ICAR
India's Agricultural Research Network
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous body under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. Established in 1929, ICAR is the largest network of agricultural research and education institutes in the world, overseeing 114 specialised units including 65 research institutions, 15 national research centres, 6 national bureaux, and 13 directorates/project directorates. Its mandate covers crop science, horticulture, natural resource management, agricultural engineering, animal science, fisheries, and agricultural education.
- ICAR's field extension network: 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and 11 Agricultural Technology Application Research Institutes (ATARIs) across India
- Major ICAR institutions: IARI (New Delhi) — known as the "wheat revolution" lab; IVRI (Bareilly); CIFE (Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai); NDRI (National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal); NBPGR (National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources)
- ICAR coordinates with CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research), the global network of crop research centres — including IRRI (rice), CIMMYT (wheat and maize), and ICRISAT (dryland crops)
- ICAR developed high-yielding wheat and rice varieties that powered India's Green Revolution in the 1960s-70s
● Tracked since March 27, 2026 · last seen May 18, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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