About Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI):
- It is India’s largest and foremost Institute in the field of research andhigher education, and training in agricultural science. It is situated in Delhi and is administered by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
- History:
- IARI, popularly known as Pusa Institute, began in 1905 at Pusa (Bihar) with the generous grant of 30,000 pounds from an American philanthropist, Henry Phipps.
- The institute was then known as the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI), which functioned with five departments, namely Agriculture, Cattle Breeding, Chemistry, Economic Botany and Mycology. Bacteriology unit was added in 1907.
- The name of ARI was changed to Imperial Institute of Agricultural Research in 1911, and in 1919 it was renamed Imperial Agricultural Research Institute.
- Following a devastating earthquake on 15th January, 1934, the institute was shifted to Delhi on 29th July 1936.
- Post independence, the institute has been renamed IARI.
- Mandate of IARI:
- Basic, strategic, and anticipatory research in field and horticultural crops for enhanced productivity and quality.
- Research in frontier areas to develop resource use efficient integrated crop management technologies for sustainable agricultural production systems.
- Serve as centre for academic excellence in the areas of post-graduate and human resources development in agricultural science.
- Provide national leadership in agricultural research, education, extension, and technology assessment and transfer by developing new concepts and approaches and serving as a national referral point for quality and standards.
- It attained the status of a Deemed University in the year 1958. It was responsible for the research leading to the "Green Revolution in India" of the 1970s.
