AgriNation Network
Centre has accorded the status of Central University to Rajendra Agricultural University, PUSA, Samastipur and it is now called Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University. The new university was inaugurated on 3rd December 2016 by Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh. Dr Rajendra Prasad who was also the first Union Agriculture Minister of India was born on 3rd December. India has decided to celebrate the day every year as National Agricultural Education Day. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in a letter written to all Agricultural Universities to celebrate the day said, “For strengthening future agriculture of the country, there is urgent need to attract youth towards agricultural education. This essentially requires massive awareness programmes among the youth focusing on various facets of agriculture and allied subjects. Efforts are being made to introduce courses and topics on different aspects of agriculture in school curricula. The objective of this day would be to expose students including schools to various facets of agriculture and its relevance to country’s development, inspire them and attract them towards agriculture, so that they develop interest in agriculture and allied subjects, choose professional career after schooling in some of these courses, engage themselves in agriculture and related activities or become agrientrepreneurs in future.”
In Ludhiana, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) also celebrated the National Agricultural Education Day. Dr PS Brar, Dean, College of Veterinary Sciences, in his address, said “it was important to inform students about agricultural education because in India 70 per cent of rural population had a strong acquaintance with agriculture”. School students expressed their views on Indian agriculture and emphasized upon the need to hold interactive sessions between students and scientists. In Kozhikode, Peruvannamuzhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of the Indian Institute of Spices Research also celebrated Agriculture Education Day. Programme Coordinator Dr P Ratha Krishnan said, “the one-day programme will help students who are keen in taking up farming.”
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