Lecture by Dr JC Katyal, Former DDG (Education), ICAR, Former Vice Chancellor of Hissar Agricultural University (HAU, Hisar)

1. Strengthening Soil
Science Education
J.C. Katyal
In Collaboration With Head SSAC, IARI
and President ISSS, New Delhi

2. Organization of the
Presentation
• Soil through the eyes of society and faith
• Soil science education – a leaf from history
• Soil science education – Recent
developments
• Soil science education – What went wrong
• Soil science education – Recommendations
for strengthening
• Conclusions – Summing up the presentation

3. A Biblical Parable
So goes the story: Once there was a man who
went out to sow some corn.
 “As he scattered the seed in the field, some of
it fell along the path and the birds came and
ate it up.
 Some of it fell on the rocky ground where
there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted
because the soil was not deep. But when the
sun came up it burnt the young plants; and
because the roots had not grown deep
enough, the plants soon dried up.

4. A Biblical Parable (cont.)
 Some of the seed fell among thorny bushes,
which grew up and choked the plants.
 But some seed fell in the good soil, and the
plants produced corn; some produced 100
hundred grains, others 60 and others 30”.
And JESUS concluded, “Listen to soil, if you
have ears” and today we understand the need
for ‘walk and talk with soil’ for sustainable
agricultural (SA) growth.

5. Good SM and SA Are Not New (Prithavi Sukta)
“Upon this handful of soil our survival depends.
Husband it and it will grow our food, our fuel and our
shelter and surround us with bounty. Abuse it and the
soil will collapse and die, taking man with it.”
Deep in the heart of this Sukta lies farming efficiency,
agricultural sustainability and environmental quality
and linkages among these in supporting SD and
human survival. Inefficient farming in alliance with
misuse of soil and man-made inputs, in fact, is at the
root of non-sustainable development of farming.
Evolution of SSE need to have fused SD appropriately
and adequately, while defining and refining course
curricula, its delivery method and PG research.

6. Ancient SM: Non-chronicled beliefs,
sayings/ proverbs, and chronicled texts
• No one thrives by tilling sandy soil, and no one
is ruined by ploughing clay (Tamil proverb)
• The more you plough, the better are the yields
(Punjabi belief)
• Contrary to what Punjabis’ believed,
importance of modern day ‘conservation tillage
concept’ is reflected in a Greek saying, which
reads ‘A field becomes exhausted by constant
tillage’.

7. Ancient SM: Non-chronicled beliefs,
sayings/proverbs & chronicled texts
• Rich in manure, rich in fruit (Atharva Veda Samhita,
Circa 350 BC)
• A field without manure is as is a cow without calf
(Ancient Telugu proverb)
• No fodder, no cattle; no cattle, no manure; no
manure, no crop (Ancient Tamil proverb)
• Elaborate injunctions found in AV (321-186 BC), the
Braham Samhita (500 AD) and Agnipurana (~600 AD)
on use of animal excreta, bones, beef/fish washings
and various kinds of organic decoctions

8. OM- Decomposition Necessary
• All dead things - rotting corpse or stinking
garbage - returned to earth are transformed
into wholesome things that nourish life. Such
is the alchemy of mother earth (Ramayana)
• According to this text, OM decomposes to give
life to soil, which otherwise would have been a
polluting dead mass
• Today we understand value of OM and its role
in SA; unbridled loss is a chief cause of non-sustainable
agriculture and global warming

9. Soil Organic Carbon Loss - Estimates
• Loss of SOC has neither been sudden nor
uniform. Estimated rate of SOC loss:
– 25 M tons/yr. during the last 10,000 years
– 300 M tons/yr. during the last 300 years
– 760 M tons/yr. during the last 50 years
• Last 50 years: 100% rise in population, 25%
rise in crop land, 33% fall in forest and
woodland was accompanied by 28% rise in
CO
2
and 25% loss in world’s topsoil

10. Ancient Treatment of Soil - Hinduism
• Soil (earth) is one of the five elements of
life: Kshiti, jal, pawan, gagan, sameera,
panchtatway eh adham shrira’ (Pipalda’s
answer to Bhargava; AV ~1500 BC)
• In Vedas, soil (earth) treated as mother
and human beings as her sons [Mata bhumi
putro aham parthvya] (AV 12.1.12)
• Calling the earth ‘mother earth’, Hindus
worship this life-giving, food and raiment-providing
and nurturing aspects of soil by
embodying it:

11. Samudravasane Devi, Parvata stanamandale
Vishnu patninama stubhyam, Paadasparsha
kshamasvame. Meaning:
• Oh! Mother Earth, who has the ocean as
clothes and mountains and forests on her
body, who is the wife of Lord Vishnu, I bow to
you. Please forgive me for I have to step on
you, trample/touch you with my feet, for I
have to go around my daily chores to make
my destiny, my fate!
• Today, humans have forgotten all that by
damaging soil’s integrity, quality and health.

12. Ancient Treatment of Soil – Other
Faiths and Regions
• Guru Granth Sahib: “Pawan, pani, agni patal; tis vitch
dharti thaap rakhi Dharamsal” meaning ‘God created air,
water, fire and nether lands. In between these, God
established earth as the Home for his worship
• An ancient Kenyan proverb reads “and soil said to man
take good care of me or else, when I get hold of you, I will
never let your soul go”.
• Another African saying, soil told man, ‘Feed me to feed you”
• “Body and Land are not two but one" Republic of Korea
• In ~1400 BC Moses having understanding of soil fertility
commanded people to bring back some of the fruit of land.

13. Ancient Treatment of Soil – Other
Faiths and Regions
• Holy Quran stresses faithful ‘to recycle one third of what
is taken out from soil’.
• “The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself ” Franklin
D. Roosevelt, on a Uniform Soil Conservation Policy.
• USDA Yearbook of Agriculture 1938, “Essentially, all life
depends upon the soil ... There can be no life without soil
and no soil without life; they have evolved together”.
• Said a Chief from Nigeria “I conceive that the land
belongs to a vast family of which many are dead, few are
living and countless numbers are still unborn”. Lesson:
Thou must sustain quality of land for posterity.

14. SS Education – A Leaf From The History
• Systematic scientific enquiry for
development of SS E began during the
British Period (1770-1947). The
Imperial firca realized that to advance
agriculture ‘a general enquiry into
character of soils was necessary’.
• Inviting services of Dr. JA Voelcker in
1889 laid the policy framework to
effect improvement in Indian
agriculture. Cont.

15. • Purpose: to make general enquiry into soil
characters and agricultural conditions and to
advise upon the adoption of Agricultural
Chemistry to improve Indian agriculture
• What followed: exclusive emphasis on
Agricultural Chemistry/Study of Soils
• Appointment of JW Leather and SM Collins laid
emphasis on study of soils and agricultural
chemistry.
• Initially AE, therefore, tilted significantly in
favor of SS E, which can be found in a book
authored by Voelcker ‘Improvement of Indian
Agriculture’. Cont.

16. • In 1929, Report of Royal Commission on
Agriculture made a very meaningful
commentary on health of Indian soils
• Native soils depleted of fertility, no
further depletion was possible
• Launched in 1935, bias in favor of soils
continued in Dry Farming Project
• Work focused on soil conservation
techniques, tillage & organic manure use
Cont.

17. • With initial over-emphasized
treatment, beginning 1960 when
education, research and extension
were organized on the pattern of
Land Grant University System of
USA, discipline of SS received one
of the preferential attention in
terms of funds, facilities and
faculty allocation and
development.

18. • Soil science - a preferred choice of
many academically good students
• Soil Science and Soil Scientists were
in forefront of decision-making and
contribution when charter of Green
Revolution was being written
• Currently, visibility of output and
relevance and utility of research more
blurred than gloss and attention it
received during formative phase of
Green Revolution.

19. • Chiseling of SS discipline into Soil Physics, Soil
Microbiology, Water Technology, Agricultural
Biochemistry and Agricultural Chemicals has
raised iron curtains that stone-wall impact
creating innovative multi-disciplinary teaching,
learning and research.
• Division and sub-division of SS continues to
happen, since individual departments generally
adopt specific subject domain teaching and
component research.
• With time, current piecemeal approach has
contributed to non-sustainable quality of
teaching and learning. It also reduced
relevance and practical utility of research.

