Table 4: Faculty Profile: Years of Teaching Experience (%)

0-5 17.0

5-10 18.0

10-15 19.0

15-20 22.0

More than 20 24.0

Source: Challa et al (2007).

Table 5: Faculty Participation in Seminars/Workshops During a Five-Year Period (%)

Event Professors Associate Assistant Professors Professors

Seminars/conference 28.9 31.5 25.8

Workshops 16.8 18.5 15.9

Source: Challa et al (2007).

faculty strength is in place (Table 2). Interviews with a number of vice chancellors from agricultural universities revealed that there are several recruitment hurdles, which are often beyon d their control. There is an urgent need to have flexibility in and priority for recruiting the best talent in higher agri-education .

Pal et al (2005) and Jha and Kumar (2006) have analysed the HAE system, and concluded that the number of faculty decrease d significantly during the 1990s and has further depleted in recent times. Research capacity in agricultural universities is slowly eroding because of nonreplacement of retiring faculty. Another problem is related to high inbreeding; about 51% faculty members have degrees from the same university (Tables 3 and 4), and 46% faculty have more than 15 years of service in the same university. This shows high inbreeding in higher agri-education, which adversely affects the quality of academics and the research programmes.

The problem is further accentuated with the creation of multiple universities in the states and bifurcation or sectoral division of universities, which have added to the already increasing pressure of establishment costs of creating administrative infrastructure. Many SAUs have split up into a number of universities based on the specialisation (such as horticulture, fisheries, veterinary, forestry), leaving aside the regional and state agenda. The growing number of agricultural universities based on disciplines must be checked. The criteria for new universities should be agro-ecoregion rather than discipline, as agriculture-related issues are multidiscipli nary. With the division of any university, a large share of resources is diverted to create new infrastructure, leaving a meagre amount for improving the quality of research and education to meet the new and more complex challenges. Restricted funding is not allowing agricultural universities to modernise their programmes to catch up with the changing needs in HAE. Thus, if India is to achieve global standards in HAE, pan allocation for investment in agriculture education and research needs substantial enhancement.

The other problems confronting agricultural universities include: (1) traditional methods of teaching material, methods and aids with age old notes, (2) lack of good textbooks combining theory and case studies in the Indian context, (3) inability of most of the faculty to inspire and motivate students and promote interactive classes, (4) ineffective communication skills of faculty with few exceptions, and

(5) weak social interactions of faculty with students. It was noted that despite several human resource development (HRD) programmes introduced by the ICAR, there has been inadequate faculty development. Unfortunately, HRD has been neglected at every level in the hierarchy. A study conducted by the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management revealed that about 30% of the professors and associate professors, and 26% of assistant professors attended any seminar or conference during a five-year period (Table 5). Their attendance in workshops is indeed very low (16%-18%).

With a few exceptions, faculty upgradation programmes (like summer schools or winter schools) are attended to merely complete the formality of promotion, and not to improve skills. Another major problem in most agricultural universities is inadequate and poor internet connectivity and access to reputed national and international journals.

2 Successful Models of HAE

As stated earlier, India adopted the modified US pattern of land grant model based on the United States Morrill Act of 1862 and 1890. The first university was established in 1960 at Pantnagar and the next was at Ludhiana, and after that a vast network of universities came into existence in different states and regions in the country. During the evolution period, many successful models of agricultural universities emerged, which witnessed green revolution, horticulture revolution, and agribusiness. A sizeable amount of resource generation from the university farm at Pantnagar was one of the key reasons for the success of this university. The university launched its own commercial wing in the form of the then Terai Development Corporation (TDC) where it had a share of 51% and 49% was of farmer-members. The seed production of improved varieties at the university farm and farmers’ fields was a win-win proposition for the university, farmer-members and the farmers. In recent times, the University of Agricultural Sciences at Dharwad has adopted an innovative model of resource generation, and has generated more than Rs 10 crore of revolving fund through seed production and other agri-research products in a partnership mode with different stakeholders. More agricultural universities are adopting innovative ways to generate resources but the pace is too slow.

The key conditions for a successful agricultural university are (1) well-trained faculty from developed countries, especially from the best universities in the US,

(2) most of the faculty members are outstanding researchers and known leaders in their own specialisations, (3) there exist incentives and reward systems for the faculty, (4) effective and strong international and national collaboration in research and higher education, and (5) less dependence on state funding and generatio n of own resources.

