logo
  • Publication Division Slider
  1. Home
  2. Journals
  3. Kurukshetra

August 2025

Kurukshetraenglish

AgriTech




Print
Digital

Upcoming themes



  • "Skills, Empowerment of Social Security" (September 2025)

Contents

yojanaenglish
yojanaenglish

Editorial

The August 2025 issue of Kurukshetra ‘Agritech’ brings to focus a pivotal and forward- Looking theme: the digital transformation of India’s agriculture, charting a course towards Agriculture 4.0. In an era where food security, climate resilience, and rural prosperity must
go hand in hand, this issue highlights how digital technologies are shaping the next greenrevolution—not with chemicals and intensive farming, but with data, precision, and smart connectivity. At the heart of this transition are two paradigms—SmartFarm Digitisation and SmartAgriSphere Digitisation.
SmartFarm refers to the application of emerging technologies like AI, IoT sensors, drones, mobile apps, and robotics directly at the farm level. These tools allow farmers to make precise, data-driven decisions that improve yield, reduce resourcewaste, and mitigate climate vulnerabilities. With pests alone causing up to 35% crop losses, and inefficient irrigation practices depleting groundwater, the role of precision agriculture becomes critical. Technologies like automated irrigation, AI-enabled pest prediction, and smartphone- based diagnostics are not just futuristic solutions—they are practical necessities. SmartAgriSphere, on the other hand, builds the supporting digital infrastructure around farms. This includes satellite-based crop monitoring, blockchain-enabled supply chains for traceability, digital marketplaces, and geotagging of assets. These systems empower farmersindirectly by enhancing transparency, access to markets, and credit services, while reducing dependence on middlemen. Together, these dual layers are building a resilient, inclusive and digitally empowered agricultural ecosystem. One of the most ambitious proposals in this direction is the creation of a Comprehensive Agriculture Management System (CAMS), built on the principles of integrated data use, consent-based access, and real-time advisories. Such a platform could unify information about land, inputs, yields, weather risks, insurance, and subsidies into a single digital window forfarmers. The Agri Stack vision embodies the idea of farmer-centric governance, enabling policy decisions that are rooted in real-time, on-ground realities. The issue wisely underscores the strategic role of India’s vast institutional network— over 100 ICAR institutes, 700+ KVKs, and thousands of PACS and FPOs—in enabling this transition. It also aligns the digital agriculture movement with national priorities such as Digital India, Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and the UN-declared International Year of Cooperatives (2025). Agriculture 4.0 is not merely about introducing technology—it is about reshaping rural livelihoods, democratising access to innovation, and building a climate-resilient future. This issue of Kurukshetra urges us to act with clarity, coordination, and commitment, to ensure that every Indian farmer becomes a stakeholder in the digital revolution.

Editorial

August, 2025

The Devolution Index can be used to assess the overall health of local governance and identify where reforms are most urgently needed. It highlights areas where states are excelling and where they need additional support, helping to create targeted policies that will strengthen the Panchayat system and promote greater decentralization. The Devolution Index is not just a ranking; it is a beacon that shines light on the path towards a more democratic, inclusive, and accountable system of local governance. For a common person, it provides transparency and insight into the functioning of Panchayats.

Lead Article

lead

Agriculture 4.0 Towards Agri-Tech Revolution

Authors: Dr. Neelam Patel & Paremal Banafarr

India has immense potential to transform its agriculture and allied sectors into a powerhouse of growth and prosperity. By adopting digital technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, the internet of things, big data analytics, robotics, etc., farmer incomes could be increased, while simultaneously ensuring food security for the growing population. This is possible by leveraging these technologies for precision agriculture, reducing wastage, enhancing climate resilience, improving market linkages, and revolutionising farm economics.

Words of Freedom

lead

August, 2025

Fruit-based farming systems represent a transformative approach to enhancing agricultural sustainability, economic resilience, and nutritional security in India. Government initiatives, including subsidies for irrigation and cold storage, have supported the growth of fruit farming by addressing challenges related to water management and post-harvest losses. By improving infrastructure and marketing networks, India has seen an increase in both domestic consumption and export potential, making fruit crops a key driver of rural development.

Focus / Special Article

special article

Conservation Agriculture Practices and Perspectives

Authors:Dr. Jagdeep Saxena

Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a resource conserving, sustainable, eco-friendly and a profitable set of farming practices. Minimal soil disturbance, biomass mulch cover on farm surface, and diversification of crop species are its basic principles. Its adoption, in the long run, improves soil health, increases productivity, cuts production cost, enhances farm income and helps mitigate impacts of climate change. Various national and international agri-research institutions are promoting CA adoption through field demonstrations and technical mentorship. Government is implementing schemes to technically and financially support CA farmers, mainly for CA machinery. This article discusses various aspects of CA in India along with its challenges and prospects.

Focus

August 2025

The term ‘nutrition security’ emerged in the mid-1990s and focused on food consumption by the household or the individual and on how that food is utilized by the body and thus in principle is more than food security. The horticultural crops are rich sources of nutritional bioactive compounds. They are important sources of protective nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, folic acid, and dietary fibers hence strongly contribute in achieving the goal of nutritional and health security.

FROM PREVIOUS ISSUES

April 2023

article-img

Month: August 2024

     From Classrooms to Screens: Future of Learning with Digital Education The future of learning with digital education holds immense promise. Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) technologies are poised to further revolutionise educational experiences.   If you want to teach people a way of thinking, don’t bother trying to teach them. Instead, give them a tool, the use of which will lead to new ways of thinking. – Richard Buckminster Fuller   *Rajnish Kumar * The author is a Chief Operating Officer, National e-Governance Division, (Ministry of Electronics and IT) & former Director (Digital Education), Ministry of Education, New Delhi. Email:...

Read Full Article


Kurukshetra Archives