Jul 13, 2022 :
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India notified and released BAIF-evolved fodder crop varieties of Pearl millet namely BAIF Bajra-5 and BAIF Bajra-6, as suitable for cultivation in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh vide their Notification of July 13, 2022.
Jul 12, 2022: BAIF Senior Management headed by Mr. Bharat K. Kakade, President, and comprising of Dr. Ashok Pande, Group Vice President, Scientific Research and Livestock Development, Dr. Raviraj Jadhav, Programme Director and Regional Director – BAIF Livelihoods North , Mr. Pramodkumar Takawale, Programme Director, Agricultural Research, Dr. Vitthal Kauthale, Senior Thematic Programme Executive and Shri. Vinay K. Mishra, Additional Chief Programme Executive, BISLD UP, had discussions with Dr. Amaresh Chandra, Director, ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi and senior scientists of IGFRI on collaborative research and technology transfer including holistic development in Bundelkhand Region. The BAIF team visited various demonstration models on Silvipasture, Hortipasture and Forage Technology and the Plant-Animal Relationship and Farm Machinery and Post-harvest technology divisions. The team also interacted with Dr. A. Arunachalam, Director, ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi.
Jun 18, 2022 : The “Sansad Adarsh Village Development Project” at Mal Samot, Dediapada in Narmada district, was in the limelight when a high-level team of officials from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India and Government of Gujarat visited the village. The Mission comprised of the Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, GoI, Mr. Anil Kumar Jha, IAS, Secretary, Tribal Development Department, Government of Gujarat, Dr. S. Murali Krishna, IAS, CEO, D-SAG, Gandhinagar, Mr. R.S. Ninama, IAS, Project Administrator, TSP Narmada, Mr. B.K. Patel, Schaeffler India – Senior Executive – CSR – Mr. Bilal Kazi, District Planning Officer, senior personnel from Narmada and Tapi districts, BAIF Programme Director (Programmes), Dr. Rajashree Joshi, Chief Programme Executive, Mr. Jayanti Mori, BISLD Gujarat and other senior officials from BAIF Pune and BISLD Gujarat.
The Secretary, MoTA, appreciated the work of BAIF in holistic development and especially in the areas of sustainable agriculture, natural resources management, convergence and skill-based training. He also interacted with the farmers, women and youth of the village to learn about their progress and the problems encountered by the villagers. He also visited Dabka village to observe the functioning of solar-based water pumps for irrigation and interacted with the farmers about the scope of the watershed development programme in sustainable management of natural resources. The visitors also took keen interest in understanding the initiatives taken up by BAIF in agro-biodiversity conservation and the practices of traditional healers in tribal areas.
Jun 07, 2022: A MoU was signed between Odisha Livestock Resources Development Society (OLRDS) and BAIF Livelihoods Odisha for providing bovine breeding and allied services by skilling and deployment of 1500 youth as Multipurpose Artificial Insemination Technicians in Rural India (MAITRI). Shri. Bharat Kakade, Managing Director, BAIF Livelihoods and President, BAIF Development Research Foundation and Dr. Yedulla Vijay, IAS, Vice President, OLRDS and Director, AH&VS, signed the MoU. Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri. Naveen Patnaik while presiding over the programne virtually, acknowledged the contribution of BAIF to bovine breeding and extended his best wishes to the organisation. The Minister, Fisheries and ARD, Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary (Development Commissioner and APC), Principal Secretary, ARD and other dignitaries were present in-person at the event.
Secretary to Chief Minister, Shri. V.K. Pandian, IAS, Hon’ble Minister, Agriculture, Fisheries and ARD, Shri. Ranendra Pratap Swain, Shri. Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, Chief Secretary, Shri. Pradeep Kumar Jena, Development Commissioner, Shri. Sanjeev Chopra, Agriculture Production Commissioner, Shri. R. Raghu Prasad, Principal Secretary, Fisheries & ARD and Mrs. Sujata R. Karthikeyan, Secretary, Mission Shakti, graced the occasion along with other dignitaries.
April 28, 2022 :
‘Maharashtra Gene Bank Programme for Conservation, Management and Revival of Local Bio-Resources’ was initiated in the year 2014 covering over 142 villages spread over nine districts from different agro-climatic zones of Maharashtra. The BAIF Programme aims at preventing the erosion of valuable genetic resources, ensuring enriched knowledge and their conservation while being directly linked with food security, livelihood and climate change adaptation capacity of rural and tribal communities.
With an aim to document native natural resources and conserve them with the help of the local community that will ensure not just biodiversity conservation but also inclusion of traditional knowledge, the Maharashtra Cabinet approved the Maharashtra Gene Bank, a first-of-its-kind project in India. BAIF welcomed the decision of the Government of Maharashtra to widen the scope of the Maharashtra Gene Bank Programme and continue its mission of Agrobiodiversity conservation.
