Organisations

The Ministry of Agriculture,a branch of the Government of India, is the apex body for formulation and administration of the rules and regulations and laws relating to agriculture in India.

The arid zone of India covers about 12% of the country's geographical area and occupies over 31.7 m ha of hot desert and about 7 m ha is under cold desert. The local inhabitants have evolved suitable landuse and management systems of farming, pastoralism and animal husbandry; of late, these local survival systems have become inadequate to fulfill the ever increasing needs. This has resulted in over-exploitation of the resources causing rapid and widespread land degradation and decline in productivity. To arrest this degradation process and for scientific and sustainable management of the resources, Desert Afforestation Station was established in 1952 at Jodhpur. This was later expanded into Desert Afforestation and Soil Conservation Station in 1957, and finally upgraded to Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) in 1959 under Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. The CAZRI operates through 7 Divisions, located at the headquarters in Jodhpur. There are four Regional Research Stations located in different agro-climatic zones to work on location-specific problems.

The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers is the administrative unit of two departments namely:- Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals and Department of Fertilizers. The ministry is headed by Minister of Chemicals and fertilizers.

National Centre for Integrated Pest Management (NCIPM), a national research centre of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), India was established in February, 1988 to cater to the emerging plant protection needs of different agro-ecological zones of the country. The activities of the centre extend across and beyond different disciplines and agencies to establish partnerships with SAU's, Government Agencies, Industries, NGO's and Farmers.

The Institute, established in 1948, is a National Research Laboratory under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research New Delhi India. The institute is an ISO 9001 certified organisation for providing services in Road and Transport Research. Highway Engineering, Pavement design & maintenance, Traffic & Transport planning, Geotechnical and Bridge Engineering are the major areas. Research level and technical services in roads, traffic, environmental and road safety aspects, airfield pavement, landslide mitigation are executed professionally by the Institute for both public and private sector customers in India and overseas.

Under Section 4 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Section 6 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is empowered to perform the functions of the State Pollution Control Board for all Union Territories. However, Section 4(4) of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Section 6 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 provides that CPCB may delegate all or any of its powers and functions of a State Board in a UT under the said Acts to such person or body of persons as the Central Government may specify. The CPCB has delegated all its powers and functions as a State Board in respect of the UT of Delhi to a committee of officials as specified by the Central Government in March, 1991. This committee has been reconstituted on 14th June 2002 vide notification No. B-12015/7/92-AS.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), statutory organisation, was constituted in September, 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Further, CPCB was entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. It serves as a field formation and also provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment and Forests of the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Principal Functions of the CPCB, as spelt out in the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, (i) to promote cleanliness of streams and wells in different areas of the States by prevention, control and abatement of water pollution, and (ii) to improve the quality of air and to prevent, control or abate air pollution in the country.

The National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP) was established on 24th November 1995 at Bangalore under the aegis of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi. The Institute is mandated to conduct basic and fundamental research with respect to animal feed resource management using physiological-nutritional approaches to improve animal productivity and profitability of livestock farmers.

The National Dairy Research Institute as country's premier Dairy Research Institution has developed considerable expertise over last five decades in different areas of Dairy Production, Processing, Management and Human Resource Development. Information generated at the Institute and services offered have contributed to the growth of the Dairy Industry as a whole and well being of millions of milk producer and consumers of milk and milk products. Realizing the challenging need of globalized Dairy Trade, the institute is continuously working to develop its R&D and HRD programmes to better serve the nation in terms of food security. employment generation, poverty alleviation and economic prosperity.

Established in 1889, the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) is one of the premier research institutions dedicated to livestock research and development of the region. This is the oldest research institution of South-East Asia with a strength of more than 350 faculty members engaged in research, teaching, consultancy and technology transfer activities.

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (AH&D) now renamed as Department of Animal Husbandry Dairying & Fisheries (DADF) is one of the Departments in the Ministry of Agriculture and came into existence w.e.f. 1st February, 1991. The Department is responsible for matters relating to livestock production, preservation, protection from disease and improvement of stocks and dairy development, and also for matters relating to the Delhi Milk Scheme and the National Dairy Development Board. It also looks after all matters pertaining to fishing and fisheries, inland and marine.

