Dryland Congress 2026: Over 800 global experts to gather in New Delhi for three-day South-South cooperation summit

The Global Dryland Congress 2026 will be held in New Delhi from 10–12 September 2026, bringing together over 800 experts to discuss dryland agriculture and commemorate the United Nations Day for South–South Cooperation. The Congress is jointly organised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). The event will focus on six key themes and will culminate in the adoption of the Delhi Declaration on Dryland (3D).

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Quick Revision

Prelims-testable facts

01The Global Dryland Congress 2026 will be held in New Delhi from 10-12 September 2026.
02The Congress is jointly organised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).
03The Congress will deliberate on six key themes: breeding, climate resilience, nutrition and markets, farming systems, seed systems, and gender and youth inclusion.
04Over 800 global experts will participate in the Congress.
05The Congress will commemorate the United Nations Day for South–South Cooperation on its final day.
06The Delhi Declaration on Dryland (3D) will be adopted at the Congress.
07The Congress will also announce new partnerships, MOUs, and awards recognizing outstanding contributions to dryland science.

Trap alerts

Most people think the Global Dryland Congress 2026 is the first of its kind, but actually it is the second such Congress.
Most people think the Congress will focus only on climate change, but actually it will cover six key themes including breeding and seed systems.
Most people think the Congress is organized only by ICRISAT, but actually it is jointly organized by ICAR and ICRISAT.

Current-affairs link

The Indian government has launched the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) to promote sustainable agriculture practices and reduce the environmental impact of agriculture.

Prelims Practice MCQs

Single facteasy

The Global Dryland Congress 2026 will be held in which city?

A.Mumbai
B.Kolkata
C.New Delhi
D.Bangalore

New Delhi is the venue for the Global Dryland Congress 2026, a significant event in the field of dryland agriculture.

Multiple statementsmedium

Consider the following statements regarding Global Dryland Congress 2026: 1. The Congress is jointly organised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). 2. The Congress will be held in Mumbai from 10–12 September 2026. 3. Over 800 scientists, policymakers, farmer representatives and development partners will attend the Congress. How many of the above statements are correct?

A.Only one
B.Only two
C.All three
D.None

Statement 1 is correct because it is mentioned in fact 2 that the Congress is jointly organised by ICAR and ICRISAT. Statement 2 is incorrect because the Congress will actually be held in New Delhi, not Mumbai, as per fact 1. Statement 3 is correct because it matches the figure given in fact 10.

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