The State government has announced funding to set up two international standard institutes to boost research and development in the field of agriculture, food and health sciences.
The proposed institutes will come up in Dharwad and Bangalore.
The International Centre for Agriculture Development would be set up in Dharwad and be administered by the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad.
The other institute — Karnataka Centre of Excellence in Foods for Health — would be set up in Bangalore and be administered by the University of Horticultural Sciences (UHS), Bagalkot, stated a release by Rajendra Poddar, Head, Project Planning & Monitoring Cell, UAS, Dharwad.
Both institutes will be set up in collaboration with the Texas A&M University’s Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Centre’s (VFIC) Foods for Health Initiative, and the Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture. The proposed institutes will be interdisciplinary centres and they will collaborate with other agricultural and horticultural universities, institutes and centres related to medical sciences, food, and nutrition sciences in the State and beyond.
The other activities planned in partnership with these two centres and TAMU include developing a dual certificate programme in food, nutritional security, and sustainability, and training selected scientists at the VFIC in the area of foods for health, with courses from horticultural and agricultural universities in the State, the release stated.
An advisory board will be formed immediately under the co-chairmanship of D.P. Biradar and Bhimu Patil for the institute at Dharwad.
Another advisory board under the co-chairmanship of B. Raju, acting vice-chancellor, and Bhimu Patil will be formed for the institute in Bangalore.
These advisory boards will include the Development Commissioner, Principal Secretaries concerned, Vice-Chancellors (present and past), and industry members, to make sure the institutes served their clientele.
