The 88^th session of Indian Science Congress was held on the campus of the famous Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi in January 2001 under the President ship of Dr. R.S. Paroda.

This was the first Congress of the New Millennium and the theme of the Congress was "Food, Nutrition and Environmental Security". During the Congress, Hon'ble Prime Minister of India Shri Atal Bihari Vajapaye released an important Vision Statement as under:

"By 2002, India will be free of poverty, hunger and malnutrition, and become an environmentally safe country. This, we believe, will be possible to achieve through accelerated social and economic development by harnessing the advances in science, and blending them with our indigenous knowledge, wisdom and unique socio-cultural ethos. We believe India can banish poverty and emerge as a developed nation by promoting growth through efficient and sustainable use of our human, natural and other resources." The vision statement concluded stating "Hunger free India is an idea whose time has come. Let us launch a science-based crusade for elimination of hidden hunger and malnutrition".

Also, the Prime Minister exhorted the scientists by saying:"Our goal is to make India a leading nation in the world in the new century hinges critically on how successfully we take science to the people and create a stronger scientific temper in our society".

In response to the above, and considering the fact that the congress should not be seen as an end in itself, a movement for harnessing. In particular, the agricultural sciences for the welfare of the people, the National Organising Committee decided to form a Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS). The Trust was established on October 17, 2002.