The universities in the US, from where the agricultural university model has been adopted, have transformed dramatically

REVIEW OF AGRICULTURE

over the years. To cite an example of the University of Maryland, the funding is sourced from the state (34%), fee (33%) and grants and contracts (33%). Most of the universities under the Land Grant Act have effectively linked themselves with all the stakeholders in the agri-supply chain. For example, business models have been evolved by linking universities with farmers and the industry. These include

Successful models of Indian agricultural universities have adopted similar practices. Indian agricultural universities need to transform to meet the domestic and global needs of providing quality human resource and need-based technologies in changing the landscape of agriculture. The time is opportune to practise the lessons from successful models from India and abroad by introducing innovative processes to strengthen the current and future agricultural research system.

Networking and Partnership

The existing agricultural education institutions are functioning with their own faculty. Only some specialised courses involve and invite guest faculty. Though there is some networking and partnership in the research schemes of the ICAR, agricultural education is completely cut-off from this. Most of the universities handle their own curriculum agenda without involving any outside faculty, and there are no memoranda of understanding between different universities for academic activities. Moreover, there is weak networking between agricultural colleges of the same university.

The well-known National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP), and now the National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) mandates for partnership with the public, private and civil society. Each programme has to function in a partnership mode. To get a research project approved, the precondition is to have domestic and/ or international players in the food supply chain for improving the quality of research . Such a partnership does not exist in academic activities.

The private sector is emerging in agrieducation, especially in agribusiness, biotechnology, nanotechnology and many frontier areas, where public sector institutions are weak and not responding to the changing demand. Some private universities have launched these programmes in partnership with reputed universities in developed countries. The lukewarm response and strong rigidity in the public sector agricultural universities is forcing the entry of the private sector in the academic arena. Though this is a positive sign, it would be better to have it in a partnership mode as the public sector has excellent infrastructure and a non-profit motive. In the present context, where more job opportunities exist in the private sector, it is important to have a strong partnership with the agri-industry for curricula development, guest faculty, market research, etc, for meeting the future manpower requirement.

3 Policy Implications

The above discussion clearly reveals that the agricultural education system calls for a complete transformation to improve the quality of human resource. We propose the following suggestions to revitalise the agricultural education system in the country.

3.1 O&M Reform

the context of changing regional, national and global issues confronting the agricultural sector, agricultural education may be placed as a subject under the concurrent list. There is a need to setup a National Agri-education Council on the lines of the University Grants Commission.

3.2 Human Resources

(1) Lack of trained manpower is one of the main issues for colleges in agricultural universities and it is also an issue of quality assessment. There is a need to build a cadre of master trainers in different subjects. It is equally important to build capacity in

EPW

REVIEW OF AGRICULTURE

education methodology and technology. HRD programmes for deans and senior faculty need to be organised to introduce the best practices in education technology.

To overcome the shortage of faculty, there is a need for creating a national level database of retired teachers. A rolling faculty scheme or a pool scheme of retired teachers may be launched, wherein such faculty may travel to any place and teach courses. This may be discontinued when faculty becomes adequate.

and engineering sciences, it has only allowed a large number of urban and suburban students to enter agricultural universitie s who choose agricultural education for jobs alone, and not for their passion for agriculture.

3.3 Content Development and Delivery

In view of the declining numbers of faculty, there is a need to effectively make use of information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching agri-educatio n by popularising multimedia-based teachin g and use of other media such as e-learning and virtual learning. This would require agricultural universities to enter into partnerships with leading ICT institutions to jointly develop complex Learning Management Solutions, multimedia tools for developing simulations and analysis and course content development .

4 Conclusions

The agriculture sector is radically changing with new problems and opportunities in the offing. There are enormous opportunities envisioned in the agribusiness sector with the entry of the corporate sector and the possibility of more foreign direct funding in agro-processing and retailing. The curriculum needs to be reoriented to meet the demands of the agri-industry. A partnership with the agri-industry in developing curricula, involving guest faculty and offering internship programmes would provide a new dimension to HAE. A beginning has been made in this direction in the courses related to agribusiness, but this is lacking in other disciplines.

Policy directives may allow universities to attract private funding into agricultural education, and to create an endowment fund of their own. Finally, agricultural universities may be given permission to earn profits from education, research and extension, though initially the profitmaking margin should be kept low. This would eventually ensure that these universities are self-sustained and depend less on the mercy of the state governments.

References

Challa, J D Rama Rao and S K Nanda (2007): “Assessment of Qualitative Rating of Colleges in State Agricultural Universities”, ICAR-AP CESS Project Report, NAARM, Hyderabad.

Jha, D N and Sant Kumar (2006): “Research Resource Allocation in Indian Agriculture”, NCAP Policy Brief No: 23, New Delhi.

Pal, S, P Mathur and A K Jha (2005): “Impact of Agricultural Research in India: Is It Decelerating?” NCAP Policy Brief No: 22, New Delhi.