Our Alma mater in olden days

There are always two schools of thought- one never try to critically evaluate any system- howsoever  old it has become while other school believes to look into the system-what we have achieved and why we have failed to achieve. I belong to second category. With my age of 74 , i have witnessed introduction of Agriculture universities under American land grand pattern in India. The first university came in existence in Pantnagar in 1960. Its reputation in Agriculture prompted PAU,Ludhiana to be second and Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya ,Jabalpur as third Agriculture university of India ; however, this university could not attain equal fame. Perhaps, the main reason was its inclusion of all 6 agriculture colleges and 2 veterinary colleges of Madhya Pradesh in Agriculture university (this was not done in Pantnagar and Ludhiana) and diminishing state professors and head to Associate Professor with creation of Professor's post ,only at Jabalpur. Again, required funds were not  infused to sustain such a large system hence other campuses deteriorated with almost halt of research work. . While Pantnagar encouraged students to become teaching assistant ,during  their post graduate degree program and promoting them directly to Assistant Professor, such facility was again deprived by JNKVV and even intelligent students were forced to join inferior post of senior research assistant . It clearly reveals how human capital at these two places was treated which reflected widely in its achievements.

It was a good idea to encroach vast agriculture land under Agriculture University so that students may do practicals in the field. For this reason, these Agricultural universities were opened in remote areas-away from cities.

While this proved a boon for Agriculture education, the same was not true for Veterinary education. The main reason was training of these student veterinarians was to be given on animal patients which were scar in these places. Therefore, though their hospitals were having good facilities, the students failed to apply these techniques on a large scale. According to some , they were not well trained to perform general veterinary activities.

One important fact emerged that these Indian Agriculture universities abandoned good practices of American system like hourly test, monthly test , earn while you learn but never hesitated to imbibe controversial practices. The main argument of including veterinary science in Agriculture universities was since American and our farmers keep both animals and agriculture hence veterinary was included in these universities though their education syllabus greatly differed . Again, only those students having a BVSc degree were allowed to join post graduate degree program. This created great controversies and citing examples from America first two  Agriculture universities (Pantnagar and PAU ) started college of Animal sciences where both vet and agriculture students were allowed to take up pg program.However neither Agriculture  nor veterinary departments were ready to appoint these students and as a result both colleges of animal sciences have to be closed down. 

When our Agriculture scientists returned from America after obtaining Ph.D , they have not started doing out standing research work , but started complaining about meager facilities existing in the country. 

It is half truth that these Agriculture universities were responsible for green revolution or increase in wheat production. In 1965 our erst while prime minister shri Lal Bahadur Shastri was struggling with food problem ,asked people to have a fast for one day in a week and coined the slogan :JAI JAWAN JAI KISAN 'In fact this was dwarf variety of wheat, developed by Dr Norman Barloug in Mexico which was introduced in the country with the efforts of Dr MS Swaminathan, Head Botany dept at IARI, and Dr C Subramanium, the then Agriculture Minister.

Likewise, it is wrong to give credit to the Veterinarians for taking the country first in milk production.It was an engineer Dr Vargees Kurian, who has no relation with Veterinary or Agriculture education, who pioneered operation flood and AMUL model which became so darling that many countries came to adopt the program.Our Veterinary scientists ,instead, have started cross cattle breeding program which utterly failed to produce a high yielding milch cow. Moreover, they have not discussed utility of male calf which is used as beef in America but was not possible in India. Similar was the fate of "pichwade ki murgi" where we could not produce a hen  giving more than 200 eggs for the small farmers. Thus there are many questions raised by the public; what is the aim of these agriculture universities ; whether our research is for small farmers or big business houses? How we are treating our Indian scientists ? Why IAS can refuse to implement a research plan without understanding its utility?

There are many alike questions which need answer.

It is also important how our scientists can undertake large scale trials of their vaccines, diagnostics, drugs etc when these agriculture universities do not have executive powers ? 

Why persons are allowed to import technologies on hefty royalty that can be developed easily in our country . Why our scientific organisations in their websites list research highlights or awards without name of the scientist or team of scientist ?
Now time is changing and so is India. Therefore, it is necessary to look into whole issue of research in our education system so that our new generation can enjoy fruits of growth.Sadly there are scarcity of the books which can critically evaluate our education or Agriculture system. I hope now our libraries will be encouraged to keep these books and our students, teachers will be encouraged to develop a holistic view on the subject.

I have analysed some of them in my memoir in the form of a book  YE HAI HAMARE KRISHI VISHWA VIDYALAYA.

This book is published in August 2017  by BLUE ROSE PUBLISHERS, NEW DELHI and is also available on Amazone.in  The book will be registered with flipcart ,shortly.
its link : http//:bluerosepublishers.com/product/ye-hai-hamare-krishi-vishwa-vidyalaya/

http//:amzn.in/5efCl62
shortly the book is comming on kindle in e book format so that our young generation may retrieve it when ever they desire so.
Long back Dr Vinod shah wrote a book critically analysing our agriculture system but i could not find the book.
Recently Dr JS Bhatia has written following book
A glimpse of veterinary  education in India.
publisher Satish serial publishing house. 403 express tower,commercial complex,azadpur,
Delhi 110033