20. Fuelling thereby fall in soil health and soil
quality. In sum, these developments led to:
 rise in soil degradation
 fall in useful soil biology,
 hurt to C, N and H₂O cycles,
 loss of biodiversity,
 escalating emission of greenhouse gases,
 plummeting yield response despite increase
in use of GR inputs,
 rise in cost of cultivation/fall in profitability
 otherwise avoidable fall in food productivity
growth rates that are necessary to wipe out
scourge of hunger and malnutrition could not
be sustained. India ranks 55 in HI out of 76
countries; 1 out of 3 malnourished children
of the world live in India.

21. Continent-wise CAGR In Cereal Productivity
Period
Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania
1961-1990
1.8 2 2.8 2.5 1.5
1991-2012
1.4 1.8 1.4 1.3 1.5
Data source: FAOSTAT; Author’s calculations

22. 3.2
2.2
1.6
1.5
4
3
2
1
0
CAGR, %
CAGR in Productivity of Wheat and
Rice - India
1961-1990 1991-2012
Wheat Rice

23. 2.2
Productivity CAGR % - Punjab
6.9
1.3
1.1
3.2
2.4
Rice
3
0.3
1961-67 1968-80 1981-90 1991-07

24. 3.8
4
2.5
1.5
5
4
3
2
1
Rice Wheat
% CAGR
CAGR of Rice and Wheat Yields -
Haryana
1966-90 1991-14

25. From NRM Point - What Has Gone
Wrong?
I cite some glaring examples of weak SM that received
fractured attention of S Scientists. These episodes in turn,
dented capability to deal with declining potential response
to GR technologies and resultant fall in productivity growth:
 Misalliance of recommended technology with biophysical
properties of NR and socio-economic status of farmers
(‘one size fits all’ syndrome) along with single-minded
emphasis on yield enhancement and turning a blind eye to
consequences.
 Weak knowledge in basic science subjects that would
have strengthened understanding of fundamentals of
holistic SM.

26.  routine management approach, when it came to save,
protect and conserve earth’s resources:
 exploitation overwhelms restorative management (crash
of soil health/quality);
 general impassivity towards CA practices (erosion, SOC
fall); indigenous technical knowhow ignored;
 technologies stressed crop component-specific;
management; integrated farming system’s perspective a
typical miss (excessive build up/deficiency incidence);
 falling use of native resources and excessive tillage (fall
in soil physical/chemical and biological properties, CC);
 nutrient mining, imbalanced nutrient use hurt SD
 inefficient use of agro-chemicals (food quality loss, soil
pollution, soil health decline, biodiversity hurt and CC)

27. Cont.
 creation of irrigation infrastructure without
provision for drainage (salinization/water
logging)
 over-development of underground water without
rainwater conservation (falling water levels,
surfacing of salinity)
 rising consumption of fossil fuel energy; subsidy
insinuated inefficient management - chief
source of over-use and misuse of water (surface
salinization, deepening of wells, environmental
pollution)
 biodiversity overwhelmed by few genotypes;
aggravated by decay in soil and water quality

28. What was required to stop rise of
productivity adversaries?
• Assuring availability of human capital who is: sensitive
to conserving NR health/quality, committed to infuse
holistic SM, oriented to problem-solving and has mindset
to serve the needs of those who are hit the hardest
because of on-going conflict between sustainable
economic development and environmental protection.
• Creating awareness, knowledge, skills and capacity of
those who use, induce and suffer from NR degradation
• Unfortunately, SS education/PG research has responded
weakly to developing story of productivity fall and NR
decay. I exemplify past interventions (GR technologies/
unplanned intensification) vis a vis present state.

