Biotech Updates

Biotechnologist Mohapatra to Lead Indian Council of Agriculture Research

February 24, 2016

Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, a renowned scientist of molecular genetics and genomics is the new Secretary of India's Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). ICAR is the world's largest network of crop specific research institutions spread across India that forms a unique national agricultural research system including State Agricultural Universities (SAUs).

Dr. Mohapatra has previously worked as a researcher at the ICAR National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology (NRCPB), Director of National Rice Research Institute (formerly CRRI), and Director-cum-Vice Chancellor of Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi.

Dr. Mohapatra made an enormous contribution in sequencing the rice genome and in the development of the first high yielding Basmati rice variety resistant to bacterial leaf blight through molecular marker assisted selection. He was also involved in physical mapping of the genome of tomato. He has published book chapters and over 145 research papers in peer-reviewed national and international scientific journals.

More information about ICAR's new Director General is available at the ICAR website.