergraduate and post-graduate students were awarded degrees at the convocation. Thirty three students, including 25 women, were given gold medals.

The president reached Samastipur town from Patna, where he was received in the morning by Governor Lalji Tandon, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and Bihar Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary.