Lok Sabha Question No. 2370 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-02
Subject: Incentives to Youth for Agriculture
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: SHIVKUMAR CHANABASAPPA UDASI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2370

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 02/01/2018

## INCENTIVES TO YOUTH FOR AGRICULTURE

## 2370.  SHRI SHIVKUMAR UDASI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f"k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  very  less  people  particularly  youths  are  interested  in agriculture sector, if so, the reasons therefor;
- (b) the number  of  agricultural universities in the  country  and  the  number  of graduate/postgraduate passouts from these universities; and
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to motivate youths towards agriculture sector so as to provide them an alternative employment?

## A N S W E R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f'k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h

(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) No, Madam.
- (b) Presently  Seventy  five  (75)  State  Agricultural  Universities  (SAUs)  /Central Agricultural  Universities  (CAUs)  /  ICAR  Deemed-to-be    Universities  (DUs)  /Central Universities with agricultural faculty are functioning in the country.

The details of students passed out from these universities during last four years are as under:-

| Programmes   |   2012 |   2013 |   2014 |   2015 |
|--------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| UG           |  15902 |  16786 |  17176 |  17741 |
| Master's     |   8814 |   8304 |   9223 |   6968 |
| Doctoral     |   1217 |   1426 |   1670 |   1423 |
| Total        |  25933 |  26516 |  28069 |  26132 |

(c) The  following  steps  have  been  taken  to  motivate  youths  towards  agriculture sector:

- i. The  course  curricula  in  Agriculture  has  been  redesigned  to  impart  the desired training as per the present day needs among agricultural students.
- ii. Professional status to degrees in Agriculture and allied sciences granted.
- iii. Involvement of School students during Agricultural Education day celebrations on the 3 rd  of December every year throughout the country.
- iv. Implementation of one year student READY Programme in UG course with enhanced stipend @ Rs. 3000/- P.M. Experiential Learning units provided to  Universities  for  UG  students  to  develop  high  quality  professional competence and help them  become 'job providers rather than job seekers'.
- v. A National Talent Scheme (NTS) has been introduced for PG students @ Rs. 3000/- P.M.  NTS at UG level also enhanced from Rs. 1000/- P.M. to Rs. 2000/- P.M.
- vi. A Merit-Cum-Means scholarship has been introduced to attract meritorious under-graduate students below poverty line to study Agriculture, Agricultural  Engineering,  Home  Science,  Dairy  &  Animal  Husbandry subjects. Scholarships in these subjects are awarded annually on the basis of merit-cum-means.
- vii. A Post Matric Scheme has been introduced to encourage  scheduled caste and scheduled tribe students for taking up Bachelor Degree programmes in various branches of Agriculture.
- viii. A  program  on  'Attracting  and  Retaining  Youth  in  Agriculture'  (ARYA) has been initiated which is being implemented in 25 States through KVKs, one district from each State.

Under ARYA project, farm youth groups are being formed and are being oriented through demonstrations, training programs and exposure visits in various entrepreneurship activities. The duration of each initiative varies depending upon nature of the enterprises undertaken. Under different enterprises in the project, 3242 youth have been oriented for the period 2016-17. The youth have been involved in the project for working with  of  micro-entrepreneurial  units  like  Apiary,  Mushroom,  Seed  Processing, Soil testing, Poultry, Dairy, Goatry, Carp-hatchery, Vermi-compost etc

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