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Mahatma Gandhi had the vision and farsightedness to identify this fact and set this goal before the nation. We have, after independence, modernised our agriculture and set it in the path of faster growth and development. This has enabled us to reach self-sufficiency in food production, despite the phenomenal increase in the population. The plans that were designed initially were intended for a population of about 40 crores. But the population of the country has touched 100 crores within a period of 50 years. We have been able to rise up to this challenge of explosion in the number of people and maintain a level of self-sufficiency, without having to depend on other countries for our food needs. Despite being ploughed, tilled and harvested for thousands of years, India still remains a virgin land. We have not fully utilised the land, water and human resources which abound in our country. Two years have passed since the commencement of this millennium. It is our desire that the condition that is prevailing today would chance at least from now on. India is progressing by supporting and enabling the growth of villages and village industries. There are about 80,000 villages in the country. The scenario is changing to a large extent now. People who are living in the villages have set their eyes and minds on factory and office jobs in the cities and the exodus towards towns and cities is on the increase. This cannot be helped in a situation where the village population is not able to get adequate income and where lifestyle does not change for the better. For a country like India that has quite a huge population, the advances in science and technology pose a problem. That of providing decent employment to its millions. These developments reduce the dependence on human element and therefore naturally lots of people remain under-utilised, if not unutilised. At the same time, there is a need to modernise Indian agriculture. The Agricultural Universities have been spending their time and resources mostly in research and development and also on inventions. While there is good progress in this direction, the sad fact remains that the plans to implement such development and/or inventions to suit the everyday needs of agriculture. It is most important to identify and plan to implement such developments in our agricultural practices. Technology occupies the place of importance in our system of education. We are expanding the horizons of technology on many different and varied fields like computers, electronics, automation etc. But we are not paying sufficient attention or taking adequate interest in developing and implementing plans that would encourage the growth of technology that would support the growth of agriculture. The present set up of agricultural education through Universities and Colleges should be spread more evenly in the rural areas at polytechnic level. The human resources needed for the training of our agriculturists in modern methods of agriculture should be created through these polytechnics. Such modernisation alone can push our agricultural production to still higher levels of growth and would result in sustained economic growth. It is important that such a new system is spread to the masses through steps that encourage quick and ready participation. There should be no age limit prescribed for joining such courses. People of any age should be able to join. The applicants can be grouped under two categories - those that have passed tenth standard and those that have not. A one or two year course may be designed for such students. There should be an experts committee for designing the syllabus for agricultural education consisting of agricultural scientists, state level senior developmental officers as also seasoned agriculturists. The agricultural education should be well diversified and categorised as it is in the field of technology. These divisions should ideally consist of the following: Irrigation and plantation methods for dry lands and a similar division for wet lands. The technology required for cultivating flowers, vegetables, grains, fruits, mushrooms etc. Imparting knowledge on the pests that infest plants, the diseases that affect them, weeds, parasites etc. and ways of fighting them and protecting the plants. Related activities like cattle and sheep farming, collection of honey, cultivating flowering plants, rabbit farms, piggery, chicken farm, fishery etc., are to be encouraged and aspirants should be trained in these areas effectively. In addition to the above, proper training should be imparted on the use of machinery, equipment, vehicles etc. and also the art of maintaining them and repairing them. Most important of all. The students should be training in marketing agricultural products. The syllabus can also include handicrafts, small scale village industries, afforestation and ways of protecting forests, etc. More and more number of colleges and polytechnics of this nature should be opened all over the country. This would open the flood gates of a new genre of technocrats and would open out new vistas of employment opportunities. This is very essential especially in the wake of globalisation that has been set in motion, which necessitates the production of quality foodstuff and affordable prices. That would add an effective cutting edge to our agricultural produce. Laying stress on agriculture is most important for our country, as India has been an agricultural country for thousands of years. Published on 24th June 2002 C. R. Ravindran
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India is fundamentally an agricultural country, rich in land, water and human resources. India can establish its individuality in the comity of nations only if it drafts a plan that effectively utilises these vital resources effectively and only then can economic development of the country be sustained and be lasting.
