Noted agronomist Mangi Lal Jat appointed as director general of ICAR

Mangi Lal Jat, presently director, global research programme on resilient farm and food systems at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), has been appointed as the new secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

 

Jat replaces Himanshu Pathak, who joined ICRISAT on March 6 as its director general. Since then, Union agriculture secretary Devesh Chaturvedi had also been holding the additional charge of secretary, DARE.

 

The Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet cleared the appointment of ML Jat as the next director general of ICAR late last night.  Dr Jat has been appointed for three years from the date of assuming charge.

 

 

Jat is a well-recognised systems agronomist with over 25 years of experience in systems science across the developing world.

 

His research areas include conservation agriculture, regenerative agriculture, farming systems, precision farming and climate-smart agriculture. Some observers said that Jat’s appointment as the head of ICAR, the country's premier agricultural research institute, underscores the importance of sustainable farming practices.

 

Jat also served at CGIAR (a global research partnership that works to transform food, land and water systems, addressing issues such as climate change, biodiversity and food security) for 13 years.

 

He has served over 12 years at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) as principal scientist-cum-systems agronomist and systems science strategy lead, and one year at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

 

He also served 12 years at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) as systems agronomist.

 

Born in Pachkodiya, Rajasthan, on May 4, 1971, Jat holds a PhD in agronomy with a specialisation in soil moisture conservation in rainfed pearl millet from the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi.

 

He has mentored and guided over four dozen students in systems science across the world.

 

Jat has also served at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Society of Precision Agriculture (ISPA), and several other international and national bodies in various capacities.

 

A fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), Jat has several awards and recognitions to his credit, including ICAR’s prestigious Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award. 

Welcoming the appointment, ICAR Governing Council Member, Venugopal Badaravada, who has been running a sustained campaign to expose wrong-doings in the premier research institute said that Dr Lal Jat is a rare combination of simplicity, dynamism, and international perspective.

 

He said for the first time, the Government of India has appointed a person to this key position with a defined three-year tenure — a bold and welcome step. I have full faith that under his leadership, ICAR will not only hold regular and result-oriented Governing Body meetings, but will also undergo a much-needed overhaul.