The Institute was formally established under the UNDP's Special Fund Project as the Institute of Tropical Meteorology (ITM) at Pune on November 17, 1962 as a distinct part of the India Meteorological Department (IMD). On April 1, 1971, the Government of India gave it an autonomous status with a new name as the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM). The IITM functions as a national centre for basic and applied research in monsoon meteorology of the tropics in general with special reference to monsoon meteorology of India and neighbourhood. Its primary functions are to promote, guide and conduct research in the field of meteorology in all its aspects.

The India Meteorological Department was established in 1875. It is the National Meteorological Service of the country and the principal government agency in all matters relating to meteorology, seismology and allied subjects.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is mandated to provide the nation with best possible services in forecasting the monsoons and other weather/climate parameters, ocean state, earthquakes, tsunamis and other phenomena related to earth systems through well integrated programmes. The Ministry also deals with science and technology for exploration and exploitation of ocean resources (living and non-living), and play nodal role for Antarctic/Arctic and Southern Ocean research. The Ministry's mandate is to look after Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean Science & Technology and Seismology in an integrated manner.

The Government of India has entrusted the work relating to ozone layer protection and implementation of the Montreal Protocol to the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MOEF). The MOEF has set up an Ozone Cell as a national unit to look after and to render necessary services to implement the Protocol and its ODS phaseout programme in India .

The Institute was formally established under the UNDP's Special Fund Project as the Institute of Tropical Meteorology (ITM) at Pune on November 17, 1962 as a distinct part of the India Meteorological Department (IMD). On April 1, 1971, the Government of India gave it an autonomous status with a new name as the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM). Ever since its conversion in to an autonomous body in 1971, the Institute was under the administrative control of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. Effective from 31 December 1984, it came to be transferred to the Ministry of Science and Technology (Department of Science and Technology), Government of India. As per the notification No. O.M. No.25/10/2006 dated 19 July 2006 by the President of India, the Institute has been put under the control of the Ministry of Earth Sciences with effect from 12 July 2006.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) is responsible for planning, promoting, coordinating, and overseeing the implementation of environmental and forestry programmes in the country. The main activities undertaken by the ministry include conservation and survey of the flora of India and fauna of India, forests and other wilderness areas; prevention and control of pollution; afforestation, and land degradation mitigation. It is responsible for the administration of the national parks of India.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is mandated to provide the nation with best possible services in forecasting the monsoons and other weather/climate parameters, ocean state, earthquakes, tsunamis and other phenomena related to earth systems through well integrated programmes. The Ministry also deals with science and technology for exploration and exploitation of ocean resources (living and non-living), and play nodal role for Antarctic/Arctic and Southern Ocean research. The Ministry's mandate is to look after Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean Science & Technology and Seismology in an integrated manner.

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) was started in 1909 through the pioneering vision of J.N. Tata. Since then, it has grown into a premier institution of research and advanced instruction, with more than 2000 active researchers working in almost all frontier areas of science and technology. IISc is an institute of higher learning and is constantly in pursuit of excellence. It is one of the oldest and finest centres of its kind in India, and has a very high international standing in the academic world as well.

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi is one of the seven Institutes of Technology created as centres of excellence for higher training, research and development in science, engineering and technology in India.

The Narmada Control Authority (NCA) has been setup under the final orders and decision of the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (NWDT) as a machinery for implementation of its directions and decision. The authority started functioning from 20th December, 1980. The authority is a body corporate with representatives of the four States of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and representatives of Govt. Of India.

The Planning Commission was set up by a Resolution of the Government of India in March 1950 in pursuance of declared objectives of the Government to promote a rapid rise in the standard of living of the people by efficient exploitation of the resources of the country, increasing production and offering opportunities to all for employment in the service of the community. The Planning Commission was charged with the responsibility of making assessment of all resources of the country, augmenting deficient resources, formulating plans for the most effective and balanced utilisation of resources and determining priorities. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Chairman of the Planning Commission.

The National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) was established in 1983 and has emerged as a Center of Excellence in cataloguing and conserving aquatic bioresources of India. The Bureau has developed modern facilities, multidimensional strategies and technological capabilities to achieve its mandate related to database development, genotyping, registration of aquatic germplasm, genebanking and evaluation of endangered and exotic fish species.

The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute established by the Government of India under the Ministry of Agriculture in 1947 became a member of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) family in 1967. The headquarters was shifted from Mandapam Camp to Cochin in 1971. With the fast changing marine fisheries scenario and emergence of mariculture as a viable proposition for enhancing the production , the Institute over the years has tuned its mandate in consonance with the needs of the time.

The Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) set up in 1954 is the only national center in the country where research in all disciplines relating to fishing and fish processing is undertaken. The institute started functioning at Cochin in 1957. Research centers function at Veraval (Gujarat), Visakhapatnam (AP), Burla (Orissa), Mumbai (Maharashtra), Calicut (Kerala) and Hoshangabad (MP).

Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), the only Deemed University for fisheries in India, is the institution of higher learning for fisheries science. CIFE has over four decades of leadership in HRD with its alumni fuelling the development of fisheries and aquaculture world wide, and has notable research and technological advancements to its credit.

The Central Inland Capture Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI) is the oldest premier research institution in the field of inland fisheries research and training in India. Established initially as Central Inland Fisheries Research Station by the Govt. of India at Calcutta in 1947, it assumed the status of an Institute and shifted to Barrackpore (North 24-Parganas, West Bengal) in 1959. The Institute came under the administrative control of Indian Council of Agricultural Research in October 1967.

The food safety, GM foods and pre-clinical toxicity testing of drugs are the important activities of FDTRC. The Centre also investigates the food borne disease outbreaks and identifies the causative factors.

CFTRI became a reality (as a constituent institute of CSIR and its third national laboratory) thanks to the vision and endeavours of its founders and a network of dedicated scientists who had a passion to pursue in-depth scientific research into one of the most fundamental aspects of human life. With over 75% of the population occupied in food raising, and no facilities to benefit from post-harvest technology till then, India hailed the birth of CFTRI and started to look at it with great expectations.

Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Information provides information on government machinery for food grain procurement, storage and distribution, sugar and oil control and commodity price management.

The Ministry of Food Processing Industries, set up in July 1988, is the main central agency of the Government responsible for developing a strong and vibrant food processing sector; with a view to create increased job opportunities in rural areas, enable the farmers to reap benefit from modern technology, create surplus for exports and stimulating demand for processed food.

The Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur is one of the eight regional institutes under the Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education. The institute has not only steadily advanced in terms of infrastructure but also specialized itself as a major nucleus for research on forestry and ecology related problems of tropical forests of the central region comprising of the states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Orissa.

The TNFC was started during 1961 as a

Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) was constituted in the year 1987 by renaming the erstwhile Indian Forest College, which was originally established in 1938 for training senior forest officers. IGNFA is currently functioning as a Staff College for the officers of the Indian Forest Service (IFS). The primary mandate of the Academy is to impart knowledge and skills to the professional foresters and help them to develop competence for managing the country's forest and wildlife resources on a sustainable basis.

The Indian Institute of Forest Management is a sectoral management institute, which constantly endeavors to evolve knowledge useful for the managers in the area of Forest, Environment and Natural Resources Management and allied sectors. It disseminates such knowledge in ways that promote its application by individuals and organizations.

Delhi has been experiencing phenomenal growth of population since 1951 recording decennial growth rate of 52.44%, 52.91%, 52.98%, 51.45% and 47.03% during 1951-61, 1961-71, 1971-81 and 1991-01 decades respectively. One of the main causes for this spurt in the growth of population is migration into the city not only from the adjacent states but also from others such as Bihar. The growth of population of Delhi has contributed to increasing congestion and shortages of civic amenities. It has been felt that as Delhi grows, its problems of land, housing, transportation and management of essential infrastructure like water supply and sewerage would become more acute. It was with this concern that the need for planning Delhi in the regional context was felt.

The Ministry of Housing & Poverty Alleviation is the apex authority of Government of India at the national level to formulate policies, sponsor and support programme, coordinate the activities of various Central Ministries, State Governments and other nodal authorities and monitor the programmes concerning all the issues of urban employment, poverty and housing in the country.

The Ministry of Urban Development & the Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation are the apex authority of Government of India at the national level to formulate policies, sponsor and support programme, coordinate the activities of various Central Ministries, State Governments and other nodal authorities and monitor the programmes concerning all the issues of urban development and housing in the country.

