Co-curricular Activities

Agricultural education has come into its own and has gained greater importance in the present day. Its development is receiving the attention of the Central and State Governments, to a still greater extent. The increase in number from a few at the beginning of this century to over twenty agricultural colleges is proof of the demand for agricultural education. The establishment of the Indian Council of Agricultural Education under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, at the Centre, augurs well for the development of agricultural education in this country. With better co-ordination in the system of education and greater collaboration among the different colleges, the standard of agricultural education is bound to improve. A big step was taken by the Central Government when it appointed a Joint Indo-American Team of experts to make recommendations on agricultural research and education. The Indian members of the team visited a number of Land-grant Colleges in the United States of America and their American counterparts visited many of the Agricultural and Veterinary Colleges in India and have made recommendations which deserve early implementation by the State administrations. The recommendations cover a wide ground and only those which are very important are given below as they pertain to the future line of development of agricultural education and research in the country.

Status of Agricultural Graduates and Post Graduates 
    
The status of graduates and post-graduates has been a vexed problem for decades. For some inscrutable reasons, the workers and teachers of agriculture, barring a few of the administrative officers at higher -levels, have been paid a salary which is not in keeping with their status and the arduous duties they are called upon to shoulder. In the Departments of Co-operation and Forestry which are most closely allied to Agriculture, the staff commences on a salary in keeping with their status and responsibility. It is hoped that the authorities concerned will remedy this glaring defect. The consequence of such a policy of discrimination in respect of agricultural workers has been that the best talents of the younger generation are attracted to such fields as engineering, Medicine forestry, law, commerce and science, leaving only the person of mediocre intelligence to take to agricultural education.

With great development of agriculture envisaged in the immediate future and the increase in return anticipated, it would be unfair to leave the agricultural graduates in their present condition. It is needless to say that the worth of post-graduates should be better appreciated and a better status accorded as it is done in some countries, as for instance Ceylon, where the scales of pay of persons holding degrees increase with their obtaining higher and higher degrees. Such recognition should be given in the case of agricultural degrees, too, to encourage greater effort on the part of the personnel of the Colleges of Agriculture and of the Department of Agriculture.

Despite the problems of poor remuneration and other pearls and facilities, agricultural graduates have been doing well in the state and national competitive examinations. A good percentage the students of this college have become class – I and II officers both at the State and Central administration. Agricultural graduates, further have demonstration their caliber and value in banking, media and other corporate sectors.       

The completion of hundred years of life of this institution is a land-mark of great significance. This well organized and well developed institution, equipped for carrying out research, teaching and extension measures can look forward to another span of hundred years to carry forward its achievements to reach its second centenary.