Lok Sabha Question No. 4562 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-08
Subject: Involvement of Rural Youth in Agriculture
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: SANTOSH AHLAWAT, RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE, SUNIL KUMAR SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4562 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08/01/2019

## INVOLVEMENT OF RURAL YOUTH IN AGRICULTURE

## 4562.  SHRIMATI SANTOSH AHLAWAT: SHRIMATI RAKSHATAI KHADSE: SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH:

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

- (a) whether the Government has started schemes like Attracting and Retaining Youth in  Agriculture  (ARYA)  and  Rural  Entrepreneurship  Awareness  Development  Yojana (READY) for attracting and engaging youth in agriculture and if so, the details thereof along with the enrolment details, State-wise;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  proposed  and  is  developing  ways  in  the  field  of agriculture which will provide employment opportunities to the youth thereby adding the income of farmers and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has proposed and is taking steps for rural educated youth to remain involved in agricultural activities thereby reducing unemployment;
- (d) whether ICAR proposes to set up institutes across the country to attract rural youth and  make  them  aware  of  the  latest  technology  and  infrastructure  development  in agricultural activities and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether  Government  has  started  Agri-Business  Incubation  (ABI)  Centers  in  the country and if so, the details thereof, State-wise; and
- (f) whether  the  Government  is  planning  to  open  more  ABI  centers  in  the  country including  Jhunjhunu  District  of  Rajasthan  and  Chatra,  Latehar  and  Palamu  District  of Jharkhand and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## 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) to (c): Yes,  Madam.    Realizing  the  importance  of  rural  youth  in  agricultural development,  the  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  has  initiated  a  program  on 'Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture' (ARYA) during the XII plan. Attracting

and Retaining Youth in Agriculture (ARYA) project is being implemented in 25 States through  KVKs,  one  district  from  each  State.  Depending  upon  the  type  of  enterprise, individual  or  group-based  activities/enterprises  are  being  encouraged.  In  one  district, about 100-200 rural youths are identified for their skill development in entrepreneurial activities  and  establishment  of  related  micro-enterprise  units  in  the  different  areas  of enterprises.  The  major  enterprises  being  considered  in  the  project  include  Apiary, Mushroom, Seed Processing, Poultry, Dairy, Goatry, Carp-hatchery, Vermi-compost etc., Under this project, operational costs to support critical inputs like seeds, fertilizers, small equipment are being provided to farm youth. This provides additional opportunities to the unemployed rural youth in primary and secondary agriculture and related enterprises.

Under the project, upto 2017-18 9595 youths in various groups have been oriented for establishing micro-entrepreneurial units. State-wise list of KVKs and the number of youth  oriented/  trained  are  placed  herewith  ( Annexure-I ).    To  strengthen  it  further, during the year 2018-19, the ARYA project is being extended to additional 75 KVKs.

As  an  initiative to empower  the  youth  in  agricultural and  allied subjects the Student Rural Entrepreneurship Awareness Development Yojana (READY) programme was started in 2015-16. Student READY is an essential course module for the  award  of  degree  at  Bachelors  level  to  ensure  hands  on  training  and  practical experience  depending  on  the  requirements  of  respective  discipline  in  Agricultural Universities.  This  is  step  forward  for  articulating  education  into  entrepreneurship  and employability.

A financial support @ Rs 3000/- per student per month for maximum six months is also provided to the students.

The  Student READY  program  includes  five  components  viz.,  Experiential Learning,  Rural  Awareness  Works  Experience  (RAWE),  In  Plant  Training/  Industrial attachment,  Hands-on  training,  and  Student  Project.    Details  of  the  students  enrolled under 'Student READY' state wise is attached ( Annexure II ).

## (d) No such proposal as of now.

(e) 'The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has started a network of 25 Agri-business Incubation (ABI) Centers in different states of the country ( Annexure-III ) under the National Agriculture Innovation Fund (NAIF) Scheme. These ABIs act as an effective  platform  for  fostering  the  growth  of  sustainable  business  endeavour  and nurturing  the  techno-entrepreneurs.  The  ABI  centers  provide  a  wide  range  of  services such  as  research  support;  business  planning;  office  space;  access  to  information  and communication  technologies;  and  advice  on  management,  marketing,  technical,  legal, and financial issues.

(f) Under the NAIF Scheme ICAR is planning to establish 25 more ABI centers in different  ICAR  institutes,  keeping  in  view  the  spectrum  of  technologies,  available infrastructure and the core competency of the institutes. Establishment of ABI Centers at District level is beyond the scope of the NAIF Scheme.

