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Maximum women enrol for agriculture education in universities of Kerala when compared to other states in the country. The share of women registering for agriculture education (including agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, agri technology, dairying and fisheries) courses in Indian farm universities has remained over 43 per cent in the last five years.
Interestingly, nearly three-fourths of the total enrolments every year in the Thrissur-based Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) are t girls for the past five years. Of the 662 new enrolments in 2016-17, as many as 493 were that of girls. While the total enrolments went up to 1072 at KAU in 2020-21, girls’ share of new enrolments also went up to 781.
The girls’ enrolment rate remained at an average of 65.22 per cent at the Kochi-based Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies and at 59.22 per cent at the Wayanad-based Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University during the last five years.
The girls’ enrolment has remained the lowest in Banda University of Agriculture and Technology of Uttar Pradesh. The average share of girls’ enrolment in the total enrolments stood at 6.88 per cent for the five years starting from 2016-17.
Overall enrolments up
The data available in the answers given in the Rajya Sabha show that the enrolment in agriculture education has been growing in the country. The enrolment for agriculture education, which saw a growth of 3.84 per cent in 2017-18 over 2016-17, went up to 5.72 per cent in 2020-21 as against 2019-20. Increase in enrolment had gone up above 6 per cent during 2018-19 and 2019-20.
The total enrolment in 73 agriculture universities in the country increased to a maximum of 48,793 in 2020-21 as against 39,297 in 2016-17. The share of girls enrolling for these courses increased to 21,804 in 2020-21 as against 17,297 in 2016-17.
Two States top
Agriculture education in the country is being spearheaded by two states – Maharashtra and Karnataka -- in the country. Each of these states has been enrolling more than 10 per cent of the total enrolments in the country.
Of the total enrolments during the five years between 2016-17 and 2020-21, the average share of Maharashtra stood at 11.20 per cent followed by Karnataka at 10.97 per cent. Each of these states have six farm universities to their credit.
Gujarat came third with the five-year average enrolment of 7.21 per cent, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 6.95 per cent, and Tamil Nadu at 6.58 per cent. While Uttar Pradesh has nine farm universities, Gujarat has five and Tamil Nadu has three farm universities.
The data provided in Rajya Sabha answers showed that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) awarded 17559 scholarships / fellowships in these universities during last five years.
It also said that 136 patents have been developed during the last five years in these farm universities.
Infra
Most of the farm universities have given thrust for building smart class rooms since 2017-18 when it comes to infrastructure creation. Of the 73 universities, 71 have opted for the creation of 251 smart classrooms till now.
The Raipur-based Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya built 11 smart classrooms, and the Jorhat-based Assam Agricultural University built ten such classrooms. Construction of girls hostels (37) remained the next priority for universities, followed by the examination halls (20).
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