(Conveners: Dr R.C. Agrawal and Dr. Seema Jaggi)
A brainstorming session on "Preparing Future-Ready Youth for Entrepreneurship Development in Agriculture" was organized by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) on April 22, 2025. The session aimed to develop a policy paper and was chaired by Dr. Himanshu Pathak, President of NAAS and Former Secretary, DARE, Government of India, and Director General, ICAR. Dr. P.K. Joshi, Vice-President of NAAS and Former Director, ICAR-NAARM, served as the Co-chair. The session was convened by Dr. R.C. Agrawal, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Education), ICAR, and Dr. Seema Jaggi, Assistant Director General (HRD), ICAR.A total of 76 participants (30 in-person and 46 online) attended the session. The diverse group included Vice Chancellors, government officials, representatives from the private sector, UGC, CBSE, IGIDR, NIFTEM, and scientists from ICAR institutes and other organizations.
Dr. W.S. Lakra, Secretary of NAAS, welcomed the participants and outlined the objectives of the session. Dr. R.C. Agrawal presented the background, current status, and initiatives by ICAR to align agricultural education with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He highlighted the existing challenges and proposed a roadmap for future action.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Himanshu Pathak commended the presentations and emphasized the need for a comprehensive, systems-based approach to agricultural education. He underlined the importance of integrating skill development and vocational training to foster entrepreneurship in agriculture. Dr. Pathak also stressed the need to address the entire agri-food system, including both pre-production and post-production aspects, and called for actionable recommendations to be derived from the session.
Dr. P.K. Joshi echoed these sentiments, underscoring the critical relevance of the topic and offering constructive suggestions to reform the current educational framework. Dr. Seema Jaggi introduced the panelists, who represented a broad spectrum of institutions, ranging from public and private universities to skill-focused and agricultural institutions, as well as both government and private sectors.
The deliberations focused on transforming agricultural education in India under ICAR’s leadership and in alignment with NEP 2020. Key themes included fostering entrepreneurship, integrating technology, promoting interdisciplinary learning, and addressing the challenges of preparing future-ready youth for the agricultural sector. The panel highlighted the significance of hands-on training, industry-academia partnerships, and the early cultivation of entrepreneurial mindsets. Recommendations included the introduction of foundation courses to shift perspectives and specialized elective courses for skill enhancement and capacity building.
The session concluded with a formal vote of thanks by Dr. Seema Jaggi, acknowledging the valuable contributions of all participants.
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