New Initiative for Farmers on Swami Vivekananda Jayanti: Launch of Organic Farming App

Maharana Pratap Agriculture University launched the Organic Farming app on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda Jayanti. The event was organized by the Directorate of Student Welfare at the administrative building, where a floral tribute was offered at the statue of Swami Vivekananda.

The chief guest, the Honorable Vice Chancellor, addressed the students, urging them to draw inspiration from Swami Vivekananda's personality. He highlighted the immense contribution Swamiji made to the nation in his short life, emphasizing values like harmony, tolerance, dedication, strength, proximity, and human principles as the foundation for building one's personality. He encouraged the youth to adopt Swamiji's ideals, which would empower them to contribute to the nation's progress.

Dr. S.K. Sharma, Associate Director of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the special guest, spoke about the importance of reading Swami Vivekananda’s literature. He credited much of his success to Swamiji’s teachings and shared a personal anecdote about the role of concentration and focus in achieving one’s goals.

During the event, the Vice Chancellor, Dr. Ajit Kumar Karnataka, along with Dr. Shanti Kumar Sharma, Assistant Director General (Human Resource Management), ICAR, New Delhi, launched the "Organic Farming" mobile app. This app, developed under the National Agricultural Development Scheme, aims to provide farmers, scientists, students, and agriculture department officials with useful information about organic farming. Dr. Karnataka mentioned that this app would not only help farmers become self-reliant but also promote sustainable agricultural development, supporting the growth of the agriculture sector in the digital age. He praised the efforts of the app's creators, including Dr. Shanti Kumar Sharma, Project Coordinator Dr. Ravi Kant Sharma, Co-Coordinators Dr. Amit Trivedi, Dr. S.S. Lakhawat, Dr. Hari Singh, Dr. Devendra Jain, Dr. Shravan, and Dr. Ravindra Kumar Jain.

Dr. Shanti Kumar Sharma explained that the app includes information about various organic inputs, advanced techniques, and effective modules developed over six years by the university’s project. This will allow farmers to access crucial information on organic farming from their mobile phones, thus accelerating the spread of organic farming in India.

Dr. Arvind Verma, Director of Research, mentioned that the app provides detailed instructions on the preparation of organic fertilizers, bio-pesticides, and bio-products, helping farmers produce these products themselves and reduce the cost of farming.

The program was attended by Dr. Anupam Bhatnagar, Dean of the university’s constituent colleges, Dr. Lokesh Gupta, Director of Extension, Dr. R.L. Soni, Special Officer Dr. Virendra Nepal, and students. The event began with a welcome address by Dr. Manoj Mahla, Officer of Student Welfare, who shared important aspects of Swami Vivekananda's personality.