29. SOC
• Source of life in soil, decides
quality of soil health/quality
• Non-sustainable content
• Storehouse of fertility;
controls availability of: N and
S ~95%; Zn, Cu, Fe…50 to
70% and P 50 to 80%. Fall of
SOC fuels incidence of major/
micronutrient deficiencies
• Abandoning organic manures
and extensive tillage
aggravate fall due to
breakdown of SOC into CO₂
• Decline in SOC encourages
poor water holding
properties; raises prospects
of nutrient leaching; hurts
soil integrity, mounts global
warming – all causing decline
in potential productivity
growth
1.7
1.5
1.3
1.1
0.9
0.7
0.5
Dynamics of SOC in response to
NPK and FYM application
(Source: LTFE, India)
NPK+FYM
NPK
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
SOC, %
Years after treatment

30. SOC (%) after 20 years of fertilizer/manure
treatment across major soil Orders
Soil Initial Cont.-20 NPK– 20 FYM- 20
Inceptisol 0.27 0.41 0.59 0.76
Mollisol 1.48 0.50 0.95 1.51
Alfisol 0.79 0.62 0.83 1.20
Ultisol 0.70 0.26 0.60 0.98

31. Fertilizer Use Efficiency (FUE)
and Loss (%) (Several Data
Sources)
Fertilizer
Nutrient
Plant use
efficiency
Nutrient
loss
N 30-60 40-70
P 20-30 70-80
K 50-60 40-50
1. FUE seldom exceeds 60%; loss
can be as high as 70%
2. Lost N merges with
underground water and causes
nitrate pollution
3. Lost N also enters atmosphere
as NH₃ and N₂O. Specifically,
N₂O causes global warming
and disrupts O₃ integrity
4. N and P together promote
eutrophication; leads to
hypoxia, death of aquatic life
followed by drying of water
bodies
5. Poor FUE necessitates
elevated rates of application to
maintain production;
aggravating thereby nutrient
imbalances and emergence of
deficiency of micro- and
secondary nutrients.

32. Progressive growth in the occurrence of
N
nutrient deficiencies
Fe
N
K
Zn
P
Fe
N
Mn
S
K
Zn
P
Fe
N
B
Mn
S
K
Zn
P
Fe
N
?
B
Mn
S
K
Zn
P
Fe
N
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
• Nutrient
deficiencies
multiplied with
every passing
decade after GR
• Exclusive focus
on NPK, nutrient
mining, disuse of
organic manures;
removal/burning
of crop residues
main reasons
• Deficiency of one
nutrient has
capacity to hold
response to all
others, so
productivity fell
• Little research on
nutrient indexing

33. Response to Zn over optimal NPK application from 1971 1987
Maize Rice Wheat
(Ludhiana) (Pantnagar)
Source: Nambiar and Abrol (1989)

34. Gap between nutrients (NPK) addition
through fertilizers and removal by crops
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1999-2K
1960-61
1964-65
1967-68
1970-71
1973-74
1978-79
1980-81
1984-85
1990-91
1998-99
Year
Nutrients (Mt/ annum)
Removal
Addition

35. Nutrient balance - 2020
Nutrient removal
(M tons)
Effective nutrient
additions* (M tons)
Balance**
(M tons)
Nitrogen
11.87 12.15 0.28
Phosphorus
5.27 7.82 2.55
Potassium
20.32 12.22 - 8.10
* Represent nutrient additions times respective efficiency factor for
N (0.5), P (1.0) and K (1.0).
** Calculated by difference between figures in columns 1 & 2.

36. 24
22
20
18
16
14
12
Major nutrient consumption, 2007-08 to 2012-13
NPK
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
M, tons
Year
18
16
14
12
10
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
M, tons
Year
N
4.5
3.5
2.5
1.5
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
M, tons
Year
P
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
M, tons
Year
K
(Data source, FAI)

37. Zinc supply-demand balance
• Annual additions -
8000 tons Zn
• Removal estimate
range between 14,000
and 60,000 tons/year
• Annual crop uptake
equals 25,000 tons
• Half turned back; net
deficit 4,500 tons/year

39. 35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
(Grain production/fertilizer T)
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
Gainproduction/ton fertilizer
Years
12.1
(NPK yield-C yield/kg NPK)
10.7
9.1 8.8
6.5
Food grain production/ton
fertilizer
Agronomic efficiency: kg
grain/kg NPK

