**National Seminar on Hybrid Technology Focuses on Innovation**

 A three-day national seminar on hybrid technology to enhance crop productivity commenced on January 8 in Delhi. Renowned agricultural experts from across the country are participating in the seminar. From Rajasthan, Dr. Ajeet Kumar Karnataka, Vice Chancellor of Maharana Pratap Agriculture and Technology University, is participating in the event.

Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary, Mr. P.K. Mishra, held an in-depth discussion on government initiatives and strategies to promote agricultural progress through hybrid technologies. Agricultural scientists emphasized the importance of innovation and public-private partnerships to increase crop productivity.

In the seminar, Dr. R.S. Paroda, Chairman of the Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TASS) affiliated with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, Dr. Stanford Blade, Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, Dr. T. Mahapatra, former Director General of ICAR, Dr. H.P. Singh, former Deputy Director General of Horticulture, Dr. B.S. Dwivedi, Member of the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board, and Dr. R.C. Agarwal, Deputy Director General of Agricultural Education, discussed the importance of hybrid technology in ensuring food security and sustainable agriculture.

Scientists from the International Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Odisha (IRRI), and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, Mexico (CIMMYT) contributed to the discussion on how hybrid technology can enhance crop productivity.