Agricultural Research Information System (ARIS) - India

ISNAR. 1999. Agricultural Research Information System (ARIS) - India. International Service for National Agricultural Research

Agricultural research in India is at the point of major breakthroughs. Indian scientists are among world leaders in fields as diverse as molecular biology, dry land crop production, and agricultural engineering. These men and women produce much high quality work—and there are a lot of them. The Indian national agricultural research system (NARS) consists of more than 25,000 scientists who work at more than 80 major institutes, 27 state agricultural universities, and 1000+ centres and stations. The major challenge in the 1990's and beyond is to mold such vast resources into a more coherent whole. One of the most effective tools for doing so can be improved information. India is rapidly becoming a world leader in this field also, known particularly for its expertise in computer software development. The marriage is therefore a natural one: agricultural research and information management. In early 1991, the Government of India (GOI) decided to undertake a major project to bring the power of new information technology to the NARS. This project has been dubbed "ARIS", an Agricultural Research Information System. Most funds are coming from the GOI itself and from the World Bank. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) have asked ISNAR1 to take the lead in formulating a strategy.