A walk down ICAR-CTCRI’s memory lane
The ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CTCRI) is the only Institution solely dedicated to research on tropical tubers. The importance of tuber crops for the country grew at the same time as the ICAR-CTCRI developed, making its contributions significant and vital to the nation. The success story of this Institution was scripted by stalwarts who headed the Institution and acted upon by eminent researchers in the different sciences which interact under the umbrella of Agriculture. The milestones on the path traversed by ICAR-CTCRI are chronicled and the future they helped to carve out is also sketched here.
The Beginnings
The history of ICAR-CTCRI begins from 1963 in a small rented building in Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram city, with eleven staff members and was established under the control of the Government of India. Prior to this, research on tuber crops especially cytogenetics was carried out by the erstwhile Travancore University since 1953.As the staff number increased, the laboratory – cum- office was first shifted to another rented building in Sasthamangalam and later on moved again to two adjacent buildings in Vazhuthacaud in 1964. On Ist April,1966 the administrative control of the Institute was transferred from Government of India to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The Government of Kerala sanctioned 21.5 hectares of land at Sreekariyam for the research farm of the Institute. In 1972 the Institute moved to its new building at Sreekariyam This area has now increased to 48.19 hectares on which imposing buildings have come up to house the laboratories , offices and other facilities of ICAR-CTCRI, including a Bank, Staff Co-operative Stores, Recreation Club, etc
Leaders All
| Sl.No. | Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sri. M.J. Deshmukh | 01.07.1963 | 23.04.1964 |
| 2 | Dr. M.L. Magoon | 24.04.1964 | 06.04.1971 |
| 3 | Sri. M.J. Deshmukh | 01.07.1963 | 23.04.1964 |
| 3 | Dr. R.C. Mandal i/c | 07.04.1971 | 16.04.1972 |
| 4 | Dr. N. Hrishi | 17.04.1972 | 19.09.1980 |
| 5 | Shri. P.K. Thomas i/c | 20.09.1980 | 18.02.1982 |
| 6 | Dr. N.M. Nayar | 19.02.1982 | 23.01.1983 |
| 7 | Dr. S.P. Ghosh | 24.01.1983 | 03.10.1987 |
| 8 | Dr. T.K. Pal i/c | 04.10.1987 | 02.05.1988 |
| 9 | Dr. G.G. Nayar | 03.05.1988 | 31.07.1991 |
| 10 | Dr. G.T. Kurup | 01.08.1991 | 01.12.1992 |
| 11 | Dr. N.M. Nayar | 02.12.1992 | 31.05.1993 |
| 12 | Dr. G.T. Kurup | 01.06.1993 | 31.05.1993 |
| 13 | Dr. S. Edison | 31.07.1997 | 30.11.2008 |
| 14 | Dr. M. S. Palaniswami A/D | 01.12.2008 | 21.12.2008 |
| 15 | Dr. S. K. Naskar | 22.12.2008 | 31.01.2012 |
| 13 | Dr. (Smt). G. Padmaja A/D | 01.02.2012 | 01.04.2012 |
| 13 | Dr. S. K. Chakrabarti | 02.04.2012 | 26.01.2016 |
| 13 | Dr. James George i/c | 27.01.2016 | - |
Under Its Wings
The Institute has a Regional Centre in Bhubaneswar, Orissa since 1976,initially as a centre of an ICAR/ IDRC programme and later graduated as a Regional Centre. ICAR-CTCRI is also the headquarters of All India Co-ordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Tuber Crops since 1968 which oversees its thirteen centres across the country, functioning in the various State Agricultural Universities and The Indian Society for Root Crops (ISRC)established in 1971. The ISRC publishes the prestigious quarterly Journal of Root Crops since 1973. The Agro-ecosystem Directorate (Coastal) was functioning under the aegis of ICAR-CTCRI under which it coordinated the National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP) from 2003 – 2005
Under Its Wings
| ICAR-CTCRI MILESTONES. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1963 | Research Station for tuber crops established at Trivandrum by Government of India. | ||
| August 1964 | Research Station upgraded as ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute | ||
| April 1966 | Control of ICAR-CTCRI transferred to ICAR, an autonomous body under Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India | ||
| April 1968 | AICRP on Tuber Crops( other than Potato) started | ||
| April 1971 | The Cassava varieties H97,H165 and H 226 released. | ||
| April 1970 | National Demonstration Programme implemented | ||
| April 1976 | Operational Research Project sponsored by IDRC, launched | ||
| June 1976 | The new building complex at Sreekariyam inaugurated | ||
| September 1976 | Regional station started in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa | ||
| September 1979 | Lab to land programme implemented by ICAR | ||
| September 1986 | The new laboratory inaugurated | ||
| July 1988 | ICAR-CTCRI celebrated its Silver Jubilee | ||
| August 1995 | Institution Village Linkage programme (IVLP) started | ||
| March 1996 | ARIS Computer Cell established | ||
| April 1997 | New Engineering Workshop started functioning | ||
| April 1998 | Regional Station released two sweet potato varieties viz. Sankar and Gouri | ||
| December 1998 | Project UPTECH Consultancy project for SBI started | ||
| April 1999 | National Agricultiure Technology project (NATP) at Institute initiated | ||
| January 2000 | International Symposium (ISOTUC) Organized. | ||
| March 2001 | Library-Museum-Conference Hall (LMC) complex inaugurated | ||
| January 2003 | Directorate of Agro-eco system (Coastal) under NATP started functioning | ||
| May 2003 | New Canteen and Staff Amenities Complex (CASAC) building inaugurated | ||
| November 2004 | Micro Propogation Laboratory for production of disease free planting material inaugurated | ||
| April 2005 | Food extension Laboratory inaugurated | ||
| June 2005 | New Plant Physiology Laboratory started functioning | ||
| July 2005 | Annexe Laboratory block inaugurated | ||
| May 2006 | Transgenic Laboratory inaugurated | ||
| June 2006 | ICAR-CTCRI- Bank of India collaborative project- Reaching to Empower launched | ||
| November 2006 | Glass house for Transgenic cassava inaugurated | ||
| November 2006 | 14th Triennial Symposium of ISRTC organized | ||