'Agricultural education needs to be modified to suit changes'

Dharwad, Karnataka, Mar 17 (UNI) Agricultural education in the country need to be modified to suit the changing scenario in the global front, Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) Former Special Director-General and Biotech Programme Committee Chairman M V Rao opined today.

Inaugurating a two-day national seminar on ''Quality of Agricultural Education in India,'' organised by the University of Agricultural Sciences here, he said institutions responsible for Human Resources Development in agriculture had a vital role to play in developing educated youth at various levels to accept new challenges and opportunities. The need for quality human resources was a must to be able to remain competitive and maintain continuous growth, he added.

Dr Rao said curricula and teaching methods and tools developed were often not relevant to the development objectives of individual countries, needs of farmers and requirements of markets in general.

In many developing countries, the public sector used to absorb a large number of agricultural graduates. ''This is no longer the case. Agriculture graduates are finding it increasingly difficult to get employment. Their education need to be oriented to the needs of an increasingly sophisticated commercial sector, he explained.

Dr Rao said environmental degradation, rapid changes in scientific and technical knowledge, changing role of women in society and increasing marginalisation of agriculture and rural life call for changes in agricultural education.

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