New Delhi: Senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Manoj Kumar has been appointed Director, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&WF), Union Ministry of Agriculture. Kumar is an IAS officer of 2008 batch of Assam-Meghalaya cadre. According to an official order, Kumar has been appointed under the Central Staffing Scheme (CSS) for a period of five years.

DA&FW is one of the three constituent Departments of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, the other two being Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries (DAHD&F) and Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE). This Department is headed by Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister and is assisted by three Ministers of State. The Secretary (AC&FW) is the administrative head of the Department.

Agriculture plays a vital role in India’s economy. 54.6 per cent of the population is engaged in agriculture and allied activities as per the Census 2011. It contributes 17.4 per cent to the country’s gross value added (Current Price 2014-15, 2011-12 series). Given the importance of the agriculture sector, the Government of India took several steps for its sustainable development. Steps have been taken to improve soil fertility on a sustainable basis through the soil health card scheme, to provide improved access to irrigation and enhanced water efficiency through Pradhanmantri Gram Sinchai Yojana, to support organic farming through Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) and to support for creation of a unified national agriculture market to boost the incomes of farmers. /BI/