Scientists, researchers and young scholars honoured with prestigious awards for outstanding research contributions, oral presentations and scientific posters
The two-day National Symposium on “Next-Generation Plant Health Strategies for Climate Resilience, Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture” concluded today at ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla, following extensive scientific deliberations on emerging plant diseases, climate change, sustainable agriculture and innovative plant health management strategies. The symposium provided a common platform for scientists, researchers, academicians, industry representatives and young scholars to exchange scientific knowledge and explore collaborative solutions to emerging agricultural challenges.
On the second day, the first technical session of oral presentations was conducted under the chairmanship of Dr. J. Kumar, Former Joint Director, ICAR-NIBSM, Raipur, with Dr. Dharmesh Gupta serving as Co-Chairman and Dr. Aarti Shukla as Rapporteur. The session featured four invited lectures and six oral presentations covering important scientific topics, including the wheat disease scenario in India, emerging challenges and management strategies; the journey of the Himalayan common bean landrace KRC-5 to the global discovery of Co-18; detection and management of microorganisms associated with egg contamination; and mycorrhizal symbiosis as a natural strategy for climate-resilient agriculture and forestry.
The second technical session, featured nine oral research presentations focusing on climate-induced crop diseases, their emerging patterns and potential management strategies. The third and fourth technical sessions highlighted research findings on the influence of climate variability on disease emergence, pathogen behaviour, crop productivity and sustainable disease management approaches across different agricultural crops. The fifth oral session further provided opportunities for researchers to present their scientific findings and innovative approaches to plant health management.
A special session on “Farmer-Industry-Researcher-
The concluding programme witnessed the presentation of several prestigious awards recognizing outstanding scientific achievements, academic excellence and innovative research contributions. Dr. Ritu Bala was honoured with the Fellow Award, while Dr. Priyanka Negi received the Best Ph.D. Thesis Award and Shailja Gupta was recognized with the M.Sc. Award.
Under the IPS N.J. Narasimha Award, Arshia Prashar and Sugasha Gautam were honoured for their contributions. The APS–IPS Travel Grants were awarded to Dinesh Kumar and Deepika Rawat in recognition of their scientific potential and research contributions.
Awards were also presented to outstanding researchers across five oral presentation sessions. In Oral Session I, Ambika Rautela, Shalini Verma and Dr. Neena Gupta were honoured for their presentations. In Oral Session II, Dr. Jagmohan Singh, Dr. Hemant Kandile from ICAR-CPRI and Dr. Praneet Chahal from Eternal University received awards. Oral Session III recognized Dr. Vikas Mangal, Dr. Harpreet Singh and Dr. K. Kranti, while Oral Session IV honoured Dr. Subhash from ICAR-CPRI, Dr. Nitya from ICAR-IARI and Dr. Kailash Chandra Naga from ICAR-CPRI. In Oral Session V, Dr. Salej Sood, Dr. P. Lokesh Babu and Dr. Karthik R. were recognized for their outstanding scientific presentations.
The symposium also recognized excellence in scientific poster presentations under five thematic categories. Under Poster Theme I, Aman Chauhan, Simran Kaur and Pooja Chauhan received awards, while Poster Theme II recognized Shailja Gupta, Garima Verma and Neha Sharma. In Poster Theme III, Sukhjeet Kaur from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Prakriti from HPICU and Anshika Pathania from Neri were honoured for their research presentations.
Under Poster Theme IV, awards were presented to Gurleen Kaur and Dr. Ambika Rautela from PAU, Adrija Barua from Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Prakriti Jhilta from ICAR-CPRI and Naveen from HFRI. In Poster Theme V, Akshi Attri and Tarunpreet Kaur from PAU, along with Sharad Sheroff from JAKU, were recognized for their scientific contributions.
The award ceremony highlighted the significant contributions of established scientists, early-career researchers and postgraduate scholars towards advancing plant pathology, climate-resilient agriculture and sustainable plant health management. Certificates were also distributed to participants in recognition of their active participation and scientific contributions.
The symposium concluded with an emphasis on strengthening multidisciplinary research, promoting innovative plant protection technologies, encouraging greater collaboration among research institutions and industry, and translating scientific advancements into practical solutions for farmers. The deliberations underscored the importance of integrating advanced diagnostics, climate-smart disease management strategies and collaborative research approaches to address emerging plant health challenges and ensure sustainable agricultural production and long-term food security.
