NEW DELHI: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated Advanced Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programme (A-ESDP) Campus at National Agri-Food and Biomanufacturing Institute (NABI).

Dhankhar said, “I am the son of a farmer. A son of the farmer will always commit himself to truth…...He further added, “India’s soul resides in its villages, with the rural system serving as the backbone of the nation. The path to a developed India passes through its villages. A developed India is no longer just a dream; it is our goal,” emphasising his deep-rooted connection to agriculture.

Addressing the gathering at the inauguration of Advanced Entrepreneurship And Skill Development Programme (A-ESDP) Campus at National Agri-Food and Biomanufacturing Institute (NABI), Mohali,  Dhankhar further said, “If we look into our historical past, India was known to be a land of knowledge and wisdom, particularly in science, astronomy and what not. Every aspect of human life finds reflection in our Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas. And we are a nation that takes pride in having ancient institutions like Nalanda, Takshashila and the kind. Something happened around 11th or 12th century, and there was a digression. Marauders came, invaders came, and they were reckless in destroying our institutions, Nalanda being one of them. Our cultural centres, going to the extent of being so retributive, perversion of a very different kind over our religious centres they built their own. The nation faced it. Then came the British rule. Systematically, we got laws that were meant to subserve them. We got education that destroyed ours and created not an ecosystem of full exploitation of our talent. The best part is, we are springing back,” he noted.

Speaking on the significance of research, the Vice-President laid out a clear vision: “All institutions in the country will have to pass the litmus test. And the litmus test is—what impact is being created? In a positive sense, it should be like an earthquake, with the impact being felt. A research for the sake of research, a research that is for the self, a research that is to be kept on the shelf, the research that comes out as a personal embellishment is not the research which the nation needs. Research is not giving a paper by scratching the surface. Research is not to impress the one who is ignorant of the subject. Research is to impress those who know the subject as much as you know or more than you know at a global benchmark. And that research can't be just abstract academics. The research has to have impact on what we are doing. And I'm sure this is an area where you have enough scope.” he noted.

Reiterating India’s civilizational strength, he stated, “The century belongs to Bharat. This is being doubted by no one except some in our country. My appeal to them, as an Indian, as a Bhartiya: our commitment to our nation, belief in the principle of the nation being first, and subscribing to the ideology that no interest—personal, political, or otherwise—is higher than national interest.”

Dhankhar highlighted, “I see farm produce is sold when it is not farmers market, it is buyers market. The government provides facilities to hold on to the stock by massive warehousing and cooperative movement. I can tell you the farm policies of the government are so helping the farmer. The farmer has to know about it. You can play a great role. Because we cannot allow that our farmers get anything but the very best. No short change for the farm sector. No short change for the farmer. That has to be our motto. Institutes like yours must have live connect with Krishi Vigyan Kendras, with Institutes of Indian Council of Agriculture Research, he stated.

Dhankhar called for the revitalization of rural economies through micro-industries that add value to agricultural and dairy products. “There must be evolution of a mechanism in a village or in a cluster of villages where you have micro industries at the farm that add value to the agro produce, that add value to the livestock produced, milk produced. This will help evolve a sustainable society and the nutritional food value will certainly go up. What stops us from having entrepreneurial skills to produce ice creams, paneer, sweets, and the like in village clusters? This is very important because it will generate employment and satisfy rural youth.”

He further emphasized that technology must be integrated into farming practices to improve efficiency and productivity saying, “Startups are there in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. They have to trickle to villages now because agriculture produce is lifeline of economy, raw material for industry. And when this takes place, close to the farmland in the rural firmament, evolving as a cluster, economy will take a jump, and people will believe in the farmland.

Dhankhar urged farmers to stay informed about advancements in technology and its potential benefits. “A farmer is by and large clinging to his tractor. He wants to use the tractor for as long as it can last, ignorant of the fact that new technology is becoming environment-friendly, fuel-efficient, multifunctional, and highly subsidized. There has to be an awareness campaign,” he emphasized.

He encouraged collective efforts, stating, “Form small groups, market your product at a price of your choice. You don’t need anybody’s help. You only have to know your inner strength to change your economy to a very high level.”