Lagatar24 Desk
Ranchi, Dec.21: Indian Agricultural Universities Association (IAUA) has recommended enhancement of 10 percent UG/PG seats annually in all farm varsities to increase gross enrolment ratio (GER) in the higher educational institutions of agriculture and allied disciplines.
The development took place in the two-day IAUA convention which concluded at Birsa Agricultural University (BAU) on Tuesday. Around 40 vice chancellors from across the country participated in the convention online and offline.
Before recommending enhancement the participants expressed their concern over the poor representation of agricultural universities observing that at present, agricultural universities, totaling about 75, represent 9% of the country’s public sector universities but intake capacity (GER) is only one percent.
The convention also advocated that organic or natural farming should be conducted in 10% of country’s arable land with prime objective of improving soil health and checking environmental degradation. In the initial phase yield will be only optimal and not maximum but disease and pest management issue will have to be well taken care of. Establishment and strengthening of the Incubation Centre for encouraging entrepreneurship and startups among farm graduates for increasing innovation, processing and profitability in the farm sector was also recommended.
The think tank of agricultural universities also recommended designing market oriented course curricula by involving industry experts in designing courses. Certificate and diploma courses will also be started in skill development and rural entrepreneurship under self financing mode for generation of rural employment.
Optional courses in agricultural journalism and mass communication, corporate communication, religion and culture, foreign languages, environmental conservation, yoga, physical education, dance, music, soft skills development may also be started. PG students and young researchers will be encouraged to visit centres of excellence in India and abroad.
