Embryonic Development
This is a story of how the school of Agricultural Sciences (SAS) has grown in the last two decades, and how the School has succeeded in providing sustained academic support to the farming community of the state of Maharashtra. The school has positively impacted the morbidity rate of debt-ridden farmers in the state through high yield, low cost initiatives. The school toils relentlessly with a vision to provide expert, vocational and employment-generating, mass education in agriculture; with a mission of extending support the heretofore inaccessible stakeholders such as dropouts of the conventional system, practicing farmers, rural women and youth. The director of SAS, Professor Surya Gunjal along with his small team viz. Dr. Madhuri Sonawane and Mr. Rajendra Wagh are proud to say that they have achieved unprecedented success in achieving their target.
Fact Sheet
SAS had been established in the same year of inception of the university in 1989, with just one programme and mere 81 students. As of 2009, the number of programmes has increased to 16 and the student strength has gone up to a whopping 22,467. The school has network of 80 study centers and sub-centers across the state of Maharashtra, with expert academic support of nearly 600 teachers/counselors.
Courses offered at SAS Student enrollment
- Certificate in Gardening = 949. 5343
- Foundation in Agriculture = 3768
- Diploma in Fruit Production = 3773
- Diploma in Vegetable Production = 3767
- Diploma in Floriculture = Diploma in Agri-business = 3750
- Diploma in Agro-Journalism = 232
- B.Sc. Agriculture = 659
- B.Sc. Horticulture = 226
- M. Sc. AC/AE.AD = 60
- Ph. D. AC/AE/AD = 40
Dr. Gunjal adds that out of 4000 Agricultural Assistants recruited in the State Department of Agriculture 1800 were from the Open University system whereas 2200 were from the four Agricultural Universities in the state.
Distinguished Alumni of YCMOU’s SAS
- Dr. Sangita Laddha, Director, International Horticulture Training Center, Jaipur
- Dr. Ramchandra Hegde, Chief General Manager, NABARD, PuneDr. Sahebrao Kshirsagar, Chairman, Bhandara Rural Bank, Bhandara
- Dr. Savaji Gorade, Chairman, Indore-Ujjain Rural Bank, Ujjain
- Dr. T.K.Sridevi, District Magistrate, West Godawari
- Dr. Prakash Pawar, Dy. Secretary of State, Mumbai
- Dr. Rajendra Deshmukh, Chief Horticulturist, RCF, Mumbai
- Dr. Aseem Gokarn, Landscape Horticulturist, Reliance Industries, Mumbai
- Dr. Bhaskar Gaikwad, Organic Farming Scientist, Babhaleshwar
- Dr. Rajendra Sarkale, M.D. Satara District Co-Operative Bank, Satara.
- Dr. Bandikumar Mallik, Assistant Commissioner (AH), Govt. of India
This is evidence enough that the courses at SAS are truly relevant to the needs of both the masses and the classes; and they have meaningfully changed the lives of millions of families. The school is conscious about the content they are generating, the programme delivery mechanism and the end product.
Fiscal Viewpoint
In 1989, the initial programme development cost was borne by NABARD, Mumbai, the programme fees was just Rs. 500. In 2009, the program fee is still in the range of Rs. 3000 to Rs. 10,000; the average fee is approximately Rs. 4000. Since its inception, from program fees, the school has earned approximately Rs. 43.50 crores, incurred expenditure of approximately Rs. 26.50 crores, and the net gains to the university is Rs. 17 crores.
Since its inception, the school has earned approximately Rs. 43.50 crores, spent Rs. 26.50 crores, while profiting a net Rs. 17 crores.
Collaborations
The school also works in knowledge/technology exchange collaborations with prestigious institutions, of national and international repute, such as –
- Y.C. Pratishthan, Mumbai
- NABARD, Mumbai
- KVK-ICAR, New Delhi
- NAIP-ICAR, New Delhi
- CGIAR-FAO-ICRISAT, Washington
International Consultancies
Through various ongoing projects, SAS is closely associated with the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Canada for Life Long Learning of Farmers [L3 Farmers in India and Technology Mediated Open & Distance Education (Tech-MODE)], CGIAR-FAO-ICRISAT, Hyderabad, Global Open Food & Agriculture University Project, DEC - IGNOU, New Delhi for Documentation of Indigenous Agricultural Technology and World Bank-NAIP-ICAR, New Delhi for Re-usable Learning Object Technology in Agro-horticulture.
Program Strengths
Enrollment Mobility
Through its uniquely structured programs, the school offers full vertical mobility and credit transfer from certificate level to post graduate programs. For instance, if someone enrolls for in a certificate in gardening or foundation in Agriculture program; by completing a set of courses, each year can even reach up to postgraduate and research level programs. The pace, time, course load can be decided by the student thus giving him a chance to work out his own capacity.
Equal Opportunity Programs
It is indeed painful to see that some of the students that fail in X and XII standard board examinations commit suicide. There ends the opportunity of hope for the betterment of many families; also it is a valuable loss of human resource. The school tries to offer some simple, feasible solutions to these suicides through its educational programmes. The foundation courses offered by the school are achievable, even by students who have been frustrated with the conventional education system. In addition, all the programmes of the school are relevant to various practical aspects in terms of professional application. The school has given renewed hope to the dropouts of matriculation/post matriculation examinations. In this manner, the school also contributes towards shouldering the social responsibility of rehabilitating millions of farmers’ children through achievable means of skills-developing education and employment.
