The agricultural universities have been given a directive to adapt their syllabi as per modern-day farming trends. This was mentioned in the Budget speech by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. She said, "States will be encouraged to revise syllabi of agricultural universities to meet the needs of natural, zero budget and organic farming, modern-day agriculture, value addition and management."
The sector of agricultural research and education saw a 6 per cent increase in budget allocation for the last financial year when compared to 2020-21. The budget allocation rose from Rs 7,762 crores to Rs 8,514 crores in 2021-22. The worrying factor has been that almost 75 per cent of the allocated sum is spent on items like salaries and pensions in the Department of Agricultural Research and Education. The Standing Committee on Agriculture recommended back in 2019 that more funds should be provided to the department to promote agricultural research and education.
The Finance Minister tabled the budget at 11 am on February 1. President Ram Nath Kovind kicked off the Budget Session of the Parliament on January 31, following which FM Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey.
Last year's budget was the first one to be presented amid the COVID-19 pandemic and extensive farmers' protest. Announcing the Economic Survey last year, she had pegged the GDP growth at 11 per cent in the Financial Year 2021-22. But the Indian economy has come close to the projection. Advance estimates suggest that the Indian economy is expected to witness a real GDP expansion of 9.2 per cent in 2021-22, after contracting in 2020-21, said the latest Economic Survey.
