The UN General Assembly declared 20 May as World Bee Day to be celebrated annually, in an effort to generate greater awareness about the important role that bees play in the environment. On this occasion, a webinartitled, ‘Sweet Revolution and Atmanirbhar Bharat’wasorganized bythe National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) in partnership with the state governments of West Bengal and Uttarakhand; the National Bee Board and Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology, Kashmir on May  21, 2020. 

Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Minster for Rural Development,addressed the webinar. He highlighted the importance of beekeeping and stressed on the need for a ‘Sweet Revolution’ through the holistic development of beekeeping. The webinar focused on increasing awareness regarding  beekeeping and sought suggestions for the faster implementation of a new Central Sector Scheme, the  ‘National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM)’ that focuses on the overall promotion and development of scientific beekeeping and production of quality honey and other beehive products. The workshop also aimed at the development of a commercial beekeeping model through a network of rural cooperatives of women and tribal communities.

Shri Sanjay Agarwal, Secretary Agriculture, said that given the importance of beekeeping, the Government of India’s Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), has incorporated a component titled,’Pollination Support through Beekeeping" to support the development of scientific beekeeping in the country. He added that the National Bee Board (NBB) has now been designated as the nodal agency for overall development and promotion of scientific beekeeping in the country. 

Mr Tomio Shichiri, FAO Representative in India in his address acknowledged India’s bee diversity with over 700 bee species, 40 percent of which are endemic. He stressed upon the need to conserve the diversity of native bees since they can help increase the productivity and the income of India's small and marginal farmers. These farmers grow a wide variety of crops that include pulses, vegetables, fruits, and cereals. These are ideal hosts for bees and thus beekeeping could become a lucrative livelihood option for these farmers. Further, he highlighted the role of wild bees in forest regeneration.

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https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/let-our-bees-buzz-840022.html