On 16 March 2000 the ICRISAT Management announced a contest open to all ICRISAT staff and their families for a compelling "icon" depicting Science with a Human Face.
The winning entry came from Mr K Ramesh Kumar, a Freelance Graphic Designer working in IRMP (department name since changed to Communication Office).
The icon reflects a number of powerful ideals - Combining a global
and human form to indicate the significance of ICRISAT's responsibility
as a global organization focused on helping people,
- Warm human image
cradling the ICRISAT logo in hand, reflecting ICRISAT as an asset
of humanity to be treasured.
- Image and colors of water and dry soil,
reminding us of the centrality of water and land as both constraint
and opportunity for progress in SAT agriculture.
The icon is intended
to symbolize and remind us, and the world outside, of on ongoing change
of our culture and vision. We are an institute that serves people
first and foremost. Science is the means we use, not the end in itself.
If we do excellent science, but do not make an impact in improving
the lives of the poor, we will have failed. Only by focusing on our
target of helping developing countries reduce poverty, malnutrition,
and environmental degradation, will we ensure that our science makes
a positive difference in the livelihoods of the SAT poor.