40. Yield of rice (t/ha/yr) after 20 yrs of
fertilizer application (Bhubaneswar)
(Sahu et al., 1998)
Treatment Initial After 20 yrs
N
P
0
K
0
0
3.4 1.7
N 4.6 2.2
NP 4.5 3.7
NPK 5.1 4.4
NPK+FYM 5.7 6.4

41. Pesticide Use – An Unending
Paradox
• Unrelenting loss in production and damage to farm
profitability hardly justify manner in which pesticide
use is being pursued and promoted. Pesticides
trigger most serious and far reaching consequences
• Inefficient management is root of the problem; not
even 1% of applied dose hits the target organism;
remainder poses threat to quality of food chains,
well being of entire life on earth, nutrient cycling
(due to adverse effect on soil micro-organisms/
macro-fauna) and biodiversity typically of
insect predators, competitors and pollinators.

42. Fall in water table (cm/year) in Central Punjab
0
-20
-40
-60
-80
1982-87 1987-92 1992-97 1997-01 2003-04 2004-05
Fall in water table
42
25
32
69
18
74
(Hira and Kukal, 2012)
Power requirements for agriculture; 1990 5105 M k
w h; 2008 9325 M k w h; Consequences: escalating
subsidy costs and heightened prospects of climate
change

43. ENERGY
• Despite rattling crude
prices, energy use has
expanded world-wide
• ~20% energy produced in
India is used by agriculture;
no or little tariff on energy
used for extracting water
aggravates
overdevelopment of
underground water
• Low UE of pumps (20 to
25%) spells doom for air
and water pollution and
global warming
• Sustainable growth in
energy use is sine qua non
of intensification – the way
to keep pace with rising
demand for food.
• Poor energy UE challenges
potential productivity gains
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Price
Trends in price of crude oil (US
$/barrel)
Year

44. 0.8
0.75
0.7
0.65
0.6
0.55
1970-71 1975-76 1980-81 10985-86 1990-91 1995-96 2001-01 2006-007
Biodiversity index
Crop diversity index - Punjab
Prior to GR, Punjab grew 41 wheat and 37 rice varieties.
Currently, this number has dwindled to 5 and 8, respectively
(Sidhu and Vatta, undated and Kumar, 2012)

45. Environmental Performance
Index (EPI)
State EPI Ranking*
Andhra Pradesh 0.80 1
Gujarat 0.69 7
Tamil Nadu 0.66 9
Punjab 0.55 23
Haryana 0.49 27
Delhi 0.42 32
*EPI ranking reflects state of air pollution
(suspended particulate matter; N
2
O and SO
2
)
forest cover, water quality, water management
and CC (on line: environmental-performance-index-epi)

46. • In a 2002 Plenary Lecture, Dr. W. E. H. Blum, IUSS
Secretary General remarked “Soils don’t only serve
for agriculture and forestry, but also for filtering,
buffering and transformation activities between the
atmosphere and the groundwater, protecting the
food chain and drinking water against pollution and
biodiversity loss. Regarding the latter, soil is the
most important gene reserve, containing more
biota in species’ diversity and quantity than all
other aboveground biomass on the globe”.
• Blum’s commentary was a corner stone for
transforming state of and resetting agenda and
direction for SS education and PG research.
• Despite a significant change at the ICAR level, that
opportunity remained uncashed at the ground level.

47. • ICAR in 1997 renamed its Division of Soils,
Agronomy and Agro-forestry as Division of
Natural Resources Management
• Despite this administrative merger in line with
known innate links and alliance among diverse
programs, education in soil, water, climate and
vegetation (land) is taught across discreet
Divisions
• An ICAR Committee on PG Education in 2009
recommended integrated teaching in SS by
interblending learning in subject areas that
constitute vital parts of NR. Committee
recommendations accepted, but teaching
continues to be a trans-disciplinary activity.
• I now narrate, what seem to be the major
misses in SS education

