Srinagar, March 22: Government of India, in a landmark decision, has approved Rs 42-crore Agri-Excellence programme on ‘Application of Electronics and ICT in Himalayan Region Crop Management’ as a consortium project with Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir as a nodal agency.
The project sanctioned by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for a period of four years, has some prestigious institutions of the country: Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (c-DAC) Kolkatta and Mohali, Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) Durgapur and Ludhiana, and Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI) Bangalore, as partners. The project will focus on Saffron, walnut and apple which are major contributors to the bioeconomy of J&K.
With Agri Excellence Program, MeitY is working for the first time with any agricultural university in the country. The project has been granted to SKUAST-K for its bold initiative of establishing the full-fledged Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (CAIML), and instituting a 4-year BTech Program on AI in Agriculture jointly with IIT Mandi. Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, said this groundbreaking mega project is going to revolutionize the Agriculture in the Himalayan region through the integration of advanced electronics, artificial intelligence, and precision agriculture technologies. The project shall also provide a vibrant platform for the students to innovate and peruse their projects with access to the most advanced facilities and expertise across five partner institutes, he added. While congratulating Prof Syed Zameer Hussain, Principal Investigator along with Co-PIs and other Scientists of the university for bagging this project, the Vice Chancellor thanked Secretary MeitY Shri S Krishanan for approving it and reposing trust in SKUAST-K.
For saffron, robotic solutions will be developed for weed management, saffron harvesting and stigma separation. In addition, a viable and replicable model for soilless cultivation of saffron will be developed. For walnuts a smart harvester, advanced AI guided solutions for segregating walnuts on the basis of shell thickness/wholesomeness and rapid aflatoxin detection solutions shall be developed. For apples non-invasive solution for detecting internal quality defects shall be developed. Hackathons and Grand challenges related to scope and application of electronics and ICT for Himalayan crop management shall also be conducted. The outcome of this project is expected to give impetus to Horticultural sector of J&K and will boost the production, quality, market competitiveness and export potential saffron, apple and walnuts. With this initiative, SKUAST-K continues to pave the way for smart, sustainable, and technology-driven agricultural advancements in the Himalayan region, promising a transformative impact on farmers and the agricultural sector at large.
MeitY is a stand-alone ministry, responsible for formulating and implementing national policies and programs aimed at enabling the continuous development of the electronics and IT industry. It is promoting the adoption of cutting-edge technologies like 5G, AI, blockchain, augmented reality & virtual reality, machine learning and deep learning, robots and natural language processing, to create significant economic and societal impact. The co-partner of this Agri-Excellence program, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is again a premier research and development organization of MeitY, primarily focused on advanced computing and information technology solutions. It is renowned for its contributions to high-performance computing, software technologies, cybersecurity, and e-governance. C-DAC has played a pivotal role in developing India’s first supercomputer, PARAM, and continues to innovate in areas like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and IoT and robotics. The Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) Durgapur WB is a premier research institute under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). CMERI focuses on mechanical engineering research and development. Its mission is to foster innovation in areas like robotics, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and agricultural machinery. CMERI has contributed significantly to India’s technological advancements, including the development of smart agricultural systems, underwater robotics, and renewable energy solutions. It also collaborates with industries and academic institutions to promote technology transfer and skill development.