Vocational and Self-Employment Generating Programs
The thrust of the school is to make all its programmes vocational, professional and employment generating ones. These programmes are also entry points into many of the government jobs in addition to private ones. More than 10,000 students are absorbed in government jobs and more than 20,000 are actively engaged in self-employment, the remaining ones are engaged in farming with new outlook and progressive vision.
Network of Study Centers at Agriculture Schools & Colleges
The school believes that to run qualitative programmes they need committed people who respect quality practices and shared values. So, it has established a network of 80 study centers and sub centers in authentic and resourceful learning centres such as agricultural technology schools, farm science centers and colleges of agriculture and Horticulture in the state. At these study centres the school has engaged more than 600 Agricultural experts in providing academic support to the students of various programmes across the state of Maharashtra.
The school has a network of 80 study centers and sub-centers, with expert academic support of 600 counsellors. Now, it has plans to expand the centers up to 100 centers and the number of students close to 30,000 by 2012.
Our strength lies in the weakness of the conventional agricultural education system in terms of ‘vertical mobility’, which has become a distinctive feature of our university. Hence, the school is in fact working in the areas where the conventional agricultural universities have inherent limitations, for instance in achieving full vertical mobility and reaching out to the dropouts, practicing farmers and rural youths.
“We are in fact working in areas where the conventional agricultural universities have inherent limitations”. -- Dr. Surya Gunjal, Director
Comparative agriculture education in Maharashtra
In Maharashtra, four Agricultural Universities viz. Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola and Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani are imparting agricultural education. Collectively, in the state, they are presently enrolled at these institutions about 23,381 students, including 480 for Certificate programs, 13,920 for Diploma programs, 7,626 for Undergraduate programs, 1,185 for Postgraduate programs and 170 for Research programmes. In comparison to this, Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU) itself is presently catering to more than 22,000 students, including 1,000 for Certificate, 20,000 for Diploma, 1,000 for Undergraduate & 100 for Postgraduate Research programs.
Four agricultural universities in the state are collectively catering to about 23,381 students, whereas YCMOU is catering to more than 22,000 students independently.
Facilitating Learning
Self Instructional Learning Material
All these courses are disseminated through highly qualitative Self-Instructional Material (SIM) developed by the university involving experts in the field. The school has developed 104 Text Books and Work Books so far in this format. In addition to this, each study centre also houses good multimedia library and Internet facility of its own, which can be utilized by the students.
All the courses are disseminated through highly qualitative Self Instructional Material (SIM) developed by the university, involving experts in the field.
Face-to-Face Contact Sessions
In addition to the self-learning books in SIM format, regular face-to-face counselling sessions for theory and practical as well as interactive learning sessions are held 6 days in each month at each study centre and sub-centre.
Laboratory & Field Component
All the agriculture programs heavily rely on the mandatory and substantial laboratory as well as field component. In the undergraduate programs, there are 32 contact sessions devoted to practical/fieldwork at the respective study centres.
Course Development
The school adopts quality practices in all its processes. Agriculture and agriculture business management is constantly influenced by new research, uncertain climate and market conditions. The school is committed to providing latest knowledge to its students, and abreast them with the new cost effective relevant research findings in agriculture. Therefore, it also goes through a periodic revision of its course content and implementation mechanism.
The school is committed to providing latest knowledge to its students, and keeping them informed about the latest cost-effective relevant research findings in the field of agriculture.
Learning Materials
Though the school develops qualitative learning material in house, it recognizes the significance of new knowledge and research production. Therefore, in addition to the in- house study material developed by the school, it also archives quality publications and uses them for the development of new learning materials.
The school addresses academic issues through proactive consultation with peer groups. It develops framework and curricula inherent with high-end self-employability skills. It provides learning materials in quality assured compact modular format.
The school has been doing seminal work for farmers in the field of agriculture, and simultaneously building its capacity to serve more and serve better in active collaborations with some of the reputed national and international partners viz. NABARD, ICAR, COL, IFPRI, ICRISAT and UFL. Prof. Gunjal says they appreciate and value these partnerships.
The school develops area specific curricula in consultation with the state agricultural universities and ICAR institutions. Thus, these programs directly access farmers across the state.
Study Centers
The school has fixed 100 points quality parameters and benchmarks in recognizing the study centres. It identifies a good institution capable of imparting agricultural education and then, meticulously scrutinizes the proposal. Then a professional team from the university headed by the Director of the school visits the institution. This team assesses the infrastructural capabilities of the institution before signing the MoU. In the process, after assessing the criteria, a MoU is signed with the partner institution; which results in it being recognized as an authorized study centre of the university. The study centre is bound to deliver mutually agreed upon services to the students enrolled at the study centre.
Annual/periodic re-visiting of the partner institutions by the director of the school or the responsible authority delegated by the Director of the School ensures continuance of delivery of quality education.
Future Plans
The road map pertaining to the development of the school for the next few years has already been chalked out. The school plans to revise and consolidate all its programs in consistence with the new ICAR and UGC guidelines. It also proposes to monitor and evaluate all agriculture education centers and sub-centers in line with NAAC accreditation. It also intends to implement the World Bank funded NAIP-ICAR project on Technology Mediated Distance Education in Agriculture.
Bare Necessities
In 1989, the school had just one programme and 81 students with mere 2 Teachers. In 1990 the school was offering 10 programmes to 6,653 students with 6 Teachers in the school. However, in 2009 the school offers 16 programmes to 22,467 and the number of Teachers working in the school has gone down to 3. This is the kind of efficiency as well as optimal resource utilization that is inculcated in the students to ensure quality, efficient and productive output.
“We have achieved unprecedented success in our mission.”n Dr. Surya Gunjal, Director
Dr. Surya Gunjal: suryagun@hotmail.com
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