Dr. Mangi Lal Jat appointed Secretary of DARE and Director General of ICAR, notification issued
Dr. M.L. Jat’s extensive experience as an agricultural scientist, along with his expertise and international recognition for his research and leadership, are considered key reasons for his appointment.
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Internationally renowned scientist and current Deputy Director General (Research) at ICRISAT, Dr. Mangi Lal Jat, has been appointed as the Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) by the Central Government. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved his appointment.
According to the notification issued on April 17, Dr. Mangi Lal Jat, Deputy Director General (Research) and Director of the Global Research Program at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, has been appointed as Secretary of DARE and Director General of ICAR. The ACC stated that his appointment is for a three-year term from the date he assumes charge.
Dr. M.L. Jat was selected by a committee of eminent scientists chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, which included two former ICAR Directors General, the Director of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and other experts. Sources from Rural Voice indicate that Dr. Jat is likely to assume his role on April 21.
According to sources, the committee formed for this appointment interviewed candidates on March 7, with five shortlisted scientists participating. Based on the committee's recommendations, the ACC approved Dr. Jat’s appointment, and the notification was issued on April 17.
Dr. M.L. Jat’s extensive experience as an agricultural scientist, along with his expertise and international recognition for his research and leadership, are considered key reasons for his appointment. He served at ICAR for about one and a half decades and later worked for nearly a decade at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). Before Dr. Himanshu Pathak, former ICAR Director General, became the Director General of ICRISAT, Dr. Jat was the Deputy Director General at ICRISAT, earning recognition as a global leader in natural resource management.
A senior scientist told Rural Voice that Dr. Jat is an expert in resource conservation agriculture, and India currently needs such expert leadership to transform the country’s dryland areas into green zones. Processes like zero tillage and carbon sequestration are crucial in this regard.
There has been a long-felt need for strong scientific leadership at ICAR. It is hoped that Dr. M.L. Jat’s appointment as ICAR Director General will address this gap.
