Agriculture education in India

Table of Contents

Agriculture education in India-

Agriculture is ‘the most important solar energy harvesting enterprise’ which sustains the human population. With the growing human population the per capita agricultural land is gradually shrinking. On the other hand, the very future of agriculture is threatened due to mismanagement of land, water, flora, fauna and the atmosphere. For our very survival, we should be aware of our existing agricultural assets and environmental liabilities as well as the underlying scientific truth and find out the ways and means of scientific and technological application that ensure sustainable utilization of agriculture vis-a-vis environment. We must develop required knowledge, skills and attitude and participate in activities which minimize environmental degradation and maximize benefits from our agricultural assets. This is possible only through proper agriculture education imparted right from the school stage.

What is Agriculture?

Agriculture is the science and art of production of those plants and animals which are useful to man and processing of their products in varying degree for man’s use and disposal.
Agriculture is concerned with the production of food crops, horticultural crops, animal husbandry, poultry, animal production, fisheries, forestry, sericulture. Agricultural engineering and agro-based industries, various components of basic sciences, geography, economics and statistics and technological principles enter into building up of the discipline of agriculture. Thus, agriculture is an amalgamation of quite diverse yet closely interlinked disciplines and activities.

Agricultural in School Curriculum

Presently the school curriculum in the country generally follows the national curricular frame work which was developed with the due cognizance to our priorities and goals of nation building activities. Various components of agriculture are included under Environmental studies at primary level and under Science and Social Science at upper primary and secondary stages. Besides, the curriculum provides enough opportunities to initiate agriculture based activities under Work Experience Programmed which is an integral part of school curriculum right up to secondary stage and is strongly recommended for the general academic stream at higher secondary stage. Thus, the rational curriculum provides exposure of agriculture to the students at all levels of school education.

At the upper primary stage, the science components of curriculum explain the students in greater details about air, water and soil, as well as the living world. They study in detail about the structure and function of roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. They become aware of the concept of ‘balance in nature’. They study about the basic life processes: photosynthesis by green plants, nutrition in non-green plants, respiration, transport of nutrients in plants, reproduction, about composition and formation of soil, soil erosion, conservation and soil pollution.
Orientation is given on improved agricultural practices that are basic to increase farm production, such as crop rotation, gardening, agricultural implements and their uses and care, qualitative and quantitative improvements of crop yield, im-proved varieties, judicious use of soil, fertilizers and pesticides, animal management, need for keeping animals, general need and maintenance of domestic animals with specific reference to cattle, sheep, poultry, bee and fish rearing are being introduced. In addition they also study about conservation of natural resources.
In social studies reference is given about the four spheres of earth-the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. They learn about India’s natural resources, economic development in relation to agriculture.
At the secondary level they study under Science, in greater detail, about life processes (such as nutrition, photosynthesis, respiration, internal transport, reproduction) organization of living world; habitat and adaptation, mineral cycles, recycling of waste materials and preparation of compost. They learn about environment and natural resources-exploitation of resources, ecological crises due to deforestation, management of natural resources. The students are also exposed to genetic fundamentals of plant and animal kingdoms.

Need to Restructure School Curriculum

The emerging generation stands at a critical stage of human existence. The ever growing human population is gradually increasing the incompatibility between the resources and number on our planet earth.
After one decade India’s population is estimated to be about one billion. Indian agriculture will have to feed one billion people. The menacing scale of environmental degradation is going to seal the fate of agriculture which can be sustained only if the environment is sustained.

It is therefore, essential for the upcoming generation to be better acquainted with environment and agriculture vis-a-vis human existence on earth. Such awareness can be better generated among students through a well-balanced school curriculum highlighting the significance of agriculture and allied activities for survival of the human race. For this purpose it is necessary to effect certain changes in the school curriculum so that the latter incorporates the required elements of agriculture education in its fold. This knowledge will not only widen the mental horizons of the students but also encourage them to contribute their mites towards national economy through pursuit of a host of agriculture related activities like crop production, animal husbandry, fishery, sericulture, agro-based industries and so on. The scope is unlimited. What is needed for their successful execution is the right enlightment of students about the wonder world of agriculture through a suitably restructured school curriculum.

Development of Human Resources

Development of sustainable agriculture, ensuring ecological security and realisation of the potential productivity from our agriculture require development of human resources at all levels. Our country has made substantial progress during the last four decades in developing the basic infrastructure needed for sustained agricultural progress. The country now has vast network of agricultural universities, central institutes, and All-India co-ordinated research mechanisms. Those institutions are able to develop appropriate technologies suitable to the specific agro climatic and socio-economic conditions existing in different parts of the country. Agricultural research had been made relevant by establishing linkages between R and D institutions and farmer’s fields through lab-to-land. National demonstrations, Kirishi Vigyan Kendras, operational research projects and similar programmes. In the field of services, a network of extension and input supply service has been developed.

Development of Competent Skilled Work Force in School

Transfer of technologies from lab-to-field is a tremendous work. Development of a cadre of vocationally competent persons in different agricultural vocations is essential which can enable the country to transfer the skills of improved and new agricultural practices to all the farmers and farm workers working in allied areas. The immensity of fulfilling the objective can be visualised only when we realise that about 70 per cent of our working force is engaged in agriculture.
Therefore, it is a welcome step to offer competencies based vocational courses of two years duration at higher secondary stage. In the area of agriculture the students now have a variety of vocational courses to choose from. Courses like crop production, sericulture, horticulture, dairying, inland fisheries and others are immensely popular as they offer good prospects or self as well as wage employment for the students. In both cases the students not only generate good income from their respective vocations, but also serve as good extension workers. They bring new technologies and practices to their work place, evolve appropriate technologies locally to suit the area-specific conditions and encourage the neighborhood farmers to adopt better techniques for higher farm production. These vocational courses are generally run in schools in collaboration with some industries/establishments related to these vocations. This ensures good theoretical exposure, thorough practical exposure, broader vision of the vocations in the vocational students.

Non-formal Education

The process of preparing vocationally competent manpower is not restricted to schools alone. Several agencies government, private, voluntary are actively engaged in this huge task through non-formal education programme. Need based and locale specific courses of various durations are offered in various vocational areas. The trainees receive good practical training that helps them to earn their livelihood confidently. Such nonformal education programmes are particularly useful to those persons who are unable to keep themselves in formal education system due to several constraints or are already in the world of works. Such non-formal education programmes are designed keeping in view educational background of the trainees and their needs.

Agricultural Schools

These schools are run by the state government as well as by agricultural universi-ties. Their curricula vary from state to state regarding duration and course contents. Rural school dropouts with at least primary education are generally admitted to these schools. The curriculum is essentially agriculture biased and aims at training the students in various agriucultural activities like crop production, plant propagation, nursery management and other subsidiary enterprises with greater emphasis on practical works. Curricula of some schools even provide opportunity of further education in formal education system. These are usually residential schools and the students receive stipend as an incentive to continue their study.

Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)

These Kendras are financed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and are run under administrative control of government, autonomous and voluntary agencies. The present network of about 90 KVKs is planned to be expanded manifold so that at least one KVK funct tions in each district. The KVKs have full autonomy to develop their own programt mes in consultation with the state devela opment departments and agencies in t conformity with the local needs. Accordf ingly, the training programmes are of the b most diverse nature and duration. The ti main objective of the KVKs is to impart g practical training through work experience and to develop scientific temper in persons engaged in the pursuit of various agricultural activities at grass-root level. The trianees are also paid stipends as intcentive during their entire training programmes which last from few weeks to few months.