Sabour: The Bihar Agricultural University (BAU) at Sabour celebrated its foundation day with a grand ceremony, marking 15 years of significant contributions to agricultural science and education. The event’s keynote speaker, Dr. Srinivas Rao, Director and Vice-Chancellor of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, praised the university’s rapid progress and called for a greater focus on innovation and export.
Dr. Rao lauded BAU’s journey, noting its impressive national standing in a relatively short period. “Bihar is no longer behind any state,” he stated. He urged the university to collaborate with national institutions like IARI to foster an environment of innovation and a startup culture, which would attract young people to the agriculture sector. He also emphasized the importance of making agricultural education more industry-oriented, digitally enabled, and solution-based.
A highlight of the ceremony was the release of a documentary on sindoor cultivation by former Union Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, who noted that BAU’s achievements in this area have gained international recognition. Another documentary, “Nanhi Umeeden,” which focuses on the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya adopted by the university, was released by Member of Parliament Ajay Mandal.
In a move to promote local products, a waterproof zipper bag of Katarni rice was also unveiled. The ceremony also saw the inauguration of a master trainer program on natural farming for Krishi Sakhis, along with the release of several books on subjects like crop physiology and agricultural engineering.
BAU Vice-Chancellor Dr. D.R. Singh called the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IARI a historic milestone, stating that it would usher in a new era for Bihar’s farmers, scientists, and students. MP Ajay Mandal described the university’s designation as the nodal agency for the North Eastern Plan by NITI Aayog as a “historic achievement,” serving as an inspiration for agricultural universities nationwide.
