ENGLISH SHORTHAND DICTATION-351

 

I am really delighted to be a part of the international conference which is attended by eminent personalities and distinguished scientists from all over the world. I welcome all of you to New Delhi. It gives me great satisfaction to inaugurate this conference which focuses on bridging the gap between research and impact in order to achieve resilient, equitable and just agri-food systems. As I understand, the theme for this conference is quite profound. The evolution of human beings from hunting primates to food cultivators sums up a fascinating journey. The irony is that as we enter the modern age,¹⁰⁰ we are still grappling with the challenge of attaining just and resilient agri-food systems. Each word in this theme is¹²⁰ not only desirable, noble and ambitious, but also showcases the need of the hour.

A society, irrespective of its prosperity, will cease to exist if it is devoid of justice. Any system of thought, any institution or any arrangement will be untenable if it is unjust. But when it comes to gender justice, agriculture, which is known as the oldest science, is found wanting even in the modern times. Let me remind you that the disruption caused by the Covid-19²⁰⁰ pandemic has adversely affected industries and services. In these circumstances, agriculture gives hope. Humanity cannot survive without food grains. However, the pandemic has also brought to the fore a strong correlation between the agri-food systems and structural inequality in²⁴⁰ society. As compared to men, women suffered more job loss in the pandemic years that triggered migration.

At the global level, we have seen that women have been kept outside the agri-food systems for long. For example, women are unpaid workers, tillers and farmers in the field but not the owners of the land. They form the bulk of the³⁰⁰ lowest pyramid of the agriculture structure, but they are denied the opportunity to climb the ladder to assume the role of decision-makers.

Women sow, grow, harvest, process and market our food. They are indispensable in making every grain reach from farm to plate. But still, across the world, they are held back and stopped by social discrimination and barriers to³⁶⁰ knowledge, ownership, assets, resources and social networks. Their contribution is not recognised, their role is marginalised and their agency is denied in the whole chain of the agri-food systems. This story needs to change. In India, we have been witnessing⁴⁰⁰ those changes with women getting more empowered through legislative and governmental interventions. There are many stories of women turning into successful entrepreneurs in this sector. Modern women are not helpless, but powerful. We need not only women's development but women-led development. Hence making our agri-food systems more just, inclusive and equitable is not only desirable but also crucial for the well-being of the planet and humankind.

I am elated to know that the Gender Impact Platform of the Consultative Group⁴⁸⁰ of International Agriculture Research is working on putting equality and inclusion at the heart of food systems research by focusing⁵⁰⁰ on women not as the objects of transformation but as the agents and drivers of the transformation. I extend my congratulations as well as best wishes to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research which is addressing the important issues of gender and social inclusion in the agri-food systems.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the crises of Covid-19, conflict and climate change have aggravated the challenges and problems faced by the agri-food systems. Climate change is an existential threat. The clock is ticking and we need to act now, act fast and act swiftly. On one hand, climate change, global warming, melting⁶⁰⁰ ice caps and extinction of species are disrupting the food production. On the other hand, the agri-food cycle is not sustainable and eco-friendly. It is hindering climate action and causing an increase in greenhouse gases.

Hence, our agri-food systems are stuck in a vicious cycle. We need to break this cycle. At the same time, we need to increase biodiversity and restore ecosystems so that food and nutritional security can be assured through the agri-food systems along with a more prosperous and equitable future for all.

Ladies and Gentleman, the Indian Government has given the call for “vocal for local”. ⁷⁰⁰  We need to adapt this in the agri-food systems too. We need to change our consumption patterns. We need to⁷²⁰ go local not only for the sake of our health but for the health of the planet. We also need to diversify our diets to include a variety of food. We need to move away from the rice-wheat system to end the hidden hunger. In this context, we can all remember the Global Conference on Millets, also called Shree Anna, which was held in this very auditorium in March this year. After persistent efforts by India, the year 2023⁸⁰⁰ was declared the International Year of Millets by the United Nations.

While the pandemic showed the fundamental strength of agriculture, it also exposed the sector’s worst vulnerability. Agriculture cannot be promoted solely on commercial considerations. This sector’s social obligation is⁸⁴⁰ critical to the survival of humanity. Similarly, the ongoing conflicts in some parts of the world have impeded the upstream and downstream processes of the agri-food systems, whether it be the availability and the price of key intermediate inputs or the supply or marketing of the output.

Ladies and Gentlemen, for ecologically sustainable, ethically desirable, economically affordable and socially justifiable⁹⁰⁰ production, we need research which can enable conditions to reach these goals. We need a systematic understanding of how to transform the agri-food systems. I hope that this conference and this esteemed community will take all the measures and steps to achieve these milestones.

The agri-food systems should be resilient and agile so that they can withstand shocks and disruptions to make nutritious and healthy diets more accessible, available and affordable for all. At the same time, they should be more just, equitable and sustainable. Today, the best of the minds in this field are here.   I hope and wish¹⁰⁰⁰ that during the next four days, in your deliberations, you will consider all the issues and will pave the way for positive transformation of the agri-food systems.

I will end my speech on the same note with which I started. I said at the beginning of this address that each word in the theme of this conference is desirable, noble and ambitious. I would make an addition, that it is actually achievable if we work collectively towards that end; if¹⁰⁸⁰ we harness the potential of research to create an approach which is just and inclusive of all voices. ¹⁰⁹⁸

 

 

 

 

You have succeeded in getting into one of the most coveted career options in our country. I convey my heartiest congratulations to all of you. I also express my appreciation for your consistent hard work and sincerity. These qualities have enabled you to enter into what is seen as a ‘dream career’ by a large number of aspirational youth. You have to demonstrate the same passion and sense of purpose in serving the people, especially those who are under-privileged.

Your service is unlike any other service in terms of authority, role and responsibility. In fact, it is not a service, it is a mission. It is the mission to take India and its people forward under the framework of good governance. Serving the nation and its people is your destiny. Making India an inclusive and developed nation is your collective destination. You are fortunate that your career span is almost co-terminus with Amrit Kaal. This Amrit Kaal is rightly being described as ‘Kartavya Kaal’ for every Indian. This period also covers the larger time-slice of our remaining window of demographic opportunity. You can make a huge contribution by enabling the fellow young citizens to realise their potential in different fields. You have the great opportunity to contribute to building the developed India of 2047.

You will be instruments of executive action at the ground level during the early phase of your career. Later, you will also play your role in policy making. You can become effective change-agents in transforming our country through your commitment and creativity.

My dear young officers, I have seen from close quarters, the difficulties and problems faced by the people living in backward areas and belonging to the deprived segments of our society. I have also seen some sensitive civil servants who went the extra mile to help such people. A compassionate civil servant whose heart beats for the poor and the under-privileged is a true civil servant as distinct from merely a career bureaucrat. Uplifting people of the marginalized sections of the society should be an article of faith for you.

An inclusive, progressive and sensitive society allows greater space to women in all walks of life. The nation is on the path of women empowerment and women-led development. I am very happy that the historic ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ has been passed by both the houses of Parliament. Women are breaking stereo-types and glass-ceilings. They are playing increasingly larger roles in all aspects of growth and development. I have been told that in the batches from 2019 to 2022, the percentage of women IAS officers had ranged between 28 per cent to 34 per cent. I am very happy to note that the percentage of women IAS officers has gone as high as 42 per cent for the batch 2023. Also, out of the top 25 ranks, 14 positions have been occupied by women. These are fresh winds of positive changes. All of you have to further strengthen this trend and make our society more and more inclusive.

My dear young officers,

I find that your training modules are very well conceived. They have also undergone changes to make them more aligned to the dynamic requirements of good governance. I am sure that all of you enjoyed the Bharat Darshan and learnt a lot from it. It is significant to note that the training component is Bharat Darshan and not Bharat Bhraman. It is done with a view to getting insight into the rich diversity of our great country. You should build upon the glimpses of our great nation seen by you and make your awareness deeper and wider through continuous learning. I have been told that you have just started your training stint as Assistant Secretaries in different departments of the Central Government. As Assistant Secretaries, unlike officers in the field, you will be dealing more with files than with people. However, I will expect you to always visualize the people who are going to be impacted by the files you deal with. You should make efforts to understand the link between ‘file to field’ and also between ‘field to file’. This people centric alertness and sensitivity will make you engage with the files in a far more meaningful manner. I am sure that the national level perspective that you will develop during your current training module will help you in a big way when you go back to your cadre after completing the phase-two of your training at Mussoorie.

As you all may be knowing that before independence, the All-India Administrative Service Training School was located a few kilometers from here at Metcalfe House, Delhi. Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel was the Home Minister in the Interim Government of India constituted in 1946 during the transition to our independence. With his great vision, Sardar Patel gave the blue-print for the civil services of independent India. Speaking to the probationers in April, 1947 Sardar Patel outlined the code of conduct for public servants who were going to work for progress and development of newly independent India. Probationers like you are going to build the developed India of 2047. What Sardar Patel communicated to that group of probationers in 1947 remains relevant for all of you also. I will quote from the great speech of Sardar Patel for your benefit. Sardar Patel had said and I quote, ‘You should regard it as a proud privilege … to uphold throughout your service its dignity, integrity and in-corruptibility. It is not for you to approach your task … entirely from self-interest … your foremost consideration should be how best to contribute to the well-being of India as a whole … If you serve in the true spirit of service, I am sure, you will have your best reward.’

By following these guiding principles given by Sardar Patel, I am sure that you will enjoy success and glory. I wish you all, a very successful journey ahead.