Akshay Azad
Jammu, Aug 22: The Kashmir and Jammu wings of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) have been producing Agriculture graduates annually for the last many years but there were almost no job opportunities available for the passouts in the state, leading to a decline in their enrollment in the two universities.
Sources informed Early Times that SKUAST-J, which is funded by state Government, has been witnessing regular decline in enrollment of students for Graduation in Agriculture.
In year 2006-07, only 31 students had opted followed by 46 in year 2007-08, 55 in 2008-09 and 53 in 2009-10. Moreover for the year 2010-11, the enrollment saw further dip and only 35 were enrolled while in year 2012-13 the number further declined to 26, sources said, adding that for the current year the enrollment has seen an upward trend and so far 70 students were enrolled but it was still unknown, how many of them would complete the course.
Sources in Agriculture Production department attributed the decline to failure of Government to evolve any policy for creating job avenues for qualified students.
"There is total stagnation in Agriculture department for the last 30 years as the officers have been waiting for the benefits of promotion", they said, adding that for the last around 17 years, not a single person has been appointed in department, while the backlog of 2686 Agriculture technocrats was also there, so the question arises, why the University was allowed to produce more and more graduates, when there was no availability of any post for the next 20 years.
An officer in Agriculture department said, "When SKUAST enrolls students, they called B.Sc Agriculture as Professional degree but when Junior Agriculture Extension Officer (JAEO) is appointed in department, same is considered as simple Bachelor's degree", he said.
An official of SKUAST while admitting the decline in enrollment of students for Bachelor's degree said that on one hand State Government has been boasting of making Jammu and Kashmir a food sufficient state, on the other it was least bother to create avenues for professionals, whose services could be best used to promote the sector. |
