Page 70 - EducationWorld October 2020

Special Report

INDIA’S IVORY TOWER

AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITIES

Established on huge scenically landscaped 100 acre-plus estates
on urban peripheries, ICAR and the country’s 71 government
agriculture universities manage model farms with impressively
high yields, but maintain minimal connect with rural communities
and farmers

Dilip Thakore

T HE RECENT TURMOIL IN the Rajya are appalling. It’s a telling statistic that although 60 percent

majority in the Lok Sabha (the more powerful lower house
Sabha on September 20, the upper
of Parliament) in General Election 2019.
Incontrovertibly, socio-economic conditions in rural India
house of Parliament, when three
Bills, viz Farmers Produce Trade
and Commerce (Promotion and
of 21st century India’s 1.30 billion citizens reside in the rural
Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Farm-
try’s GDP (gross domestic product) estimated at Rs.227
ers (Empowerment and Protection)
Agreement on Price Assurance and hinterland, they contribute a mere 16 percent of the coun-
lakh crore in 2019-20. Per capita income in rural India is a
Farm Services Bill, 2020 and the Es- mere Rs.40,925 against Rs.98,435 in urban India. Worse,
sential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020 were passed according to the recently released Human Capital Index of
by a voice vote amidst vociferous protests by several opposi- the World Bank, 35 percent (142 million) of under-5 children
tion parties, has belatedly brought the country’s agriculture in India — the great majority in rural India — are stunted and
sector into media and societal spotlight. “likely to suffer lifelong cognitive disability”.
The objective of the three Bills is to direct the beneficial Quite obviously, there was a fundamental flaw in the de-
winds of liberalisation and deregulation across the country’s tailed plans of the Soviet-inspired high-powered Planning
vast and varied rural hinterland to fulfil a promise made in Commission (estb.1950) which produced 13 voluminous
the Election Manifesto 2019 of the ruling Bharatiya Janata five-year plans to ensure the balanced growth of the Indian
Party (BJP) to double farmers’ incomes by 2022. According economy for 65 years until the commission was mercifully
to several respected political pundits, this assurance sub- abolished in 2014. In retrospect, it’s clear that as in commu-
stantially contributed to the BJP/NDA coalition government nist Soviet Union and China, savings of the rural citizenry of
being returned to power at the Centre with a two-thirds post-independence India were canalised into giant public

70 EDUCATIONWORLD OCTOBER 2020