Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has served a showcause notice to the director of ICAR-National Research Centre for Grapes following complaints of serious administrative lapses and lack of vision at the Pune-based institute during a surprise inspection earlier this week. According to an official statement, the minister chaired a high-level review meeting in New Delhi today to review the functioning of certain institutions under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
As part of a broader institutional overhaul, ICAR will introduce performance benchmarks and ranking parameters for all its institutes, as announced by the minister during the meeting. The minister also asked officials to prepare a roadmap for institutional reforms ahead of ICAR's Foundation Day on July 16. According to officials present at the meeting, the minister expressed dissatisfaction over poor upkeep at the Pune-based ICAR grape research institute. This collaborative initiative reflects ICAR's continued commitment to promoting sustainable agricultural practices, improving farmer livelihoods, strengthening national food and nutritional security, and building a resilient, self-reliant agricultural future for India.
During the surprise inspection, Chouhan found functional gaps at the ICAR grape research institute in Pune and called for quick action in developing new varieties. According to Business Standard, the minister highlighted slow progress in the clean plant programme as a key area of concern. The minister expressed concern that farmers had informed him that they were increasingly relying on private nurseries for planting material as institutional varieties were 'not useful'. According to the official statement, Chouhan said farmers had informed him that they were increasingly relying on private nurseries for planting material as institutional varieties were 'not useful'. The minister stated that 'If such institutions continue to function in this manner, it amounts to a national loss'.
The minister instructed the ICAR director general to constitute teams of 8–10 members for surprise inspections across all 113 ICAR institutes. As reported by officials, the minister emphasized that agricultural research centres must remain focused on farmers' needs, export preparedness, and market-oriented innovation rather than 'formal functioning'. The minister stressed that these institutions must serve practical agricultural needs and not just maintain formal procedures.
