DG, ICAR Inaugurates Training Program on Management of PGR

Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary, DARE & DG, ICAR, inaugurated as Chief Guest, a National Training Program on ‘Management of Plant Genetic Resources’, organized by ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi, on 6th March 2018. Dr A.K. Vyas ADG (HRM) was the Guest of Honor in the function.

Dr Kuldeep Singh, Director, ICAR-NBPGR and Course Director in his introductory speech briefed about the training program which was being attended by 21 participants from 12 different institutes of ICAR, SAU, CAU and CSIR and hailing from 12 states across India. In order to provide knowledge of PGR management, experts from diverse disciplines would be delivering lectures and conducting hands-on practicals. In all, 54 resource persons from ICAR-NBPGR, ICAR-IARI, PPV&FRA, Bioversity International, New Delhi, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, ICAR-IIMR, Hyderabad would be providing training during the two weeks program from March 6-19, 2018. Varied aspects of PGR management, such as plant exploration and collection, characterization and evaluation, conservation and use, standard operating procedures (SOPs), biotechnological approaches, bioinformatics, documentation and database management and international policies on exchange of PGR would be dealt in this program. Besides, field trips have also been envisaged. He placed on record his appreciation for the efforts made by Course Conveners (Drs S.K. Kaushik and Anuradha Agrawal) and Co-Conveners (Drs Sandeep Kumar and S. Rajkumar) in planning and arrangements of the program.

Dr A.K. Vyas apprised about the recent developments in the National Training Policy for all personnel in government departments, including its importance in the growth of organizations. He informed about the new codified Human Resource Management policy of ICAR, which was being rolled out and to be followed by all. He appreciated the initiative taken by ICAR-NBPGR to hold the present training which would help in developing competencies in this important subject.

During his inaugural address, Dr Mohapatra emphasized the importance of holding need-based trainings that should be thoroughly evaluated and assessed by independent agencies to quantify the impact of such trainings. He opined that both knowledge and skill base of staff needs to be periodically enhanced to improve organizational efficiency. He appreciated the efforts made in this regard by the HRM section of ICAR in the recent past. While appreciating his happiness for organization of the present generic training of PGR Management, Dr Mohapatra suggested that NBPGR should plan specific trainings on each subject to provide in-depth subject matter training too. He also suggested that trainees should be ‘bar-coded’ to act as future ambassadors and potential partners in PGR activities. He urged that efforts should be made to ensure that every trainee should contribute into the system, and the period of training does not go unutilized in the long-run.

The inaugural function concluded by a vote of thanks from Dr. Anuradha Agrawal, Course Convener.

(Source: ICAR- National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi)