Mahila Kisan Biotech Fellowship to smallholder Kavita Shivkiran

New Delhi: Kavita Shivkiran of Balaya village in Nagaur district of Rajasthan has been awarded “Mahila Kisan Biotech Fellowship” under the mission program on Biotech-Krishi Innovation Science Application Network (Biotech-KISAN for Western Dry Region) of the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India.

Woman farmer, Kavita received a certificate of “Mahila Kisan Biotech Fellowship” and shall get modest fellowship every month for year 2021-22. DBT Biotech Kisan Hub for Western Dry Region is implemented jointly by the South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC), Jodhpur and National Research Centre on Seed Spices (ICAR-NRCSS), Ajmer.

The fellowship award ceremony was held on her cotton field situated at village Balaya of Mundwa tehsil of Nagaur district, Rajasthan. On being awarded the fellowship, Ms Kavita attributed it an honor for women farmers of Rajasthan and expressed her gratitude to the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology of Government of India.

Ms Kavita was selected by the selection committee under the leadership of Dr. CD Mayee, President of South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC), Jodhpur. Congratulating Ms Kavita on the occasion, Bhagirath Choudhary of South Asia Biotechnology Centre said that this is the first time that a woman farmer from Rajasthan has been selected for Mahila Kisan Biotech fellowship of DBT-SABC Biotech Kisan Hub for Western Dry Region – a DBT program that promotes GAP and IPM based production system of spices to reduce cost of production, improve quality and increase farmers’ income. As part of the fellowship, Ms Kavita would work closely with Biotech Kisan Hub team, improve skill sets and train the fellow men and women farmers. Ms Kavita has been selected on the basis of her performance in implementation of IPM based field demonstration of cumin in Rabi 2020 and her interaction with the members of DBT’s Project Steering & Monitoring Committee (PSMC) in March 2021.

Ms Kavita is expected to take active participation and make significant contribution in the implementation of activities of DBT-SABC Biotech Kisan Hub for Western Dry Region. She will be trained to understand DBT-SABC Biotech Kisan Hub and its project activities and participate in training programmes, laboratory visits and field demonstrations in 2021-22.
The award ceremony was attended by Dr. Bhagirath Choudhary, Dr. Sandeep Agale & Dr Naresh of South Asia Biotechnology Centre; Dr. SS Meena & Dr. Murlidhar Meena of ICAR-NCRSS, Ajmer and farmers of village Balaya including Saburam Kala, Arjunram, Kojaram, Narpat, Jaipal and Shivkiran.

On this occasion, the scientists of DBT-SABC Biotech Kisan Hub and ICAR-NRCSS inspected 40 days old cotton crop, identified problems of leaf & square dropping and infestation of mite and provided the solutions of the problem. Scientists also collected samples of soil and water for testing of quality of water and soil health.