Deputy Director General (Agri. Edn) and National Director (NAHEP), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Rakesh Chandra Agarwal has stressed the need to come out with financial products that can cater to the needs of women and other marginal farmers.
Delivering the convocation address at the 35th Annual Convocation of University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Dharwad on Tuesday, Rakesh Chandra Agarwal said that there was also need for strengthening the delivery models for market linkages.
Referring to the technological innovations in the field of agricultural sciences, he said that the focus should be on making small holding farming attractive and remunerative, particularly woman farmers. “All these developments must happen while ensuring a sound environment, and sustainable and revitalising practices,” he said.
He said that for achieving targets in the agricultural sector, agriculture education played an important role.
On the New National Educational Policy 2020 (NEP-2020), he said that they envisioned a complete overhaul and re-energising of the higher education system and it would bring about a transformation.
Pointing out that the effects of climate change and its implications were felt more by small and marginal farmers, he said that with increasing unpredictability of rainfall and depleting groundwater levels, small farmers faced greater challenges in adapting to the changes.
He said that over 69% of the country was dry, arid, and facing severe risk of droughts and 85% of the rural women in India were engaged in the labour-intensive processes of farming such as sowing, winnowing, harvesting et al, with limited access to appropriate technology, finance, skills and policy-making.
Lauding the initiatives taken by UAS-Dharwad in the field of innovation, entrepreneurship, start-ups and personality development, industry-academia interface conclave under NAHEP-IDP, he said the dimensions of the country’s farming included inclusive sustainable livelihoods, building on the expertise of local communities, with appropriate financing, capacity building and market linkage support.
Honorary doctorates
Governor of Karnataka and Chancellor of UAS-Dharwad Thavarchand Gehlot conferred the honorary doctoral degrees on Jagadish Hari Kulkarni and Yogendra Kaushik for their contribution to the field of agriculture. Honorary doctoral degree was conferred ‘in absentia’ on Adrushya Kadsiddheshwar Swamiji, head of Shri Sidhagiri Math, Kaneri, Kolhapur. The Governor also presented gold medals and degree certificates. In all, 890 candidates were conferred with various degrees during the convocation.
Gold medallists
UG Courses: Anand Kumar, B.Sc. (Hons), Lahari Shetty, B.Sc. (Hons), Ms. Meghana N., B.Sc. (Hons) Ag.Maco., Kavya M. Hiremath, B.Sc. (Hons), Kavana D. M., B.Sc. (Hons), Bindu K., B.Sc. (Hons) Forestry, College of Forestry, Sirsi, Shilpa S. Gowda., B.Sc. (Hons) Community Science, College of Community Science, Valcea Pearl D. Cunha, B.Tech., (Hons) Food Technology, College of Community Science.
PG courses: Yamuna N., M.Sc.(Agri) in Agril. Economics (2), Apoorva D. U., M.Sc.(Agri), in Agriculture Extension Education (2), Puja Mandal, M.Sc.(Agri), in Genetics and Plant Breeding (2), Safwana Jasmin T., MBA (Agri Business Managament), Apurva Laxmi, M.Sc.(Agri) in Agricultural Entomology, Bheemashankar Biradar, M.Sc. (Agri) in Agril. Meteorology, Pooja Prakash, M.Sc. (Agri) in Agril. Microbiology, Vinushree R, M.Sc. (Agri) in Agril. Statistics, Suranjana Biswas, M.Sc.(Agri) in Agronomy Meghana V, M.Sc.(Agri), in Horticulture, Spoorti S. Gandhadmath, M.Sc.(Agri), in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Vandana Samanth, M.Sc.(Agri), in Plant Biochemistry, Abhisek Rath and Suhasini Sheelvant, M.Sc.(Agri) in Plant Pathology, Mahantesh B. Mudennavar and Kalyani M S, M.Sc.(Agri), in Seed Science and Technology, Dharanya K, M.Sc.(Agri), in Soil Science, P Yamini, M.H.Sc. in Human Development and Family Studies and Siliveru Poojitha, M.H.Sc. in Textile and Apparel Designing.
