Bhubaneswar: Plans are afoot to make the courses in Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) more industry-specific and sustainable growth-oriented in accordance with the changing climatic conditions and market requirements.
This was decided at a high-level meeting held under chairmanship of Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi at state secretariat here on Monday.
Principal Secretary Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment Sourav Garg outlined the issues and the OUAT VC Prof Surendra Nath Pasupalak placed the operational pan of OUAT for the coming three years for discussion in the meeting.
Considering the proposals, the Chief Secretary advised the university to make its course more sustainable growth oriented keeping in view the changing climatic conditions. The university was also advised to make its course more industry specific so as to make the students ‘work ready’ when they pass out of the campus.
Padhi further advised the university to make Krushi Vigyan Kendras ( KVKs) more vibrant and farmer need-oriented. They should operate like the connecting point between the laboratory and the field, he added.
Principal Secretary Garg said the meeting deliberated on quality enhancement in research, training, making the OUAT course more industry specific and adding new frontiers like climate change and environment, landscape architecture, conservation, wildlife and man-animal conflict management and IT applications in agriculture.
The details will be worked out soon and steps would be taken to implement those at the earliest, he added.
According to the available data, the extension activities of OUAT are mostly being carried forward through 33 KVKs operating in different parts of Odisha. Each district has at least one KVK. Besides, there are additional KVKs in the districts like Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh and Ganjam.
Around six scientists in each KVK lead the research and extension works. The OUAT is having its campuses in Bhubaneswar, Chipilima, Bhwanipatana and Rangeilunda. There are 10 polytechnic institutions of OUAT at different places. The proposal for having agro-business based polytechnic trades was also discussed in the meeting.
It was also decided that OUAT students would be provided real-time practice with the farmers at GP and village level as a part of their course.
Among others, Additional Chief Secretary Forest and Environment Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, Principal Secretary, Finanace, Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Principal Secretary, Cooperation Ranjana Chopra, Principal Secretary, Panchayati Raj, Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh and Secretary, Fisheries and Animal Resource Development were present.
