Dr. Indra Mani, Hon'ble Vice Chancellor of VNMKV, Parbhani, honoured with 'Vice Chancellor of the Year' Award

Dr. Indra Mani, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor of Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth (VNMKV), Parbhani, was conferred with the prestigious ‘Vice Chancellor of the Year for Exceptional Leadership Award’ at the 8^th Edition of the Higher Education Innovation and Technology Summit & Awards 2025 on 15^th May, 2025. The event was held in Pune and was organized by Plus Nineone Media, a reputed platform promoting excellence and innovation in the education sector. The award was presented by Mr. Sandeep Gulati, Founder and CEO, and Mr. Ashutosh Dubey, Co-Founder of Plus Nineone Media, in recognition of Dr. Indra Mani’s exceptional leadership and visionary contributions to the advancement of agricultural education and institutional development.

The summit witnessed the participation of several prominent education leaders including Vice-Chancellors, Chairpersons, Directors, Principals, and Deans from across the country. The event served as a key platform for discussing the most pressing challenges and opportunities in higher education through round table discussions, expert panels, and EdTech showcases.

Dr. Indra Mani was invited as an Awardee and Esteemed Guest at the summit. He participated in a high-level panel discussion on the theme “Reimagining Higher Education: Building Future-Ready Universities Through Innovation, Industry Integration, and Digital Transformation,” where he shared valuable insights on the role of digital agriculture, Academic-Industry-Government (AIG) collaboration, and technology-driven transformation in agricultural universities. He also highlighted the key initiatives undertaken by VNMKV, Parbhani, in this domain. 

The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Sayalee Gankar, Vice Chancellor of DY Patil University, Pune. Other distinguished panelists included Faiz Varsi, Associate General Manager at Meritto; Dr. Rakesh Kumar Jain, Vice Chancellor of Ajeenkya D Y Patil University, Pune; Prof. (Dr.) Safia Farooqui, Professor and Director at Dr. D Y Patil Vidyapeeth, Pimpri, Pune; Prof. Parag Shah, Chief Mentor of Midas School of Entrepreneurship and Founding Chairman of Flame University, Pune; Dr. Lakshmi Mohan, Pro Vice Chancellor of ITM Skill University, Navi Mumbai; Rajesh Khanna, Director of Business Operations at Symbiosis Centre for Corporate & Professional Learning, Pune; and Shri Amit N. Kolhe, Managing Trustee and President of Sanjivani Group of Institutes & Sanjivani University, Kopargaon–Shirdi.

The panel brought together a rich blend of academic leaders and industry experts, who engaged in meaningful dialogue on the future of higher education in India, emphasizing innovation, employability, and digital transformation as key drivers for creating future-ready universities.

Key sessions during the summit included closed-door roundtable discussions on  “Standardized Assessments in Higher Education Admissions: Opportunities and Challenges for Domestic and International Admissions,” and reforms related to placement cells and examination systems. The event also featured presentations on the latest education technologies shaping the future of learning.

The felicitation of Dr. Indra Mani as ‘Vice Chancellor of the Year’ highlights the growing national recognition of VNMKV’s strides in academic excellence, research innovation, and digital outreach under his dynamic leadership. The award is a proud moment for the university and a testament to its commitment to nurturing future-ready agricultural professionals.

भारतीय कृषि शिक्षणातील विद्यार्थ्यांचा टक्का वाढवणे ही काळाची गरज – माजी कुलगुरू डॉ. विलास भाले यांचे प्रतिपादन

 

लातूर, दि. 9 मे 2025 – "कृषि शिक्षण हे केवळ शिक्षणाचे माध्यम नसून, राष्ट्राच्या अन्न, पर्यावरण व आर्थिक सुरक्षेचा कणा आहे. त्यामुळे उच्च शिक्षणामध्ये कृषि शिक्षणातील विद्यार्थ्यांचा टक्का वाढणे ही काळाची गरज आहे,” असे प्रतिपादन डॉ. पंजाबराव देशमुख कृषि विद्यापीठ, अकोला येथील माजी कुलगुरू डॉ. विलास भाले यांनी केले.

लातूर येथील कृषि महाविद्यालयात आयोजित “कृषि शिक्षण आणि नवीन शैक्षणिक धोरण” या विषयावरील मार्गदर्शन कार्यक्रमात ते बोलत होते. विद्यार्थ्यांचे समुपदेशन आणि नियुक्ती कक्षाच्या वतीने हा कार्यक्रम आयोजित करण्यात आला होता. यावेळी व्यासपीठावर महाविद्यालयाचे अधिष्ठाता आणि कार्यक्रमाचे अध्यक्ष डॉ. बाबासाहेब ठोंबरे, चाकूर येथील पदव्युत्तर कृषि व्यवसाय व्यवस्थापन संस्थेचे सहयोगी अधिष्ठाता डॉ. संतोष कांबळे,  विभाग प्रमुख डॉ.हिराकांत काळपांडे तसेच ज्येष्ठ प्राध्यापक डॉ. व्यंकट जगताप हे मान्यवर उपस्थित होते.