48. • Currently, role played by man in deciding nature
and properties of soils inherited from
weathering of rocks is generally ignored.
• As it exists, teaching imprints role of natural
soil forming factors – parent material (p),
climate (c), pedo-organisms (so), vegetation (v),
relief (r), and time (t) – on the ultimate
properties of soils. Influence of anthropogenic
management (m) is not part of soil forming
equation.
• Conventionally, soil is an outcome of pcsovrt,
which should have been pursued as pcsovrtm

49. Interconnectivity and simultaneousness in occurrence of
man-induced processes of land degradation
Vegetation Water flux Fresh water
Tillage,
grazing, fires
deforestation
Salinity and
waterlogging
SOM loss
Soil
Quality
SOM loss and
no restorative
management

50. • Education in Soil Science – the basis of building time-appropriate
human resource – has not made visible
shifts
• It did not adjust methods of subject delivery (1:3 rule)
serving contemporary needs of integrated agricultural
growth, economic activity and environmental quality.
• Students understand soil degradation and depletion of
soil quality, but lack practical training on how to
diagnose, halt and suggest pro-farmer amelioration
• Optimizing passive classroom emphasis, Soil Scientists
needed leap-of-faith investment of time and expertise in
course curricula refinement that nucleated around soil
quality-specific use and management plans when
confronted with real life problems; this did not happen

51. • Other weakness lowering quality of SS E:
narrow treatment to functions, which a soil
basically performs.
 Classically, soil is emphasized as a medium of
plant growth to meet basic human needs (food,
fuel and fiber).
 Soil’s other functions of regulating
biosphere/water/health/energy/biodiversity
receive non-commensurate treatment in
teaching, research and application.
 Linking trace- and secondary-element make up
of soil with human and livestock health is a
noticeable omission of course curricula and PG
investigations.

52. In all:
• Deficient course curricula: teaching in holistic
soil (preferably land) management processes
and CA practices lack focus of purpose and
emphasis
• Non-coverage of multifunctional agriculture (a
balance of yield enhancement and containment
of adverse outputs)
• Fragmented approach to build sustainability
(WEHAB) angle in teaching and research. SS
course curricula has hardly integrated these
vital elements of SD in teaching and research.
Insidious problem of trace-element hunger and
health remains omitted from course curricula.

53. Cont.
• Concern for stakeholders’ perspective and need
(ITK and native resources), and human’s role in
damaging NR quality and their partnership in
forging solutions persist on margins.
• Luke warm attention to & responsiveness of
existing course curricula to address rising
development of negative consequences of non-sustainable
intensification
• Very weak interface with complimentary
subjects that make teaching and learning
wholesome and enhance application and utility
of that collaboration remains unharnessed.

54. Result:
• Present day post-graduates are:
a. knowledgeable in typical subject areas like nature
and properties of soils, soil classification, fertility…,
b. mostly deficient in basic sciences and practical SS,
c. lack necessary grasp on supplementary subjects
that stimulate comprehensive learning and
d. mired in poor hands on training and an all-inclusive
command on real life SS, PG students are not clear
on fundas of problem-solving and entrepreneurial
spirit necessary to harmonize healthy farmers, farm
and farming.
• With near exclusion of non-formal education, farmers
lack mindset, knowledge and skills to conserve
earth’s NR

55. Recommendations on Strengthening Soil
Science Education

56. • HWBI (Human Well-Being Index) = NR quality  number of
dependent stakeholders
• Raising HWBI will remain an oxymoron, if NR’s carrying
capacity is transgressed mindlessly
• Soil is one of the several elements that constitute NR (an
ecosystem/land). Optimizing its management and ignoring
that of others fuels degradation of all leading to decline in
productivity/income and rise in CC
• Education and research related to SS must be toned up
with related disciplines to sustain HWBI. Addressing links
with health a prerequisite.
• ‘Holism’ (a combine of NR and stakeholders/society) is
the mantra that need to be chanted before setting
agenda on modernization and strengthening of SS E

