Agriculture scientist S. Ayyappan, former director of Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), has said that there was a need to open more agricultural colleges and universities to meet the demand in the rural areas in agriculture.
Talking to The Hindu here on Friday, Dr. Ayyappan, president of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said that currently 30,000 graduates were churned out of the 73 agriculture universities and 500-plus agriculture colleges in the country and this figure needs to be more than doubled to meet the skilled manpower requirement in agriculture sector.
He said that one major impediment in starting more agriculture colleges and universities was finding the required farm land for hands-on training to students in the colleges and universities.
“Without the required agriculture land, no agriculture college or university can function effectively,” he said.
Dr. Ayyappan said that there was also a need for uniformity in reserving certain seats in agricultural institutions for farmers’ children.
He said that to increase the trained manpower and skilling up the youths in the rural areas, the certificate and diploma courses in agriculture can be started in the universities and agricultural colleges.
However, care should be taken that quality of education is ensured while offering new courses as well starting new agriculture colleges and universities, he warned.
