ICAR-NBFGR Wins National Award for e-Governance 2024 for Advancing Aquatic Disease Management

The ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) in Lucknow has been honored with the National Award for e-Governance 2024 (Silver) for its outstanding contribution to the National Surveillance Programme for Aquatic Animal Diseases (NSPAAD). This recognition falls under Category IV, which focuses on research on citizen-centric services by academic and research institutions. The award, presented by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Government of India, carries a monetary prize of Rs. 5.0 lakhs along with a citation.

The award was given during the 27th National Conference on e-Governance, held at the Jio Convention Centre in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The event was graced by the presence of Maharashtra's Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, who presented the awards to the recipients. Dr. J. K. Jena, Deputy Director General (Fisheries Science), and Dr. Uttam Kumar Sarkar, Director of ICAR-NBFGR, were also in attendance to receive the prestigious award.

ICAR-NBFGR is the coordinating body for NSPAAD-Phase II, a project funded under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, Government of India.

The program is implemented through ICAR-Fisheries Research Institutes and various Colleges of Fisheries across different states. As part of this initiative, ICAR-NBFGR has developed the ReportFishDisease App, designed to enhance farmer-based reporting of fish diseases and provide timely scientific guidance.