Rajbir Singh
Dr. Rajbir Singh is presently working as Assistant Director General (Agronomy, Agroforesrty & Climate Change) in Natural Resource Management Division of ICAR at KAB-II, Pusa, New Delhi since February, 2023, where he is instrumental in planning, coordinating and monitoring of R & D programmes for sustainable agricultural production and resource conservation under changing scenario of climate change. He is also coordinating eight research institutes and five AICRPs on important aspects of NRM.
Previous to this, Dr. Singh served as Director, ICAR-ATARI, Ludhiana for almost 8 years (2015-2023). Dr. Singh infused new energy in the functioning KVKs and putting all-out efforts to popularize conservation agriculture and natural farming for sustainability, addressing the issue of climate change, soil health deterioration, low farm profitability and environmental pollution. He put all-out efforts to popularize Nutri-gardens to demonstration the role of vegetables and fruits in mitigating malnutrition in rural area. Dr. Singh believes in team building, good coordinator and communicator and exhibited his traits of problem solving.
He has been bestowed with many prestigious awards like Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award during 2021, Nanaji Deshmukh ICAR Award for Outstanding Team Research in Agricultural Sciences during 2019, Swami Sahajanand Saraswati Outstanding Scientist Award of ICAR during 2016, Fellow of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) during 2022, Fellow of Indian Society of Agronomy (ISA) during 2014, Fellow of Horticultural Society of India (HSI) during 2016 besides several other awards.
Dr. Singh has specialization in Conservation Agriculture, Extension Research and Natural Farming. Dr. Singh has more than 100 research papers published in referred international and national journals (Citation score in Google scholar: 5621; H-Index: 32, i10 Index-66) besides 41 technical bulletins, 121 popular articles, 10 books, 27 book chapters, and symposium papers in his credit. Dr. Singh has visited many countries (Israel, Brazil, Germany, Nepal, Poland, Thailand, USA and UAE) for participation in various seminars, symposium and in many advance laboratories for research work.
Dr. Singh has over 27 years of experience in research, research management and coordination; and application of technology and has a clear understanding of challenges, opportunities and research priorities of northern states. He has worked with a multi-disciplinary team of scientists and his scientific efforts in natural resource management has led to impact at scale benefiting large number of small holder men and women farmers of Northern India. He has handled more than 15 projects sponsored by different agencies including DST, DAC, ICAR.
Looking into his vast experience in the field of natural resource management, Dr. Singh has been assigned as National Nodal Officer to execute Central Scheme on “Promotion of agricultural mechanization for In-situ management of crop residue in the states of Punjab, Haryana, UP & NCR” in which 60 KVKs of Punjab, Haryana and UP is involved. The salient outcome of the project resulted into impact at scale covering more than 0.5 million hectare under zero-tilled wheat and direct seeded rice (DSR) in states of Punjab and Haryana besides one third reduction in active fire incidences of residue burning. ICAR-ATARI under his leadership has made its valuable presence not only in northern zone but across the country as a technology application institute for the welfare of farming community.
