Union Agriculture Minister Addresses 6th Convocation of MANAGE in Hyderabad

National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad, an autonomous organisation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, held its 6th Convocation 2022 ceremony in Hyderabad to award degrees and medals to successful students of Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Agri-Business Management) - PGDM (ABM).

The Convocation's Chief Guest was Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and the Guest of Honour was Manoj Ahuja, Secretary (A&FW), GoI.

202 students graduated from three PGDM (ABM) batches from the academic years 2018-22. 9 PGDM (ABM) students from three consecutive batches received gold, silver, and bronze medals. On the occasion, three exceptional PGDM (ABM) Alumni who have made significant contributions to the farming community through their Agri-Ventures received awards. In addition, 6 students from the PGDAEM programme and 3 students from the PGDAWM programme received medals.

In his address to the students, Tomar stated that the concept of agriculture must be changed. In the face of climate change, it is necessary to rethink the strategy, which includes studying changes in cropping patterns.

The government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to improve agriculture through various schemes, including the incorporation of technology." Farmers' income is being increased through ongoing initiatives. In this effort to bring prosperity to agriculture and farmers, students can also make significant contributions to the country by devoting time to farming while carrying out their responsibilities," he said.

Tomar stated that the MANAGE students will take pride in serving the farming community and will contribute significantly to making AatmaNirbhar Bharat, a self-sufficient India.

"India is primarily an agricultural country. We have not only accepted agriculture's primacy and priority, but we have also demonstrated its resilience in the face of adversity and the most adverse conditions. The irony is that agriculture is still heavily reliant on the weather. Even if the farmer toils, the government provides subsidies, fertiliser, power, and irrigation, resulting in a blossoming crop, but if nature strikes, the crop may become diseased, there may be hail or frost, and flood damage may occur. However, the loss to farmers is compensated under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, but there is a need to change the situation today.”

“The government is working on all of these issues, including how to increase agricultural technology, how to save farmers from losses, how to increase their incomes, and how to attract the next generation to agriculture. Many schemes have been launched, including the Digital Agriculture Mission, and Agri startups will be promoted further," he said.

According to the Union Minister, the work of managing farmer training is successful and of high quality. "There are institutes that provide quality and proficient education." "If students here have a successful career, they should thank their institutions," he said. According to Tomar, a multi-functional facility named after Acharya Chanakya was also inaugurated today at MANAGE.

"Recognizing the importance of agribusiness education, it has been decided to increase the number of seats in the MANAGE (ABM) PGDM course from 60 to 100." MANAGE students should be proud of their service to the farming community and their role in developing an AatmaNirbhar Bharat. Along with your regular jobs, you must devote time to the well-being of our country's farmers," he said.

Dr. P. Chandra Shekara, Director General of MANAGE, stated in his address, "Apart from ongoing training, research consultancy, policy support, and various GoI schemes such as AC&ABC, DAESI, STRY, and RAFTAAR, we also engage in a variety of other activities that help India become a global leader in agriculture. We also hope that our students will become agricultural attaches in Indian embassies around the world, helping to expand Indian agriculture beyond borders. In the future, MANAGE will work to raise the quality and standards of agribusiness education in over 200 organisations across India."