Trilochan Mohapatra takes charge as IARI's new director

Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), which played a major role in the country's Green Revolution, has appointed Trilochan Mohapatra as its new director after remaining headless for more than a year.
Mohapatra, previously head of Odisha-based Central Rice Research Institute, has taken charge as the new director of IARI with effect from Friday.
"It is a big responsibility. This premier institute has done tremendously well so far. But there is more to be done and our efforts will be on how best IARI can contribute to the nation building to uplift farmers' condition and remain globally competitive," Mohapatra told PTI after assuming charge.

Mohapatra, who has been working in the area of molecular genetics and genomics, has published over 145 research papers in national and international journals of repute.
He has developed the first high-yielding basmati rice variety resistant to bacterial sequencing of rice and tomato.
IARI's last director was H S Gupta, who after retirement, served the farm institute on extension till March 2014.
Since then, IARI has had two acting directors - K Vijayaraghavan (former Joint Director - Extension) and Ravinder Kaur (Project Director of the institute's Water Technology Centre).