Nauni Agriculture University bags Rs 25 cr Indian Council of Agricultural Research project

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, September 20

The learning and teaching environment at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni is all set for a major overhaul with a Rs 25-crore fund under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s (ICAR) National Agricultural Higher Education Plan (NAHEP) being granted by the World Bank.

This Institutional Development Project (IDP) has Rs 20 crore as the Indian Council of Agriculture and Research share while Rs 5 crore will be funded by the state. Considered a major achievement for the university, the Vice-Chancellor will lead the project while Dr KK Raina, Professor and Head, Department of Business Management, would coordinate it as the principal investigator.

This project ‘Quality Education in Horticulture and Forestry to generate Human Resource’ aims at revamping the undergraduate (UG) education through innovative and modern pedagogy, skill development, improving placement opportunities and catalyzing entrepreneurship through global thinking and input. It will also help strengthen collaboration with leading academia and industry for student exchange and faculty development programmes.

Conducting webinars, seminars, workshops and capacity building and engaging industry experts as adjunct faculty is included in the project.

Short Term International Certificate course on temperate horticulture and forestry crops and strengthening of student development and career development cell for job creation and internship opportunities would also be undertaken. Remedial courses, special attention towards weak students, agri-incubation centres on hi-tech plant nursery, processed food and forest products for entrepreneurial and agribusiness skills are the other features.

“We are among the select national group that has got grants under this project. It will help to enhance the quality of study and potential of the faculty will be fully utilized,” said VC Dr Parvinder Kaushal.

He said only a select few agricultural universities have bagged the project through a nation-wide competition. They will focus on skill enhancement of students through study programmes with international collaborations and provide an inclusive and equitable quality education for the students.

“We are hopeful that the project will help us to sharpen the skills of the students and them industry-ready. They will contribute to ‘Atam Nirbhar Bharat’ campaign. The development of competent human resource will also benefit the agriculture, horticulture and allied fields,” said Dr Kaushal.