डॉ. भाले पुढे म्हणाले, “राज्यातील कृषि शिक्षण संस्था आणि महाविद्यालयांमध्ये प्रवेश घेणाऱ्या विद्यार्थ्यांची संख्या वाढत असली, तरी एकूण उच्च शिक्षणातील त्यांच्या सहभागाचा टक्का अद्यापही समाधानकारक नाही. हा टक्का वाढवण्यासाठी अभ्यासक्रमांचे आधुनिकीकरण, कृषि शिक्षणाला रोजगारोन्मुख बनवणे, आणि समाजात कृषि शिक्षणाची प्रतिष्ठा वाढवणे गरजेचे आहे. कृषि शिक्षण हे एक 'करिअर प्लस समाजसेवा' क्षेत्र बनू शकते.” त्यांनी लातूरच्या कृषि महाविद्यालयाच्या कार्यपद्धतीचे आणि त्यांच्याकडून होत असलेल्या संशोधन, शिक्षण, व पर्यावरण विषयक कार्याचे कौतुक केले. ते म्हणाले की, लातूर कृषि महाविद्यालय परिसरामध्ये निर्माण झालेल्या हिरवळीमुळे हवेची गुणवत्ता सुधारण्यास मदत होऊन लातूर नगरीच्या वैभवात भर पडली आहे. “या महाविद्यालयातून शिकलेले विद्यार्थी निश्चितच यशस्वी ठरतील,” असा विश्वासही त्यांनी व्यक्त केला.

कार्यक्रमाच्या अध्यक्षीय समारोपात बोलताना डॉ. बाबासाहेब ठोंबरे यांनी सांगितले की, “महाविद्यालयात विद्यार्थ्यांमध्ये कृषि शिक्षणाविषयी आकर्षण निर्माण करण्यासाठी करिअर मार्गदर्शन, शिष्यवृत्ती योजना, तांत्रिक प्रशिक्षण तसेच यशोगाथांचे सादरीकरण यावर भर दिला जातो. राष्ट्रीय शैक्षणिक धोरण (NEP) 2020 मध्ये कृषि शिक्षणाला महत्त्व देण्यात आले असून, भविष्यात त्यानुसार अभ्यासक्रम बहुविषयक आणि कौशल्याधारित बनवले जातील.”

या कार्यक्रमाचे संयोजन विद्यार्थी समुपदेशन व नियुक्ती कक्षाचे प्रभारी डॉ. विजय भामरे यांनी केले. सूत्रसंचालन श्री. जीवन धोत्रे यांनी केले तर आभार प्रदर्शन श्री. सुरज हजारे यांनी केले.

कार्यक्रमाला महाविद्यालयातील प्राध्यापक डॉ. अच्युत भरोसे, डॉ. ज्योती देशमुख, डॉ. अनंत शिंदे, डॉ. राजेश शेळक, डॉ. वसंत सूर्यवंशी, डॉ. दयानंद मोरे, डॉ. प्रभाकर अडसूळ, डॉ. सुनिता मगर, डॉ. नितीन तांबोळी, डॉ. ज्ञानेश्वर सुरडकर, डॉ. राहुल चव्हाण, डॉ. सुधीर सूर्यवंशी तसेच मोठ्या संख्येने पदवी आणि पदव्युत्तर विद्यार्थी उपस्थित होते.

Media Coverage of VNMKV's Varieties

 

ARS, Badnapur conferred with the Prestigious AICRP Best Centre Award for Excellence in Kharif Pulses Research at National Level

The Agricultural Research Station (ARS), Badnapur, under Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth (VNMKV), Parbhani, has been conferred with the Best Centre Award by the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Kharif Pulses. The award was presented during the Annual Group Meet held from May 7–9, 2025, at SKNAU, RARI, Durgapura-Jaipur (Rajasthan). ARS, Badnapur received this honour for its outstanding contributions in the development of high-yielding varieties and technologies in Kharif pulses, particularly Pigeonpea. The station’s efforts in pre-breeding, plant production, and plant protection research have been nationally recognized for their scientific impact and relevance to farmers. On this proud occasion, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor Dr. Indra Mani congratulated the scientists for his continuous efforts and hardwork. Dr. K.S.Baig, Director of Research & Dr. D.K. Patil said  the farming community for their unwavering trust in our research technologies and for adopting them successfully to achieve impressive yields.