Central Drug Research Institute is one of the first and few laboratories that were established in India right after its independence. CDRI is among the thirty eight laboratories that are functioning under the aegis of the council of scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of India headed by the Prime Minister of the nation as its president. CDRI was formally inaugurated on 17th Feb 1951 by the then Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru.

Central Tobacco Research Institute, an organization of Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), is an apex research body for tobacco in India. Multi disciplinary programmes of CTRI have helped in evolving high yielding cultivars of tobacco, quality up gradation thereby improving the farmers' economics & enhancing tobacco exports.

This Institute started as "Occupational Health Research Institute' (OHRI) in the year 1966 and was re-christened as "National Institute of Occupational Health' (NIOH) in 1970 presently located in the Eastern part of Ahmedabad. Two Regional Occupational Health Centers (ROHCs) were started at Bangalore in 1977 and at Kolkata in 1980. The major objectives of the Institute and its centers are to identify and mitigate the occupational and environmental health problems in the country. The tools used for this purpose are research, education and information dissemination.

The National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD) was established on July 30, 1963, subsequent to the decision of the Government of India to expand and reorganise the activities of the Malaria Institute of India (MII) which remained in existence under different names since its inception in 1909.The reorganised Institute was established to develop a national centre for teaching and research in various disciplines of epidemiology and control of communicable diseases.The Institute was envisaged to act as a centre par excellence for providing multi disciplinary and integrated expertise in the control of communicable disease. The Institute was also entrusted the task of developing reliable rapid economic epidemialogical tools which could be effectively applied in the field for the control of communicable diseases.

The NATIONAL TUBERCULOSIS INSTITUTE was established in 1959 at Bangalore by the Government of India. The technical assistance in terms of Manpower, Machinery and Equipment from World Health Organization; Vehicle & Equipments from UNICEF were of great asset in the formative years of NTI. This institute is a centre to formulate TB Control Programme best suited to a country like India, where the TB problem is large and the resources are meager. The Institute undertook several Operational Research Studies and evolved a nationally applicable TB Control Programme. Furthermore, the Institute also trains the key personnel to run the programme through District TB Centers. This nationally evolved TB Control Programme has been adopted by several other countries.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, a branch of Government of India, administers 48 Central Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) and assists them in their effort to improve capacity utilisation & increase profitability, Generate resources and Re-orient strategies to become more competitive. The department serves as an interface between PSEs and other agencies for long term policy formulation.The department also encourages restructuring of PSEs to make their operations competitive and viable on a long term and sustainable basis.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises created during the year is responsible for the development and growth of capital goods and engineering industries in the country besides framing policy guidelines for Central Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) and administratively dealing with 48 operating PSEs. The Ministry comprises of Department of Heavy Industry and the Department of Public Enterprises.

The National Small Industries Corporation Limited was set up in 1955 with a view to support, aid and foster the growth of Small Scale Industries in the country. Since then, it has been assisting the Small Scale sector through a number of schemes designed to set up and assist their growth. The SSI has come up to age now and accounts for almost 40% of the total industrial product of the country as well as towards 35% of direct exports of the country. NSIC has greatly contributed to the growth of SSI to above heights.

The Ministry is primarily concerned with administration of the Companies Act, 1956, other allied Acts and rules & regulations framed there-under mainly for regulating the functioning of the corporate sector in accordance with law. The Ministry is also responsible for administering the Competition Act, 2002 which will eventually replace the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 under which the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission(MRTPC) is functioning. Besides, it exercises supervision over the three professional bodies, namely, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India(ICAI), Institute of Company Secretaries of India(ICSI) and the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India (ICWAI) which are constituted under three separate Acts of the Parliament for proper and orderly growth of the professions concerned.

The Government of India established All India Soil Survey Organisation in 1956 with the Headquarters at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute with five Regional Soil Correlation Centres at Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Jorhat and Udaipur. Later in 1958, this scheme was integrated with the Land Use Planning Scheme of the Central Soil Conservation Board primarily to carry out detailed soil surveys in the catchment areas of major River Valley projects, with setting-up the organisation, "All India Soil and Land Use Survey'.

