Minister of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said that the Indian government is trying to include agriculture as part of the school curriculum. He also emphasised the necessity to induct agriculture as a mainstream course in school education under the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The Minister made these statements on Tuesday, June 14, while addressing a session organised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). According to an official statement, Tomar, in the session, stressed that agriculture is a priority and strength of the Indian economy, and acts as the backbone in adverse conditions, as per a PTI report. The ICAR brainstorming session discussed the development of policies and pathways to introduce agriculture as a subject in the core curriculum in schools and provide options for students to explore a career in the various areas of the farming sector.
National Council of Education Research and Training Professor and Head of Department of Curriculum Studies, Anita Nuna, who was present at the event, said, "The NEP 2020 will enable the overall development of school students besides just providing them with the bookish knowledge. It will also equip the students to convert the knowledge to action," as reported by PTI.
ICAR Director General Trilocan Mohapatra, Deputy Director General (Education) RC Agrawal, Association of India Universities General Secretary Pankaj Mittal and experts from ICAR, NCERT and CBSE, along with various school principals and teachers, participated in the session and discussed the need and process for the introduction of agriculture as a subject in the school curriculum.
