NATIONAL AGRICULTURE EDUCATION POLICY

Subject : Education

Context :  A six-member committee of Vice-Chancellors has been asked to submit a draft policy document to the Agriculture Ministry next month, according to R.C. Agarwal, Deputy Director General for Education, at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

Concept :

Proposals :

• The first National Agricultural Education Policy is set to bring academic credit banks and degree programmes with multiple entry and exit options to the 74 universities focussed on crop sciences, fisheries, veterinary and dairy training and research.
• The Student READY (Rural Entrepreneurship Awareness Development Yojana) programme requires all students to undertake a six-month internship, usually in their fourth year, to gain hands-on training, rural awareness, industry experience, research expertise and entrepreneurship skills.
• The Deans Committee, responsible for creating consensus on changes in the undergraduate curriculum about once in 10 years, is likely to be called to meet in three to four months to ensure that such adaptations are possible.