Principal Secretary of the Agriculture Production Department, Shailendra Kumar, has been honored with the prestigious National Geospatial Leadership Award 2025. This award recognizes his exemplary leadership, dedication, and visionary efforts in advancing geospatial science and technology, particularly through the effective implementation of the Holistic Agriculture Development Program (HADP) in Jammu and Kashmir.
The award ceremony was part of the National Geospatial Awards 2025 (Edition 02), a flagship event of the FOSSEE GIS project organized by IIT Bombay under the National Mission on Education through ICT (NMEICT), Ministry of Education, Government of India. The felicitation was conducted by Professor Pennan Chinnasamy, Co-Principal Investigator, FOSSEE, IIT Bombay, along with Mohamed Kasim Khan M, National Coordinator, FOSSEE GIS (NMEICT).
Shailendra Kumar’s efforts have been instrumental in promoting the adoption of geospatial tools and open-source GIS technologies within the agricultural sector of Jammu and Kashmir. His support in integrating these technologies into HADP has enhanced data-driven decision-making, transparency, efficiency, and resource optimization in agri-governance.
The 2025 National Geospatial Awards recognized around 100 notable individuals across India, including IAS officers, armed forces personnel, ISRO scientists, vice chancellors, and senior academic faculty, for their contributions to the country’s geospatial ecosystem.
The event was organized by a core team led by Professor Kannan Moudgalya, Principal Investigator, FOSSEE, and included key members from IIT Bombay. Notably, IIT Bombay annually offers over 1,000 internship opportunities nationwide, including 100 for SKUAST-Kashmir students under the FOSSEE GIS initiative—an outcome of the MoU signed between SKUAST-Kashmir and IIT Bombay last year. This initiative aims to equip youth with advanced geospatial skills for future career opportunities.
Expressing gratitude, the Principal Secretary acknowledged the collaboration between the administration, the University, and the visiting faculty for creating such unique opportunities for students.
The award highlights the department’s continued commitment to innovation, capacity building, and technological empowerment in agriculture, earning it national acclaim for its progressive initiatives in recent years.