A 7-days training programme during 9-15 June, 2018 for the 1 st year students of M.Sc. (Ag) Hons,
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh has been inaugurated at ICAR-CIFRI, Head Quarter,
Barrackpore. Twenty four students have taken part in this training programme. Dr. B.K Das, Director,
ICAR-CIFRI, while welcoming the students, elaborates on the importance of inland fisheries production
enhancement and management to ensure the life & livelihood of rural India. The fish production and
productivity in inland open waters of India is in declining spree, a great concern for the future protein
supplement for rural mass, he reiterates and urges the students, the back bone of future India who can
take the subject as a challenge to generate additional livelihood for the rural sector as well as eradicating
mal nutrition by ensuring knowledge gained from CIFRI. Dr. B. P. Mohanty, Head, FREM Division, ICAR-
CIFRI, expresses his concern towards development of nutriti-smart village through fisheries enhancement
in inland open waters. Small indigenous fish species (SIFS) and their nutritional aspects have been
elaborated and urged the students to go for all round integration of crop husbandry, fishery and animal
husbandry including empowering women towards conservation of SIFS in derelict water bodies for
strengthening protein supply chain to rural people. Dr. U. K. Sarkar, Head, RWF Division, ICAR-CIFRI,
narrates the importance of climate change and its impact on inland fisheries production and productivity.
The training modules coveres on-field exposure visits, field demonstrations and in-house class
interactions with the scientists of ICAR-CIFRI including laboratory practicals on sediment & water
chemistry, biotic organisms, identification of different fish species, ornamental fish culture aspects, fish
diseases, feed ingredients including formulation of extruded pelleted feeds, GIS mapping etc. The
interactive sessions involve the present aspects of inland open water fisheries and problems faced by the
local fishers. The support extended by CIFRI library is mention-worthy in orienting the students about
knowledge strengthening on fish and fisheries. The knowledge gap in regard to delineation of inland
water bodies through GIS platform, limno-chemistry of sediment & water, ecology & fisheries of rivers &
estuarine ecosystem, enhancement of fisheries in reservoirs and wetlands, pollutants in inland waters,
fish diseases & their control in open waters, crafts & gears, importance of SIFS as health food, feed
formulation, socio-economics including marketing, would be reduced after completion of the training.
Training program of such kinds would help in developing future road map for the students for integration
of all facets of agriculture including fishery and selecting their target to be achieved in coming future
through concerted effort & endeavour keeping in view of uplifting rural economy and health aspects of
India.