57. Recommendations on Strengthening SS
Education
Education for Sustainable Development (UN Decade of
Education 2005-2015) may guide Strengthening of SS
Education. Its elements:
• Give an enhanced profile to central role of
education and learning in the common pursuit of SD
• Facilitate links and networking, exchange and
interaction among stake holders for SD
• Provide a space and opportunity for refining and
promoting the vision of and transition to SD
• Foster increased quality of teaching and learning in
education for SD
• Develop strategies at every level to strengthen
capacity in education for SD

58. Strengthening SS E – Issues at Stake
Halting non-sustainability of NR attributes is a prime index
of improved quality of SS E. Central issues are:
• Human-soil management-productivity-environment
continuum has not received coverage as much it deserve
• Disconnect of ‘holistic’ learning about water, climate,
agriculture, health and biodiversity from SS teaching
• Disintegration of ancient and new knowledge that
connects man with environment (divorce from ‘faith’).
• Imperfect coverage of all stakeholders when it comes to
imparting knowledge and skills on sustaining quality of
NR and maintaining health of environment

59. Strengthening SS E – Issues at Stake
• Imbalanced and exclusive emphasis on use of man-made
inputs, ignoring the value of INM/IPM
• Relentless transgression of carrying capacity of NR,
since it sets in motion a vicious cycle of events that
challenge sustainable intensification
• Poor focus on other users who influence NR quality
• Dissociation of SS E from Development Departments
• Disengagement of NR users from knowledge and
knowhow transfer apparatus in sustaining quality and
mitigating CC

60. Deliverables of Strengthened SS E
• Formal education will deliver professionals who
have competence to perceive ecological basis of
NR management and possess expertise to
prescribe holistic actions and solutions for the
system as a whole
• Non-formal education will prepare environmentally
literate farmers and public being aware about their
NR degrading actions and inputs. They will
possess coping skills to deal with the problems of
environmental health and sustainable agriculture
• An improved course curricula on NR education at
school level will be developed
• Official links forged with Development Departments
by preparing appropriate policy instruments

61. • Recommended actions:
• ICAR may consider appointing an Action Group on
Strengthening SS E. The Group inter alia may be
mandated to prepare a blue print of a new look Course
Curricula addressing and correcting the following
deficiencies/issues:
1. Raise SS E on foundations of basic science subjects.
2. Strengthen holistic teaching and learning by enriching
existing course content by inviting faculty from other
disciplines.
3. Provide increased opportunities for creativity, system
of innovation and application of theory by increasing
practical lessons in actual field situations
4. Enhance reach of learning by establishing scientist-farmer
field schools. Create space for ‘faith leaders’
5. Invest for faculty training in emerging subject areas
supported by necessary institutional and systemic
reforms on modernization of SS E

62. 5. Rebuild teaching of integrated models to
develop forecasting and problem solving ability
on sustenance of productivity surge+ and
maintenance of NR quality in terms of efficient
use of resources, sustainable intensification, C
sequestration, protection of watersheds and
biodiversity
6. Develop course curricula by solemnizing cause
and effect relationship of human treatment of
NR. Include economics of that relationship
through SS E construct assembled on social
ethos, cultural beliefs & ecological principles
7. Strengthen learning on NR at the school level

63. In summation strengthened SS E must:
• Mirror soil (land) management in tune with that
of other NR for sustainable intensification,
productivity/income enhancement and securing
quality of environment. In this pursuit: Enrich
course curricula by balancing environment and
economics with biodiversity conservation,
mitigating CC and preserving quality of soil,
water and vegetation using principles of ecology.
• Deep root learning by infusing basic science
subjects in teaching SS syllabus.
• Augment reach and application of formal SS E by
developing non-formal E. Make room for ‘faith
leaders’ in rooting willing adoption of NR techs

64. • Modify course curricula, besides surge in
agricultural growth and conservation of NR, to
include topics on efficient and competitive
farming practices, changing land use and
management patterns.
• Align education and research with shifting
demand for specific/alternative/bio-fortified/
quality foods and other goods, globalization of
trade and opening up of economies
• Blend developed SS expertise to strengthen DD
Plans (SH Card, FFF, subsidy on inputs..)
• Contribute to development of NR education at
school level.

65. THANK YOU