UMIAM, MEGHALAYA: Six distinguished farmers and agripreneurs from Meghalaya were conferred the prestigious ‘Krishi Gaurav Samman 2026’ during the Academic Assembly 2026 held at the College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences (CPGSAS), Central Agricultural University (Imphal), Umiam, on October 31.

The event, centered around the theme “Transforming Classrooms through NEP 2020: Integrating Indigenous Wisdom, Culture and Experiential Learning,” celebrated grassroots innovation, sustainable farming, and the preservation of indigenous agricultural heritage in the North Eastern Region. Notably, two of the awardees had earlier received national acclaim from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 139th episode of Mann Ki Baat for championing traditional millet cultivation.

Recognising Agricultural Trailblazers

The awardees honoured for their exceptional contributions include:

• Chekjing Sangma (Sadolpara, West Garo Hills) – Pioneering modern millet farming and promotional efforts.
• Darapbiang Mulieh (Khanduli, West Jaintia Hills) – Driving millet value addition.
• Sitrian Surong (Khanduli, West Jaintia Hills) – Championing Meghalaya’s traditional millet heritage.
• Trinity Saioo (Mulieh, West Jaintia Hills) – Popularly known as the Lakadong Lady, recognized for promoting indigenous Lakadong turmeric.
• Jemnud Marpan (Thadnongniaw, Ri-Bhoi) – Conserving indigenous crops and agricultural biodiversity.
• Midat M. Binau (Marngar, Ri-Bhoi) – Spearheading agripreneurial initiatives to connect traditional spice crops with global markets.

A Convergence of Academia and Tradition

The Academic Assembly was jointly organised by the Purvottar Janajati Shiksha Samiti (PJSS) and CPGSAS, CAU (Imphal), with support from the ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region (Umiam), NEDFi, and Meghalaya Shiksha Samiti.

The valedictory ceremony was graced by Dr. Anupam Mishra, Vice-Chancellor of CAU (Imphal), as Chief Guest, who underscored the critical need to merge indigenous tribal wisdom with modern scientific innovations. Prof. Debabrata Das, President of PJSS and Vice-Chancellor of Tripura University, presided over the function, alongside Guest of Honour Prof. Ganga Prasad Parsain, President, Vidya Bharati Purvottar Kshetra, and Dr. Babli Chaudhury, All India Joint Secretary, Vidya Bharati.

The inaugural session, held earlier in the day, featured Dr. B. D. R. Tiwari, IAS, Chief Election Commissioner of Meghalaya, as Chief Guest, who stressed the vital importance of preserving cultural and biological diversity during inclusive development.

With 375 delegates in attendance, the programme featured robust interactive sessions focusing on farmer experiences and the implementation of NEP 2020, reinforcing the institution’s commitment to farmer-led agricultural transformation across the region.