The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee called for a Second Green Revolution in Agriculture that is more holistic and widespread. He said that such an initiative should be accompanied by development of rural infrastructure, human development and increased sensitivity to ecology and environment. Given the gargantuan task ahead, it is imperative that the Government should seek the right partnerships by building innovative structures that adequately encourage the involvement of the private sector in this area. He was speaking on the occasion of inauguration of National Conference on 'Ushering Second Green Revolution in Indian Agriculture through Public-Private Partnership' organized by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) today (December 11, 2012) at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

The President exhorted Ministry of Agriculture and CII to resist any temptation to be persuaded by some arguments to give only proportionate importance to the agriculture sector. He said the linkage that the Agriculture sector has to almost all the facets of the society is indisputable. Its growth can spawn the much-needed social and economic transformation without which economic growth in other areas and that of the nation as a whole would lose its meaning.

Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Food Processing Industries, Shri Tariq Anwar, President of CII, Shri Adi B Godrej and Director General of CII, Shri Chandrajit Banerjee were also present on the occasion.

This release issued at 1515 hrs