Srinagar, Oct 6 (KNS): Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati, on Tuesday called for ensuring that technological advancements in agriculture are accompanied by protection of farmers’ digital, economic and legal rights.

Addressing a special session of the 60th Diamond Jubilee Convention of the Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers (ISAE) at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), Shalimar, Justice Bhati stressed the need to equip farmers, scientists and other stakeholders with modern technology.

“Today, every soldier—whether it be a farmer, a scientist, a teacher, a lawyer, or a judge—will have to be equipped with that kind of technology,” he said, drawing a parallel with the changing nature of modern warfare and the growing use of drones and other advanced technologies.

Earlier, the Chief Justice visited exhibition stalls showcasing technologies related to drip irrigation, crop monitoring and drone-based agricultural applications. He stressed the need to make such technologies accessible and easy to understand for farmers.

The three-day convention, hosted by SKUAST-K, brought together nearly 700 agricultural engineers, scientists, technocrats and students from India and abroad.

Vice Chancellor SKUAST-K, Prof Nazir A Ganai, highlighted the need to accelerate technological interventions in agriculture to unlock the sector's untapped potential.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

He said while the Green Revolution helped India overcome food shortages, the country now needs to focus on technology, skilled human resources and innovation to address emerging agricultural challenges.

Ganai also flagged concerns over technological and data sovereignty in agriculture amid the increasing use of drones, sensors and digital platforms, stressing that farmers' rights must extend to the digital domain as well.

The convention focused on themes including “Women Leading Engineering Innovations in Smart Farming” and “AI and Robotics for Gen-Z Farming”.

The technical sessions featured addresses by former MPUAT Vice Chancellor and former ICAR Deputy Director General (Education) N S Rathore on “AI-Driven Agricultural Technology, Smart Skills & Advanced Agricultural Techniques” and Distinguished Professor at Texas A&M University, USA, V P Singh, on “Mathematical Modelling of the Water-Energy-Environment-Food Nexus”.

The session also highlighted SKUAST-K's research and innovation ecosystem. Over the past five years, the university has generated 148 intellectual property rights (IPRs), including 62 product patents and five global patents, besides supporting 115 student startups and more than 130 commercialised products.(KNS)