Bhubaneswar: Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management, has been formally nominated as a Member of the Working Group on Agricultural Transformation towards Viksit Bharat at 2047. Chaired by Dr. K.V. Raju, Honorable Member of NITI Aayog, this high-powered panel is tasked with charting a comprehensive national roadmap for the agricultural sector as India builds toward its centenary of independence.
Holding a doctorate in entomology from the prestigious Indian Agricultural Research Institute alongside a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Birmingham, Dr. Padhee combines rigorous scientific expertise with top-tier administrative acumen. His career within the Indian Administrative Service is defined by an extensive, hands-on tenure dedicated to agricultural policy, food security, and rural empowerment.
During his leadership in Odisha’s Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Dr. Padhee championed pioneering structural reforms. His strategic initiatives transformed the state into a beacon of climate-resilient farming, scaling up sustainable practices such as precision direct-seeded rice, comprehensive rice fallow management, and drought mitigation. His visionary execution of the Odisha Millets Mission, later expanded into the Shree Anna Abhiyan, served as a blueprint for millet mainstreaming nationwide. Furthermore, his administrative framework prioritized gender equity through the establishment of specialized gender-responsive agricultural cells and women-led self-help enterprise models.
Beyond state administration, Dr. Padhee’s expansive professional footprint includes serving as the Country Director for the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), as well as contributing his expertise to global bodies like the World Bank’s India Agriculture Policy Advisory Group. Having transitioned to manage revenue administration and critical disaster response frameworks in Odisha, his ability to navigate complex logistical and environmental challenges remains exemplary.
This latest appointment to the NITI Aayog working group acknowledges his lifelong dedication to agrarian progress. As India seeks to modernize its food systems, enhance farmer prosperity, and secure long-term ecological balance, Dr. Padhee’s vast grassroots insight and policy foresight will undoubtedly provide invaluable momentum to the national endeavor of achieving a developed nation.