Members of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and students of the College of Agriculture on Monday staged a demonstration outside the college, at VC Farm Zonal Agricultural Research Station, on the outskirts of the town. They were opposing the State government’s move to allow private agricultural institutions in Karnataka.
The government has resorted to affiliating private agricultural colleges and universities with the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru (UAS-B), the protesters said. “Private institutions exploit students by charging exorbitant fees. The quality of education at private institutions is very poor. Moreover, they do not adhere to the guidelines set by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR),” Shambhunahalli Suresh, president, KRRS (Mandya district), said.
Lack of facilities
The students urged the State government not to recognise such institutions or affiliate them with the UAS-B.
It requires a minimum of 300-500 hectares of land to run each agricultural college to conduct research. None of the private colleges or institutions can own such quantity of land for agricultural research work. Affiliating private institutions with the UAS-B would affect those pursuing their studies at UAS-B, the protesters said.
On the other hand, it would lead to an employment crisis for those who have completed or are completing their studies at the UAS-B, the students said. They added that the State government’s move will further help the commercialisation of agriculture education in Karnataka.
