22 March 2024, New Delhi: The XV Annual Workshop of the All India Coordinated Research Project on Ergonomics and Safety in Agriculture was organized by ICAR-Central Institute of Agriculture Engineering, Bhopal from March 20th -21st, 2024 in virtual mode.
The Chief Guest Dr. S. N. Jha, Deputy Director General (Engg), emphasized the comfort index and the necessity of establishing criteria for categorizing any tool as women-friendly. He highlighted the necessity of redirecting research efforts towards prioritizing the ergonomic design of machinery and safety devices in agricultural/allied sectors. Dr. Jha emphasized launching a national campaign through mass media platforms to raise awareness about the risks associated with transporting people in unsafe tractor-trailers to prevent accidents.
Dr. K. P. Singh, Assistant Director General (Farm Engineering) ICAR, acknowledged the progress made by all centres and emphasized the significance of conducting a comprehensive review to evaluate the gaps in research, industry needs, and farmers’ demands while selecting research studies. He also highlighted the need for societal impact in developing any intervention or technology.
Dr. C. R. Mehta, Director, ICAR-CIAE, Bhopal, highlighted the significance of the scheme and advocated association with industry for the creation of ergonomic interventions to address labour-intensive farm tasks.
Dr. Sukhbir Singh, Project Coordinator, AICRP on ESA, briefed about the history of the project and highlighted the scheme’s achievements.
Dr. L.P. Gite, Ex-Scientist Emeritus and Former PC, AICRP on ESA, ICAR-CIAE, Bhopal and Dr. P.K. Nag, Former Director, NIOH, Ahmadabad, also graced the occasion.
During the two-day deliberations, technical sessions, business sessions, and plenary sessions were held during the 2-day deliberations. Five technologies were commercialized, and two patents and seven design registrations were filed by cooperating centres of AICRP on ESA during the programme.
