This presentation was given under One day sensitization workshop on Agriculture Education to School Principals at COA, Sumerpur, AU Jodhpur

1. “Opting Agriculture- Spectrum of job Opportunities”
1
WORKSHOP
On
Creating Awareness among Students for Opting Agriculture as
Career
Presented by:-
Dr. SHOURABH JOSHI
Asstt. Professor, Plant Biotechnology,
COA, Sumerpur, AU, Jodhpur

2. • When India got Independence, our agriculture system was
underdeveloped. Food grains production was not enough to feed every
citizen.
• Before Independence, in 1943, our country faced one of the world's
worst food disasters - the Bengal Famine - wherein an estimated two to
three million people died of hunger.
• During 1946 to 1952, we imported on an average 3 MT of food grains
annually.
“This famine was unique, caused by policy failure instead of
any monsoon failure.”
“Indians breed like rabbit” Churchill
History; Do not forget it, in-fact learn from it…

6. Some facts….
By 2050 global
population will rise to 9
billion….out of which 1.7
billionwill be in India
alone
Food grain production would need to
increase by 5.5 MTannually
Demand for high-value food commodities will
go up by > 100% due to migration of
people into cities, increased wealth, shift
towards diets rich in protein
Currently..
52% of our population is involved in
Agriculture....
yet it contributes just 13.7% to India’s GDP

7. It’s high time to decide our destiny

8. Roadmap of today’s Agriculture Education System:
1. Disastrous famines occurred at intervals of about 12 years in the 19th Century
affecting at least 200 million people.
2. Lead to a Famine Commission who submitted its report in 1880 revived interest
in improvement of agriculture.
3. In 1889 Dr. J.A. Voelcker, Agricultural Chemist of the Royal Agricultural
Society of England was sent to India to advise on the best course to be taken for
improving Indian agriculture. He recommended systematic spread of
agricultural education.
4. During the period 1880 – 1891, Department of Agriculture were established in
the provinces.
5. During Viceroy Lord Curzon’s period (1898 - 1905), an Imperial Agricultural
Research Institute was founded at Pusa, Bihar in 1905.

9. Roadmap of today’s Agriculture Education System:
• Agricultural research and education in India was initiated systematically during 1905
with the establishment of six agricultural colleges at Lyallpur (now in Pakistan).
Kanpur, Poona, Coimbatore, Nagpur and Sabour.
• In 1919, the States were given primary responsibility for agriculture. The States
lacked the finances. The colleges of agriculture functioned for the most part in
training men for government services.
• The Government of India appointed a Royal Commission on Agriculture in 1926
headed by Lord Linlithgow and as per its recommendations, Imperial Council of
Agricultural Research was established in 1929, now known as Indian Council of
Agricultural Research, (ICAR).
(Remember Bengal Famine)
• In 1948, University Education Commission under Dr. S. Radha Krishnan’s
Chairmanship was appointed. The Commission reported the inadequacy of
agricultural education under the existing system and recommended the establishment
of rural universities.
(Remember America’s story)

10. Roadmap of today’s Agriculture Education System:
• First Agricultural University was established in 1960 at Pantnagar (Uttarakhand).
• The ICAR was recognized in 1966 as an autonomous society with full-fledged
division of agricultural education to accelerate the pace of development of
agricultural education in the country.
• ICAR gave a model act for the agricultural universities in 1966. First Dean
Committee was appointed to ensure the uniformity in agricultural education. (Now
V Dean Committee)
• During 1966-69, government agreed for the UGC’s pattern of central assistance to
the agricultural universities.
• During the Fourth Plan (1969-74), Rupees 31 crores was given towards education
out of which 24 crores was for establishing and developing agricultural universities.
• During the period 1965-84, a massive infrastructure was created to develop human
resources to meet the growing requirements of research, education and extension in
the country. Most of the States were provided with the agricultural universities to
meet the State level requirements for agricultural development. (1966; 6 SAU’s
while in 1984; 23 SAU’s).

11. Roadmap of today’s Agriculture Education System:
(Scientific Personnel# Green Revolution #HAPPY)
• Today we have 75 Agricultural Universities comprising 64 State Agricultural,
Veterinary, Horticultural and Fisheries Universities (SAUs), 4 ICAR-DUs, viz.
IARI, IVRI, NDRI and CIFE, 3 Central Agricultural Universities (CAU, Imphal,
Dr. RPCAU, Pusa and RLB CAU, Jhansi), 4 Central Universities (CUs) having
Faculty of Agriculture (BHU, AMU, Viswa Bharati and Nagaland University).
• The National Agricultural Research and Education System (NARES) of India is one
of the largest in the world, admitting more than 15,000 graduates, 11,000 post-
graduates, and 2,500 Ph.Ds annually, in different disciplines of Agriculture and
Allied Sciences.

12. ICAR:
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is the apex
body for coordinating, guiding, and managing research and
education in agriculture in the entire country under the aegis
of DARE, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

13. Indian Agriculture: At a glance
• At present, in terms of agricultural production, the country holds
the second position all over the world. We are producing record
food grain production despite of harsh environmental challenges.
• Indian Agriculture has made rapid strides since independence;
– From food shortages and import (Remember what America send to us)
:to self-sufficiency and exports.
– From subsistence farming
:to intensive and technology led cultivation.
– Today , India is the front ranking
: producer of many crops in the world.
– Ushered in through the
: green, white, blue and yellow revolutions
13

14. ● Contributes to 14% of GDP
● Provides food to 1.25 Billion people
● Sustains 65% of the population : helps alleviate poverty
● Produces 51 major Crops
● Provides Raw Material to Industries
● Contributes to 1/6th of the export earnings
● Huge bio-diversity : 46,000 species of plants & 86,000 species of animals.
● Largest producer in the world of pulses , tea and milk
● India was largest exporter of rice and guar gum, and second largest exporter of
cotton and beef (buffalo meat).
● Second largest producer of fruits & vegetables, wheat, groundnut & sugarcane.
Indian Agriculture as of now- Some Facts

27. CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research)

45. And If you want to be your own boss…

47. “If agriculture goes wrong,
nothing else will have a chance
to go right in our country.”
Dr. M.S. Swaminathan

48. Completed Senior Secondary Education from SKLK, NAGAUR (Govt. School)
Completed Graduation B.Sc. (Ag.) from MPKV, Rahuri (MH)
Completed Post Graduation M.Sc. (Ag.) sp. Plant
Biotechnology from UAS, Bangalore (KA)
Completed Ph.D. (Ag.) sp. Molecular Biology & Plant
Biotechnology from PJTSAU, Hyderabad (TS)
For Ph. D worked in collaboration with ICRISAT, Hyderabad
Joined Job as
Asstt. Prof.
(Plant
Biotechnology)
at COA,
Nagaur,
AU-Jodhpur
ACADEMIC journey “Happening” since I choose to be an “Agricos”

49. 6/27/2020 Brainstorming session at MPUAT Udaipur 49