April 27, 2022 :
Dr. Manibhai Desai, the Founder of BAIF pioneered the Rural Development Movement in India. Today, it is because of his vision that 4 million families have come out of poverty through BAIF’s innovative programmes of dairy husbandry, water resources development and tribal rehabilitation and firm commitment to environmental protection, women empowerment and community health in 12 states. He also inspired thousands of youth to join the voluntary movement. The BAIF family spread across various states paid their tribute to their Founder on the occasion of his 102nd birth anniversary and pledged to continue his mission of Sustainable Rural Development.
The Jan Samvad (community dialogue) initiative was launched on this day to commemorate the birth anniversary of Late Dr. Manibhai Desai. The event was held at Dr. Manibhai Desai Memorial Garden at Lachhakadi. Many villagers from surrounding villages who had worked with Dr. Manibhai Desai, shared their experiences and the transformation that had taken place in their lives and that of their villages. This initiative promoted by BISLD, South Gujarat, aims at establishing a regular dialogue with the community to enable them to share their experiences, issues, efforts and aspirations and to understand their perspective towards development, suitable solutions suggested by them and resources to be mobilised. With regular engagement with the local communities, data sets of potential villages and their issues will be generated and the scope for innovation and programme development will be strengthened.
April 24, 2022 :
The bust of Dr. Manibhai Desai, the Founder of BAIF and a close associate of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, was unveiled by the President of BAIF, Mr. Bharat Kakade at the Dr. Manibhai Desai Navchetan Secondary School operated by BAIF at Chondha, Navsari district of Gujarat, to commemorate the 102nd birth anniversary of this visionary. Mr. V.B. Dyasa, Regional Director, BISLD West, Mr. Jayanti Mori, Chief Programme Executive, BISLD Gujarat, Mr. Subodh Desai, Advisor, BAIF, Mr. Abhishek Pandey, Additional Chief Programme Executive, BISLD Gujarat and other senior officials from BAIF were present on this occasion.
April 19, 2022: A MoU was signed between BAIF Livelihoods Odisha and Government of Odisha for breeding bull production using ART and Genomic evaluation techniques in Cuttack, Odisha in the presence of Dr. Yeddula Vijay, Director, AH & VS, Government of Odisha, Mr. Rakesh Warrier, Programme Director and Regional Director – East, Dr. Jayant Khadse, Research Director, BAIF Central Research Station (CRS), Urulikanchan and Dr. Sachin Joshi, Senior Thematic Programme Executive, CRS and other senior officials of the Directorate.
April 05, 2022: Mr. Bhabani Prasad Pati, IFS, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Government of India visited the Comprehensive Community Development Programme (CCDP) cluster in Angul, Odisha. This programme is being implemented by BISLD Odisha with the support of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd.
85 women beneficiaries of Mission Sunehra Kal, being implemented in Lunkaransar, Bikaner district, participated enthusiastically in the celebration organised at Garbedeshwar village on March 8, 2022. Sarpanch of the village, Kavita Swami, Scientists from Krishi Vigyan Kendra Lunakaransar, Dr. Richa Pant and Dr. Bhagawat Singh and Smt. Poonam Mahala, Principal, Senior Secondary School and Smt. Krishna Devi from Urmul Sansthan were present on the occasion. The guests provided detailed information about various Government programmes and schemes for women, capacity building and cottage industries and promotion of kitchen gardens for nutritional security of the family. The project aims at strengthening arid farming system for sustainable development, promote NRM-based activities and Integrated Agricultural Practices and strengthen the local community through the formation of village development centres.
The event was celebrated under the HDFC-supported Holistic Rural Development Programme at Lalsot Kasbe cluster office in Dausa district on March 7, 2022 through prize distribution and participation of 36 women in various events such as musical chairs, lemon and spoon race and other competitions which were enjoyed by the participating women.
The Sustainable Agriculture Management and Development by Human Action for Nature (Samadhan) Project organised an event – Sakhi Utsav at Rajpura Dariba in Rajsamand district with successful women farmers, enlisting the enthusiastic participation of 135 women beneficiaries. The project is being implemented in 174 villages of 5 districts in association with Hindustan Zinc Ltd. Multi-sectoral interventions aiming at socio-economic well-being of the rural community are being promoted through various agriculture and livestock-based activities resulting in enhanced income and improved productivity.
Binod Bhengra, a wadi participant of the Wadi Programme funded under Tribal Development Fund being implemented at Torpa, Khunti district, Jharkhand, was felicitated by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Shri. Hemant Soren on February 23, 2022 in Ranchi. Agriculture Minister, GoJ, Chief Secretary, GoJ , Agriculture Secretary,Goj and CGM NABARD,RO, Ranchi were also present.
A team of senior scientists from Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) Jodhpur headed by Dr. Akath Singh, Principal Scientist, visited the BAIF Desert Research Centre at Barmer on February 19, 2022. The team interacted with the farmers on the improvement in productivity of harvested rainwater in traditional water harvesting structures through integration of horticulture and agroforestry system and also visited the farmers’ fields and were appreciative of the programme undertaken by BAIF. Dr. Raghvendra Dubey, Thematic Programme Executive and Mr. D.K. Tiwari, Additional Chief Programme Executive from BAIF accompanied the team on their visit.
