There are always two schools of thought- one never try to critically evaluate any system- howsoever old it has become while other school believes to look into the system-what we have achieved and why we have failed to achieve. I belong to second category. With my age of 74 , i have witnessed introduction of Agriculture universities under American land grand pattern in India. The first university came in existence in Pantnagar in 1960. Its reputation in Agriculture prompted PAU,Ludhiana to be second and Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya ,Jabalpur as third Agriculture university of India ; however, this university could not attain equal fame. Perhaps, the main reason was its inclusion of all 6 agriculture colleges and 2 veterinary colleges of Madhya Pradesh in Agriculture university (this was not done in Pantnagar and Ludhiana) and diminishing state professors and head to Associate Professor with creation of Professor's post ,only at Jabalpur. Again, required funds were not infused to sustain such a large system hence other campuses deteriorated with almost halt of research work. . While Pantnagar encouraged students to become teaching assistant ,during their post graduate degree program and promoting them directly to Assistant Professor, such facility was again deprived by JNKVV and even intelligent students were forced to join inferior post of senior research assistant . It clearly reveals how human capital at these two places was treated which reflected widely in its achievements.
It was a good idea to encroach vast agriculture land under Agriculture University so that students may do practicals in the field. For this reason, these Agricultural universities were opened in remote areas-away from cities.
While this proved a boon for Agriculture education, the same was not true for Veterinary education. The main reason was training of these student veterinarians was to be given on animal patients which were scar in these places. Therefore, though their hospitals were having good facilities, the students failed to apply these techniques on a large scale. According to some , they were not well trained to perform general veterinary activities.
One important fact emerged that these Indian Agriculture universities abandoned good practices of American system like hourly test, monthly test , earn while you learn but never hesitated to imbibe controversial practices. The main argument of including veterinary science in Agriculture universities was since American and our farmers keep both animals and agriculture hence veterinary was included in these universities though their education syllabus greatly differed . Again, only those students having a BVSc degree were allowed to join post graduate degree program. This created great controversies and citing examples from America first two Agriculture universities (Pantnagar and PAU ) started college of Animal sciences where both vet and agriculture students were allowed to take up post graduate program.However neither Agriculture nor veterinary departments were ready to appoint these students and as a result both colleges of animal sciences have to be closed down.
Our Agriculture faculty was sent to American universities for doing Ph.D thereby helping India in auguring Agriculture research but when these scientists returned from America after obtaining Ph.D , they did not start research work , but started complaining about meager facilities existing in the country.
It is half truth that these Agriculture universities were responsible for green revolution or increase in wheat production. In 1965 our erst while prime minister shri Lal Bahadur Shastri was struggling with food problem ,asked people to have a fast for one day in a week and coined the slogan :JAI JAWAN JAI KISAN 'In fact this was dwarf variety of wheat, developed by Dr Norman Barloug (an American scientist) in Mexico which was introduced in the country with the efforts of Dr MS Swaminathan, Head Botany dept at IARI, and Dr C Subramanium, the then Agriculture Minister.
Likewise, it is wrong to give credit to the Veterinarians for taking the country first in milk production. Really it was an engineer Dr Vargees Kurian, who has no relation with Veterinary or Agriculture education, pioneered operation flood and AMUL model which became so darling that many countries came to adopt the program.Our Veterinary scientists ,instead, started cross cattle breeding program which utterly failed to produce a high yielding milch cow. Moreover, they have not discussed utility of male calf which is used as beef in America but was not possible in India. Similar was the fate of "pichwade ki murgi" where we could not produce a hen giving more than 200 eggs to the small farmers. Thus there are many questions raised by the public; what is the aim of these agriculture universities ? whether our research is for small farmers or big business houses? How we are treating our Indian scientists ? Why IAS can refuse to implement a research plan without understanding its utility?For example, how our scientists can undertake large scale trials of their vaccines, diagnostics, drugs etc when these agriculture universities do not have executive powers ?
Why persons are allowed to import technologies on hefty royalty that can be developed easily in our country . Why our scientific organisations in their websites list research highlights or awards without name of the scientist or team of scientist ?
There are many alike questions which need answer.
Now time is changing and so is India. Therefore, it is necessary to look into whole issue of research in our education system so that our new generation can enjoy fruits of growth.Sadly there are scarcity of the books which are critically evaluating our education or Agriculture system.
Long back (perhaps in 1970es) Dr Vinod shah , An Agricutural Scientist , wrote a book critically analysing our agriculture system but I could not find the book. It was based purely on Agriculture.
Recently Dr JS Bhatia has written following book that deals with Veterinary education and profession in India
A glimpse of veterinary education in India.
publisher Satish serial publishing house. 403 express tower,commercial complex,azadpur,
Delhi 110033
Hope these books will not vanish so shortly and desired persons will be able to retrieve these books.
I have analysed some of above questions in my memoir in the form of a book YE HAI HAMARE KRISHI VISHWA VIDYALAYA.(ISBN 978-93-86673-37-4)
This book is published in August 2017 by BLUE ROSE PUBLISHERS, NEW DELHI and is available on Amazone.in , and flipcart .( link : http//:bluerosepublishers.com/product/ye-hai-hamare-krishi-vishwa-vidyalaya/ http//:amzn.in/5efCl62 )
Shortly the book is coming on kindle in e book format so that our young generation may retrieve it when ever they desire so.In contrast to my technical book, published by springers, price of hard copy is only Rs600; our young generation may use e book format on Kindle and it is costing only Rs300.
Shortly the book is coming on kindle in e book format so that our young generation may retrieve it when ever they desire so.In contrast to my technical book, published by springers, price of hard copy is only Rs600; our young generation may use e book format on Kindle and it is costing only Rs300.
Long back (perhaps in 1970es) Dr Vinod shah , An Agricutural Scientist , wrote a book critically analysing our agriculture system but I could not find the book. It was based purely on Agriculture.
Recently Dr JS Bhatia has written following book that deals with Veterinary education and profession in India
A glimpse of veterinary education in India.
publisher Satish serial publishing house. 403 express tower,commercial complex,azadpur,
Delhi 110033
Hope these books will not vanish so shortly and desired persons will be able to retrieve these books.
