Posted On:
23 OCT 2026 5:34PM by PIB Chennai
The Parliamentary Committee on Papers Laid on the Table (COPLOT) held a meeting at Swaraj Dweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, on 23 October 2026 to review the Annual Reports and Audited Accounts (ARs/AAs) of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The meeting was chaired by the Dr. Laxmikant Bajpayee, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha.
The meeting was attended by Smt. Mahua Maji and Shri Mansingh Meraman Parmar, Honourable Members of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. Dr. Anil Kumar Dixit, Assistant Director General (PIM), ICAR, presented the status of the Annual Accounts and Audited Reports before the Committee.
Officials from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat who participated in the meeting included Shri Sanjeev Chandra, Director; Shri Anup Amrit Sahu, Under Secretary; Shri Deepak Kumar, PS to the Chairperson; and Shri Manish Manral, Committee Officer.
Representing ICAR, Dr. Jai Sunder, Director (Actg.), ICAR–Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR–CIARI), Sri Vijaya Puram; Smt. Sunita Arya, Director (Finance), ICAR; Shri Manish Wadhera, Deputy Director (Finance), ICAR; and Shri Sanjay Rastogi, Under Secretary (TC), ICAR, attended the meeting.
The meeting provided an opportunity for the Committee to examine the Annual Reports and Audited Accounts of DARE/ICAR as part of its parliamentary oversight of documents laid before Parliament. The deliberations underscored the importance of timely submission of reports, financial transparency, accountability and adherence to established procedures in the functioning of public institutions.
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TV/RJ