For ages, we’ve all been told that India is an agrarian society. Now, the rising interest in Agriculture among Indian students is increasing. According to a report by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), the number of students enrolled in agricultural courses in India has increased by 2.5 per cent from 2016 to 2020. However, this growth is still lower than the growth in the number of students enrolled in other sectors, such as Engineering and Medicine.
There are a number of factors that are driving the increasing interest in agriculture among Indian students. These include:
- The growing awareness of the importance of agriculture in India's economy. Agriculture is the largest employment provider in India, accounting for over 40 per cent of the workforce. It is also a major contributor to the country's GDP
- The increasing demand for food is due to population growth. India's population is expected to reach 1.6 billion by 2050, which will put a strain on the country's food production system
- The government's focus is on modernising the agricultural sector. The government has launched a number of initiatives to promote the use of modern technology in agriculture, such as the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) and the National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP).
- The growing popularity of agri-preneurship: Agri-preneurship is the process of using innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to improve agricultural production and productivity. This is attracting a new generation of young people to the agricultural sector
Despite the increasing interest in agriculture, there are still a number of challenges that need to be addressed in order to attract more students to the sector. These include:
- The poor image of agriculture in India. Agriculture is often seen as a low-paying and backward sector
- The lack of access to quality education and training in agriculture
- The lack of opportunities for young people in the agricultural sector