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NAGPUR: With the aim of bringing uniformity in education in agriculture and raising its standard, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is conducting an exercise of identifying the lacunae in the system, rectifying them and also setting new quality standards through steps like accreditation to all the universities and their affiliated colleges. Basically the council is working towards a new higher education policy in agriculture.
The effort is also targeted at generating better quality and trained scientists, teachers and agriculturists for the country. The initiative stems from the result of a survey conducted by National Academy of Agriculture Research Management ( NAARM) in Hyderabad which pointed out deficiency of at least 50,000 agricultural scientists by 2010.
"Where would we get these scientists from? Surely they have to come from the agriculture universities. Today there are no uniform quality standards in agriculture education. Thus bringing uniformity in agriculture education is the first priority. Though there is a model Act of ICAR, it is not being implemented across the country in right manner. Hence the need for accreditation and upgradation of the colleges and the universities," said C D Mayee, one of the members of the ICAR committee and former chairman of Agriculture Scientists Recruitment Board from city.
Subjects being debated under the effort include the question of necessity of private colleges and universities in agriculture and their accreditation. At present, the standard of agriculture education has gone down badly. There is no uniformity in course structure and pattern of examination system. Another issue being deliberated on is preventing the disintegration of existing universities. "The universities could be regional. But not specialized ones (any one field of agriculture)," said Mayee.
Not many people know that there are 120 private agriculture colleges in Maharashtra alone whereas the government colleges are just 10 to 15. This is an extremely uneven distribution of the colleges as these 120 colleges alone are equal to the 40% admission capacity of the country. Most of these colleges do not follow the Maharashtra Council of Agriculture Education and Research (MCAER). National policy would in no way be discouraging private colleges but it will definitely prevent the mushrooming of specialized private colleges. There could be more central agricultural universities along with state universities.
Hence, grading the colleges has become a necessity. ICAR will lay down minimum standards for these colleges any universities. Heads are also rolling towards improving the quality of vice-chancellors of agricultural universities. The post today has been reduced to a political appointment and the appointment process is not at all transparent. ICAR committee is working on the option of selecting experts from all over the country in the subject on national level body. State Governors can actually pick the experts from their own state for selecting a VC.
Experts are also looking at the option of replacing the first few semesters to complete practical training which would then be followed by theory lessons. This will improve the farmers' interaction with the agriculture universities and also force the students to stay in villages for long enough periods to learn agriculture, identify farmers' problems to decide the direction of research in agriculture and be there from sowing to harvesting to actually experience the nuances of the process. In the last semester, students can take up experience learning in a subject of their choice. This would be called as Rural Agriculture Work Experience (RAWE).
"Education should be the fundamental for better research. But the scenario is very bad today. There are 56 agriculture universities producing 30,000 graduates. But the quality is substandard. Hence, there is a need for overhauling the entire framework of the universities," said Mayee. The accredited colleges alone would then be eligible for central government schemes. Universities would also be prompted to generate their own funds for their development. ICAR could also work out a uniform fee structure for the universities and affiliated colleges.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/New-higher-agricultural-education-policy-soon/articleshow/16776328.cms
The effort is also targeted at generating better quality and trained scientists, teachers and agriculturists for the country. The initiative stems from the result of a survey conducted by National Academy of Agriculture Research Management ( NAARM) in Hyderabad which pointed out deficiency of at least 50,000 agricultural scientists by 2010.
"Where would we get these scientists from? Surely they have to come from the agriculture universities. Today there are no uniform quality standards in agriculture education. Thus bringing uniformity in agriculture education is the first priority. Though there is a model Act of ICAR, it is not being implemented across the country in right manner. Hence the need for accreditation and upgradation of the colleges and the universities," said C D Mayee, one of the members of the ICAR committee and former chairman of Agriculture Scientists Recruitment Board from city.
Subjects being debated under the effort include the question of necessity of private colleges and universities in agriculture and their accreditation. At present, the standard of agriculture education has gone down badly. There is no uniformity in course structure and pattern of examination system. Another issue being deliberated on is preventing the disintegration of existing universities. "The universities could be regional. But not specialized ones (any one field of agriculture)," said Mayee.
Not many people know that there are 120 private agriculture colleges in Maharashtra alone whereas the government colleges are just 10 to 15. This is an extremely uneven distribution of the colleges as these 120 colleges alone are equal to the 40% admission capacity of the country. Most of these colleges do not follow the Maharashtra Council of Agriculture Education and Research (MCAER). National policy would in no way be discouraging private colleges but it will definitely prevent the mushrooming of specialized private colleges. There could be more central agricultural universities along with state universities.
Hence, grading the colleges has become a necessity. ICAR will lay down minimum standards for these colleges any universities. Heads are also rolling towards improving the quality of vice-chancellors of agricultural universities. The post today has been reduced to a political appointment and the appointment process is not at all transparent. ICAR committee is working on the option of selecting experts from all over the country in the subject on national level body. State Governors can actually pick the experts from their own state for selecting a VC.
Experts are also looking at the option of replacing the first few semesters to complete practical training which would then be followed by theory lessons. This will improve the farmers' interaction with the agriculture universities and also force the students to stay in villages for long enough periods to learn agriculture, identify farmers' problems to decide the direction of research in agriculture and be there from sowing to harvesting to actually experience the nuances of the process. In the last semester, students can take up experience learning in a subject of their choice. This would be called as Rural Agriculture Work Experience (RAWE).
"Education should be the fundamental for better research. But the scenario is very bad today. There are 56 agriculture universities producing 30,000 graduates. But the quality is substandard. Hence, there is a need for overhauling the entire framework of the universities," said Mayee. The accredited colleges alone would then be eligible for central government schemes. Universities would also be prompted to generate their own funds for their development. ICAR could also work out a uniform fee structure for the universities and affiliated colleges.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/New-higher-agricultural-education-policy-soon/articleshow/16776328.cms
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