Science & Technologyv3 · 3 versions
ICAR -- Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds, R&D and Agricultural Education
India's apex farm-science body, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), used its 98th Foundation Day on 16 July 2026 to tally a busy research year: 386 new crop varieties spanning 44 crops, most of them able to weather climate stress and 29 enriched with extra nutrients. In August 2026 its breed bureau at Karnal added 16 indigenous animal breeds to the national register, taking the tally to 262, while agricultural scholarships moved to monthly Direct Benefit Transfer. The Council frames all of it as a step towards the Viksit Bharat 2047 goal of science-led farming.
Last updated 27 August 20269 min read
Latest update
Added the 16 indigenous animal breeds registered by ICAR-NBAGR on 7 August 2026 - Periyar cattle, the Kombai dog and the Sikkimese yak among them - which take India's registered breeds to 262 (258 indigenous, four synthetic), plus the 24 August launch of an Indian-bred non-GMO popcorn maize hybrid in Andhra Pradesh.
- ICAR
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research
- crop varieties
- climate-resilient
- biofortified
- Shivraj Singh Chouhan
- agriculture
- Foundation Day
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