IGFRI, a national Institute under the administrative control of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, is mandated to conduct basic, strategic, applied and adaptive research; development and training in forage production and it's utilization. The Institute has highly experienced and internationally trained human resources engaged in need-led, participatory, inter-disciplinary approaches. With more than 30 years of experience in forage research and development, IGFRI today stands as the premier R&D institution in South Asia for sustainable agriculture through quality forage production for improved animal productivity.

The newly formed national laboratory, the Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) Dhanbad, is a constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) was aimed to provide R&D inputs for the entire coal-energy chain from mining to Consumption through integration of the Core Competencies of the two (CFRI & CMRI) premier Coal institution of the country.

The Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI), which came into existence with a small membership of about 40 federating associations and individual units, is now a 350-member body. FIMI envelopes in its fold mining, mineral processing, metal making, cement and other mineral-derived industries as well as granite, stone, marble and slate industries

The Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation Limited, (GMDC) was set up / established / constituted in the year 1963, with the mandate to develop major mineral resources in the State of Gujarat. Though lignite dominates the current activities of the Corporation, GMDC continues to pursue its path of expansion based on mineral resources, particularly in the fields of lignite based power generation, as well as continues to look into the development of other minor and major mineral resources in the State of Gujarat.

Incorporated in 1958 as a Government of India fully owned public enterprise. NMDC is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Steel , Government of India. Since inception involved in the exploration of wide range of minerals including iron ore, copper, rock phosphate, lime stone, dolomite, gypsum, bentonite, magnesite, diamond, tin, tungsten, graphite, beach sands etc.

Instituted in October 2001, Indian Steel Alliance (ISA) is an association of major Indian steel producers. ISA's objective, amongst other things includes promoting steel usage as well as the development of the Steel Industry in the country. It is also working towards positioning the Indian steel industry competitively in the global market and meeting its long-term vision. ISA also examines the issues faced by the steel producers in India and represents the industry's views and concerns to the Government and other national and international agencies. ISA is affiliated to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII & ASSOCHAM).

The Government of India have adopted mitigation and prevention as essential components of their development strategy. The Tenth Five Year Plan document has a detailed chapter on Disaster Management. The plan emphasizes the fact that development cannot be sustainable without mitigation being built into developmental process. Each State is supposed to prepare a plan scheme for disaster mitigation in accordance with the approach outlined in the plan. In brief, mitigation is being institutionalized into developmental planning.

The India Meteorological Department was established in 1875. It is the National Meteorological Service of the country and the principal government agency in all matters relating to meteorology, seismology and allied subjects.

Orissa State Disaster Mitigation Authority (OSDMA) was set up by the Government of Orissa as an autonomous organization vide Finance Department Resolution No. IFC- 74/99-51779/F dated the 28th December 1999 ( in the intermediate aftermath of the Super-cyclone in 1999). It was registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 on 29.12.1999 as a non-profit making & charitable institution for the interest of the people of Orissa, with its headquarters at Bhubaneswar and jurisdiction over the whole State.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister of India, is the Apex Body for Disaster Management in India. The setting up of the NDMA and the creation of an enabling environment for institutional mechanisms at the State and District levels is mandated by the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)discharges multifarious functions, important among them being the maintenance of Internal Security.Though in terms of Entries No. 1 and 2 of List II -'State List'- in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, 'public order' and 'police' are the responsibilities of States, Article 355 of the Constitution enjoins the Union to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance and to ensure that the government of every State is carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

The National Sample Survey (NSS), initiated in the year 1950, is a nation-wide, large-scale, continuous survey operation conducted in the form of successive rounds. It was established on the basis of a proposal from P.C. Mahalanobis to fill up data gaps for socio-economic planning and policy making through sample surveys. In March 1970, the NSS was reorganised and all aspects of its work were brought under a single Government organisation, namely the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) under the overall direction of Governing Council to impart objectivity and autonomy in the matter of collection, processing and publication of the NSS data.

With a view to provide safeguards against the exploitation of SCs & STs and to promote and protect their social, educational, economic and cultural interests, special provisions were made in the Constitution. Consequent upon the Constitution (Eighty-Ninth Amendment) Act , 2003 (Annexure II of the handbook) coming into force on 19-2-2004 vide Notification of that date (Annexure III of the handbook) the erstwhile National Commission for Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes has been replaced by (1) National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and (2) National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.