: The 2015-16 budget of Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), presented by Thomas Unniyadan, executive committee member and MLA, at the annual meeting of its general council on Saturday, envisages ambitious projects for research and extension, and academic reforms.
He presented a budget with an outlay of Rs.496.64 crore. The non-Plan expenditure for next fiscal is pegged at Rs.285.04 crore against Rs.218.64 crore for the current financial year. A non-Plan grant in aid of Rs.225.33 crore is expected from the State government. The anticipated income in the Plan mode is Rs.63 crore. The Plan expenditure is put at Rs.56.62 crore. Mr. Unniyadan said the KAU looked forward to additional financial support from the State government for clearing the accumulated liability of Rs.265 crore.
An amount of Rs.7 crore has been earmarked for academic activities. Research and extension programmes get Rs.28 crore and Rs.10 crore respectively.
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The budget proposed affiliated colleges and courses, a major shift from the policy hitherto followed. The KAU envisages online MBA and diploma courses in agri-business management and add-on courses. The budget proposed release of 20-odd varieties of crops, establishment of a centre for productivity enhancement of kole land, setting up technology research and development hubs in constituent colleges. The extension activities envisaged in the budget are establishment of a farm media centre and a mobile farm advisory unit to promote urban/peri-urban agriculture; an awareness campaign among higher secondary students about courses and employment prospects in agriculture and allied fields; an agri-eco tourism package involving Pilicode, Ambalavayal, Thrissur, Kumarakom, and Vellayani; a technology hub; consultancy services in preparation, implementation and evaluation of projects for local self-government institutions; and a forestry extension centre.
Vice Chancellor P. Rajendran assured the members that steps were being taken to solve paucity of staff in the university.