Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today addressed the 9th Convocation ceremony of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Jammu.
In his address, the Lieutenant Governor congratulated the graduating students and extended his best wishes to the university’s management, faculty, and staff on completing 25 remarkable years of service.
He praised the significant contributions of ‘Nari Shakti’ (women power) in driving innovation, productivity, and efficiency in the agriculture sector.
“Women scientists have made invaluable contributions in areas like climate-smart crops, pest management, biotech solutions, and organic farming,” he said.
LG Sinha proudly noted that women were leading academic excellence at SKUAST.
“Out of 8 gold medalists in postgraduate and graduate categories, 7 are our daughters. Similarly, 32 out of 35 Merit Certificates in PhD and Postgraduate streams were awarded to women,” he added.
“This is a symbol of the rising influence of Nari Shakti in agriculture and allied sectors. I believe they will drive innovation for sustainable agriculture and help enhance farmers’ incomes.”
During the convocation, the Lieutenant Governor emphasized the need to build a stronger ecosystem of innovation and modern technology in agriculture to ensure sustainability, improve farmer incomes, manage risks, and strengthen farmer-industry linkages.
“Farmer welfare is the top priority of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The positive impact of the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) and the Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP) in Jammu & Kashmir is now visible,” he said.
“Our approach, ‘Beej se Bazar tak’ (from seed to market), has driven complete transformation at every stage. The ‘Lab to Land’ initiative is helping small and marginal farmers become self-reliant,” he added.
LG Sinha called upon young scientists and agriculture experts to focus on smart farming.
He highlighted how advancements in seed production, pest management, food processing, and farm mechanization are opening up new avenues for youth in product development and quality control.
Key Inaugurations & Announcements
On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor inaugurated a state-of-the-art Ex-Situ Gene Bank, making SKUAST-Jammu the third institution in the country to house such a facility.
The gene bank will preserve genetic resources like seeds, plant tissue, and animal germplasm outside their natural environment—becoming an invaluable asset for research and breeding programmes.
He also laid the foundation stone for a 200-bedded Farmers’ Hostel and a new Faculty Building with shared academic facilities.
Degrees & Honors Conferred
A total of 446 degrees were awarded at the convocation, including 157 Master’s degrees, 46 Doctorates, and 243 Undergraduate degrees.
Eight Gold Medals were presented to meritorious students.
Dignitaries Present
The event was attended by Chief Minister Shri Omar Abdullah, Minister for Agriculture Production Shri Javid Ahmad Dar, Chief Secretary Shri Atal Dulloo, Principal Secretary of Agriculture Production Shri Shailendra Kumar, Vice Chancellor Dr. B.N. Tripathi, and several other dignitaries including university council members, faculty, students, Members of Legislative Assembly, and Vice Chancellors from various universities. (Agencies)
