SKUASTJ Convocation Modi asks students to prepare for 2022

JAMMU: PM Narendra Modi today told students in Jammu that their real test would begin in a "big, open classroom" awaiting them outside their university, and asked them to set goals for 2022, when India celebrates 75 years of independence.

Addressing the students at a convocation at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) here, Modi said: "I urge you to keep in mind 2022, and you and your university should set some goals for yourself."

He said the university and the students should carve out a place for themselves in farm innovation, and added that goals will be important when India celebrates 75 years of freedom.

He told students they "are awaiting a big, open classroom outside this university and that is where the real test lies."

The prime minister, who was on a day-long visit to the state's three regions - Leh, Kashmir and Jammu, laid emphasis on development of agriculture and horticulture in the country.

Modi said the introduction of technology is bringing new opportunities and called for the implementation of a "new culture" in the agriculture sector in the "changing times".

He said his government at the Centre is encouraging technological intervention in farming. "As many 12 crore soil health cards were distributed in the country and 11 lakh farmers got this card in J&K," the prime minister said.

He said "Per Drop More Crop" should be the mission.

Modi told the university students that India expects them to deploy scientific approach, technological innovation and research towards the development of the agriculture sector.

He also gave gold medals to five students at the convocation. Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra, the chancellor of the university, and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, the pro-chancellor, attended the hour-long ceremony.

A total of 444 degrees were conferred on candidates who had successfully completed their study programmes during the convocation, which began at 5 pm at Baba Jitto Auditorium in Chatha area.

The SKUAST has been ranked 10th among all state agricultural universities in India in 2017-18. It was placed second in getting maximum numbers of ICAR-JRF fellowships in veterinary sciences for the year 2016-17.

Sharma said the university has established a placement and counselling cell for developing soft skills in students.

Earlier in his address, Governor N N Vohra suggested all agriculture universities in the hill states to collaborate in developing new seeds and plants compatible with the changing climatic patterns in the country.

"Time has come for agriculture universities in the hill states to collaborate and undertake joint research efforts in the identified areas for timely developing new seeds and plants which will be compatible with the rapidly changing climatic patterns, he said.

We should aim at reducing imports to nil and emerge as a net exporting state in the agriculture and livestock sectors, Vohra said.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also stressed on the need to bridge the gap between research laboratories and agriculture fields to attain optimum results in the farming sector.

She said agricultural in the state is comparatively better compared to other states, but there is a need to look into the reasons for the sector not performing up to the expectation.

She asked scientists and policy-planners to find why agriculture has not picked up as an enterprising sector despite several schemes and technological interventions.

Mufti called for close coordination between research labs and farming fields, where the research are implemented. She asked students to bridge the gap by bringing latest equipment and technology to fields so that the yield is improved.

"Though the sector in our state is performing considerably well as compared to other states, still we need to ponder where does it lag," Mufti said in her address.

She asked students to adopt agriculture and allied activityes as an entrepreneurial sector which would provide them individual jobs and also strengthen the rural economy.

"Look at West, how cool it is to be a farmer there," she told the young agricultural graduates present.

"What does our state not produce? Some of the best cereals like mushkabudji and basmati rice, dry fruits like walnuts and saffron," she said.