Patna: A two-day seminar on the theme ‘Intellectual Property Rights: Concept to Commercialization’ concluded at Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), Sabour on Sunday.
The second day began with a technical session featuring Dr CK Dwivedi, Deputy Registrar of Intellectual Property Rights, New Delhi, as the expert speaker. Dr Anil Kumar Singh, Director of Research at BAU, along with Dr RC Chaudhary and Dr Ravi Goyal, Director of NIAM, Jaipur, were among the dignitaries on stage. Dr Goyal praised the progress made by the university under the leadership of Vice-Chancellor Dr DR Singh, highlighting the success of its business incubator, SabAgris, established in 2019.
Earlier in the day, Dr Goyal and KV Iyer, Director of ABIS at IIT Kharagpur, visited Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Sabour. Accompanied by senior scientists including Dr Rajesh Kumar, the delegation inspected various units such as the machine shed, mushroom production centre, soil testing laboratory, and livestock units. Dr Goyal described KVK Sabour as the finest among all KVKs in India, citing its integrated agricultural practices as exemplary.
Technical presentations continued throughout the day. Dr CK Panda from BAU delivered a talk on strategies for commercialising intellectual property innovations, noting that India ranks 39th on the Global Innovation Index. Dr Umakant Dubey, Deputy Registrar for Plant Protection Variety, discussed the Plant Variety Protection Act, which grants equal status to scientists and farmers, and highlighted case studies including jackfruit varieties from Karnataka. Progressive farmer Amit Kumar from Gaya spoke on the conservation of indigenous seeds and the impacts of climate change.
In the closing ceremony, Dr RC Chaudhary, who served at BAU between 1971 and 1984, called the university his “maternal home” and praised the leadership of Dr DR Singh and Dr Anil Kumar Singh. He also expressed his willingness to continue supporting the university in the future.
The seminar concluded with session reports and reflections from progressive farmers such as Satyadev Singh and Omkar Mahato, who emphasised preserving indigenous seeds over hybrids. Certificates were awarded to notable contributors, including Dr Satyendra Kumar, Dr Ravi Goyal, Dr RK Suhane, Dr VK Dubey, Dr Panda, and Dr Shailwala Dei.
An e-poster competition for students was also held during the seminar, with Jyoti Singh securing first place, Ruchi Priya second, and Sadhna Kumari third.
