Aug 5, 2025: "Nari shakti," or women's power, has made a significant impact on agricultural innovation, productivity, and efficiency, according to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. Sinha praised the outstanding performance of female students at the 9th convocation ceremony of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) in Jammu, where they received 252 of 446 degrees, seven of eight gold medals, and 32 of 35 merit certificates. Women are driving development in the agricultural and related industries.

The fact that seven of the eight postgraduate and graduate students who have won gold medals are our daughters makes me extremely proud. Additionally, 32 Certificates of Merit in PhD and postgraduate courses were given to girls out of 35 awards. The L-G stated, "I believe they will be driving innovation for sustainable agriculture and enhancing farmers' income. It is a symbol of the rising influence of "nari shakti" in agriculture and allied sectors." He continued, "The participation of women scientists has made an invaluable contribution in areas like climate smart crops, pest management, biotech solutions, and organic farming." Sinha also mentioned the need for a stronger ecosystem of innovation and cutting-edge technology for sustainable agricultural practices. This ecosystem should prioritize farmer incomes, risk mitigation, and strengthening the connections between farmers and industries.

"Our mantra in J&K has been total transformation at all stages of "Beej se Bazar tak" (from seed to market). The resolution of "lab to land" has been implemented to empower marginal and small farmers, the L-G stated. He urged the most recent generation of scientists and experts to concentrate on intelligent farming. He stated that opportunities for the young professional to contribute to product development and quality control have been ensured by the revolution in seed production, pest management, food processing, and farm mechanization.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah lauded the agricultural scientists, faculty and students in driving innovation and called for farmer-centric research to build self-reliant Jammu and Kashmir.
He also stated that is was an absolute pleasure to see so many girls receiving gold medals, a shining example of women excelling in agri-education and research. “Gone are the days when it was thought that agriculture and allied sectors were the exclusive domain of men who have to fight for their rightful place by virtue of hardwork,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of agriculture and allied sectors, he said this is an area which has a rich potential and needs a focussed attention from the government and the academia to build self-reliant Jammu and Kashmir with farmer-centric research.
“This sector is the most important part of our economy. In terms of visibility, tourism is seen as more important while industry also gets a lot of attention. But if you look at the GDP of J&K as a state, as a territory, agriculture and allied sectors far exceed anything else that contributes to the economy of the J&K,” Abdullah said.
The LG also dedicated a cutting-edge Ex-Situ Gene Bank to the occasion. This facility will be an invaluable resource for breeding and research programs because it will preserve genetic resources like seeds, plant tissue, and animal germplasm outside of their natural environments. Additionally, the Lieutenant Governor laid the groundwork for a faculty building with common academic facilities and a 200-bed farmers' hostel.