Srinagar, Oct 6: Addressing a special session of the 60th Diamond Jubilee Convention of the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers (ISAE) at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Shalimar, the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati, called for ensuring that technological advancement in agriculture is accompanied by protection of farmers’ digital, economic and legal rights.
The three-day Diamond Jubilee Convention, hosted by SKUAST-K, brought together nearly 700 agricultural engineers, scientists, technocrats and students from India and abroad. The convention focused on themes including ‘Women Leading Engineering Innovations in Smart Farming’ and ‘AI and Robotics for Gen-Z Farming’.
“Today, every soldier—whether it be a farmer, a scientist, a teacher, a lawyer, or a judge—will have to be equipped with that kind of technology,” he said, drawing a parallel with the changing nature of modern warfare and the increasing use of drones and other advanced technologies.
Earlier, the Chief Justice visited the exhibition stalls set up outside the auditorium and reviewed technologies related to drip irrigation, crop monitoring and drone-based agricultural applications. He stressed the need to make such technologies accessible and understandable to farmers so that they can effectively adopt them.
Speaking during the session, Vice Chancellor, Prof Nazir A Ganai SKUAST-K, highlighted the need to accelerate technological interventions in agriculture to unlock the sector’s untapped potential. He said while the Green Revolution helped India overcome food shortages, the country now needs to focus on technology, skilled human resources and innovation to address emerging agricultural challenges.
The Vice Chancellor also underlined concerns related to technological and data sovereignty in agriculture, particularly with the increasing use of drones, sensors and digital platforms. He stressed that farmers’ rights must extend beyond markets, land and water to the digital domain as well.
The technical sessions featured addresses by Shri N.S. Rathore, Former Vice Chancellor, MPUAT, Udaipur, and Former Deputy Director General (Education), ICAR, on “AI-Driven Agricultural Technology, Smart Skills & Advanced Agricultural Techniques”, and Prof. V.P. Singh, Distinguished Professor, Texas A&M University, USA, on “Mathematical Modelling of the Water-Energy-Environment-Food Nexus.”
The session also highlighted the research and innovation ecosystem of SKUAST-K. Over the past five years, the University has generated 148 Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), including 62 product patents and five global patents, besides supporting 115 student startups and more than 130 commercialised products.
