Page 54 - EducationWorld August 2022

Cover Story

Patel: co-existence & support plea Dunu Roy (centre left): degrees devaluation apprehension

have deepened in the aftermath of Sharad P at e l , whose father Lallub- and Michigan universities, managing
prolonged disruption of the economy hai, a believer in the Gandhian model director of the Mumbai-based Ameri-
by the Covid-19 pandemic. Although of rural development, promoted the can Spring and Pressing Works Pvt.
Fallone and the BCIL management Aspee College of Horticulture & For- Ltd (“one of India’s largest agriculture
comprising an array of young pro- estry, in Navsari, Gujarat in 1975. This spraying equipment manufacturers”)
fessionals detailed on the company’s college is affiliated with the Navsari and member of the academic council,
website (www.barefootcollege.org) Agriculture University, ranked among Navsari Agricultural University and
evidently believe that the power of India’s Top 5 agriculture universities Junagadh Agricultural University
two enterprises driven by similar ob- by Educ ationW orld (April, 2022). (Gujarat).
jectives and ideals will accelerate rural “Formal agriculture universities
revival and regeneration, courtroom can happily co-exist and supplement OWEVER, VIEWED IN the
battles may distract both parties going the work of informal institutions such H context of the persistent
full throttle. as Barefoot College. For instance, our — and unnecessary —
This confrontation is likely to slow trust and college supports Lokbharati India vs Bharat divide
rollout of the tried, tested and proven in Sanosara, Gujarat which propa- and oppressive establishment-rural
BC rural regeneration model across gates agriculture practices based on patriarchy-money-lenders coalition
the country. Meanwhile, establish- self-reliant village communities. We determined to ensure that agrarian
ment resistance to the low-cost BC believe that formal agriculture uni- India remains a supplier of cheap farm
education model is pervasive within versities should support informal produce and purchaser of cost-plus
the academy and establishment. agriculture and rural development manufactures and services, it is pain-
Repeated emails and phone calls institutions such as Barefoot College fully obvious that the Barefoot College
to Dr. A.K. Singh, director and Dr. which has an excellent record in rural model is unlikely to receive meaning-
Rashmi Aggarwal, head of education development and upliftment,” says ful government, establishment or
at the Indian Council of Agriculture Sharad Patel, an alumnus of Gujarat middle class support. On merits the
Research (ICAR) to ascertain their Union and state governments should
views on the Barefoot College rural Half a century after it was have embraced and incorporated the
development model remain unan- BC rural development model into their
swered. Ditto email messages and registered BC has replicas in five-year plans and budgets decades
phone calls made to Dr. Ashok Gula- 13 states countrywide and ago. But this hasn’t happened because
ti, renowned agriculture scientist and has made an imprint in 96 replication of the BC development
faculty at ICRIER, Hyderabad. model would devalue the certification
Perhaps the sole establishment countries worldwide through and degrees issued by formal schools
personality who obliquely endorses its Solar Mamas project and universities. In this connection it’s
the BC rural development model is pertinent to note that as a matter of

54 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2022