New Delhi, Nov 11: Emphasizing that broad macro-level statistical indicators often fail to reflect localized ecological stresses, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr. P.K. Mishra on Wednesday called for the urgent institutionalization of granular, district-level data systems to accurately anticipate climate disruptions and formulate targeted agricultural policies.
Addressing the 20th annual international conference of the Environment for Development Network hosted virtually by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kozhikode, Dr. Mishra observed that relying solely on national or state-level averages obscures sharp intra-regional disparities in water availability, soil degradation, and community nutritional outcomes. “National and state-level averages are important, but they do not always reveal the differences that matter on the ground,” he said, advocating the seamless synthesis of administrative records, socio-economic surveys, satellite earth observations, and geospatial mapping.
Highlighting that agriculture sustains nearly 45 per cent of India’s domestic workforce, Dr. Mishra stressed that climate resilience must extend beyond staple cereal volume towards securing accessible, diverse, and climate-hardy nutrition. He urged policymakers and farm researchers to accelerate crop diversification beyond conventional paddy and wheat monocultures towards pulses, oilseeds, millets, and horticulture crops that require less irrigation and exhibit superior ecological tolerance.
The Principal Secretary noted that between 2014 and 2025, India’s National Agricultural Research System developed and released approximately 3,000 climate-resilient crop cultivars, alongside genetic preservation programs covering more than 50 indigenous cattle breeds and 15 buffalo breeds. Calling for deeper research cooperation across the Global South, Dr. Mishra urged institutions to move from reactionary disaster management toward predictive analytics that identify emergent weather trends and protect rural livelihoods.
Published by True Roots Media