*******

## Annexure-I [Part (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha USQ No.4562 for 08/01/2019]

## State-wise and year-wise training programs conducted under ARYA project

| Sr. No.   | State                       | Name of KVK                 | 2015-16 to 2017-18        | 2015-16 to 2017-18           |
|-----------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|---------------------------|------------------------------|
| 1         | 2                           |                             | No. of Training prgrams 4 | No. of rural youth trained 5 |
| I         | ATARI, Ludhiana,            | Zone-I                      |                           |                              |
| 1         | Punjab                      | Bathinda                    | 10                        | 390                          |
| 2         | Himachal Pradesh            | Hamirpur                    | 10                        | 292                          |
|           | Uttarakhand                 | Haridwar                    | 6                         | 132                          |
| 4         | Jammu &Kashmir              | Kathua                      | 29                        | 362                          |
| II        | ATARI, Jodhpur,             | Zone-2                      |                           |                              |
| 5         | Haryana                     | Gurgaon                     | 7                         | 142                          |
| 6         | Rajasthan                   | Banswara                    | 8                         | 180                          |
| III       | ATARI, Kanpur,              | Zone-3                      |                           |                              |
| 7         | Uttarpradesh                | Muzaffarnagar               | 19                        | 379                          |
| IV        | ATARI, Patna, Zone-4        |                             |                           |                              |
| 8         | Bihar                       | East Champaran              | 4                         | 83                           |
| 9         | Jharkhand                   | Gumla                       | 25                        | 753                          |
| V         | ATARI, Kolkatta,            | Zone-5                      |                           |                              |
| 10        | West Bengal                 | Nimpith, South 24- Parganas | 13                        | 241                          |
| 11        | Odisha                      | Nayagarh, Panipola          | 14                        | 405                          |
| VI        | ATARI, Guwahati,            | Zone-6                      |                           |                              |
| 12        | Assam                       | KarbiAnglong                | 11                        | 347                          |
| 13        | Sikkim                      | North Sikkim                | 11                        | 255                          |
| VII       | ATARI, Barapani, Meghalaya, | Zone-7                      |                           |                              |
| 14        | Manipur                     | Senapati                    | 8                         | 290                          |
| 15        | Nagaland                    | Wokha                       | 9                         | 220                          |
| 16        | Mizoram                     | Lunglei                     | 21                        | 200                          |
| VIII      | ATARI, Pune, Zone-8         |                             |                           |                              |
| 17        | Maharashtra                 | Nagpur                      | 27                        | 454                          |
| 18        | Gujarat                     | Rajkot                      | 27                        | 1073                         |
| IX        | ATARI, Jabalpur,            | Zone-9                      |                           |                              |
| 19        | Chhattisgarh                | Dantewada                   | 35                        | 600                          |
| 20        | Madhya                      | Gwalior                     | 39                        | 600                          |
|           | Pradesh                     |                             |                           |                              |

| Sr. No.   | State                     | Name of KVK               | 2015-16 to 2017-18      | 2015-16 to 2017-18         |
|-----------|---------------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------|----------------------------|
|           |                           |                           | No. of Training prgrams | No. of rural youth trained |
| X         | ATARI, Hyderabad, Zone-10 | ATARI, Hyderabad, Zone-10 |                         |                            |
| 21        | Andhra Pradesh            | Nellore                   | 7                       | 420                        |
| 22        | Telengana                 | Nalgonda(Kampasagar)      | 13                      | 604                        |
| 23        | Tamil Nadu                | Kanyakumari               | 7                       | 96                         |
| XI        | ATARI, Bengaluru, Zone-11 | ATARI, Bengaluru, Zone-11 |                         |                            |
| 24        | Karnataka                 | Bengaluru-Rural           | 22                      | 675                        |
| 25        | Kerala                    | Kannur                    | 12                      | 402                        |
|           | Total                     |                           | 394                     | 9595                       |

******

## Number of students enrolled under Student READY Program during the years 2016-17 & 2017-18 in various states

| State            |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |
|------------------|-----------|-----------|
| Andhra Pradesh   |       813 |       973 |
| Assam            |       233 |       345 |
| Bihar            |       174 |       222 |
| Chattishgarh     |       700 |       358 |
| Gujarat          |      1434 |      1809 |
| Himachal Pradesh |       315 |       282 |
| Haryana          |       375 |       426 |
| Jharkhand        |        51 |        60 |
| Jammu &Kashmir   |       325 |       310 |
| Karnataka        |      1856 |      2221 |
| Kerala           |       467 |       568 |
| Maharashtra      |      1353 |      2859 |
| Madhya Pradesh   |       877 |       971 |
| Nagaland         |        57 |        64 |
| Orissa           |       296 |       261 |
| Punjab           |       340 |       264 |
| Rajasthan        |       505 |       570 |
| Tamil Nadu       |       454 |       956 |
| Telangana        |       744 |       664 |
| Uttar Pradesh    |       350 |      1032 |
| Uttarakhand      |       221 |       180 |
| West Bengal      |       256 |       170 |
| Total            |     12196 |     15565 |

*******

## List of the Agri-Business Incubation Centre

|   S.No. | Name of the Institutes (Agri-Business Incubation Centre)                                  | State            |
|---------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------|
|       1 | ICAR-National Research Centre on Pig, Guwahati                                            | Assam            |
|       2 | ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal                                            | Haryana          |
|       3 | ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla                                            | Himachal Pradesh |
|       4 | ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore                                | Karnataka        |
|       5 | ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin                                    | Kerala           |
|       6 | ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasargod                                | Kerala           |
|       7 | ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Calicut                                         | Kerala           |
|       8 | ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal                                | Madhya Pradesh   |
|       9 | ICAR-Central Institute of Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai                           | Maharashtra      |
|      10 | ICAR-Central Institute on Fisheries Education, Mumbai                                     | Maharashtra      |
|      11 | ICAR-ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Barapani                                       | Meghalaya        |
|      12 | ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi                                    | New Delhi        |
|      13 | ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Bhubaneswar                             | Orissa           |
|      14 | ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack                                            | Orissa           |
|      15 | ICAR-Central Institute on Post-harvest Engineering and Technology, Ludhiana               | Punjab           |
|      16 | ICAR-Central Institute Brackish water Aquaculture, Chennai                                | Tamilnadu        |
|      17 | ICAR-National Research Centre on Meat, Hyderabad                                          | Telangana        |
|      18 | ICAR- Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad                                     | Telangana        |
|      19 | ICAR- Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research, Hyderabad                                    | Telangana        |
|      20 | ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research& Management, Hyderabad                     | Telangana        |
|      21 | The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad | Telangana        |
|      22 | ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar                                      | Uttar Pradesh    |
|      23 | ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute, Izatnagar                                          | Uttar Pradesh    |
|      24 | ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi                                     | Uttar Pradesh    |
|      25 | ICAR-National Institute of Research on Jute &Allied Fibre Technology, Kolkata             | West Bengal      |

*******