TNAU Convocation
M. Ramasami, Managing Director, Rasi Seeds (P) Limited, Attur (second left) being conferred the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) by Governor Surjit Singh Barnala at the convocation of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore on Friday. Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam (second right), Abhijit Sen, Member, Union Planning Commission (right), and Vice-Chancellor C. Ramasamy are in the picture. While well over half the Indian population still depends on agriculture, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from agriculture is currently only 18 per cent of the total GDP, down from 56 per cent of the GDP in 1950-51. The chronic neglect in the past of education and agriculture sectors has meant that 30 per cent of our people continue in extreme poverty, Abhijit Sen, Member, Planning Commission, Government of India, said here on Friday.
Delivering the graduation address at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, he cautioned that unless curative measures were taken, it would not be possible to maintain the present rate of GDP growth. “It will also be impossible to make it more inclusive, or face up to the important issues of sustainability that climate change is making even more apparent”. Lamenting that the recent National Sample Survey found that 40 per cent of India farmers wanted to quit agriculture, he said that it was because it was proving to be an unviable occupation.
In spite of the various achievements and advancements in agriculture, food security, farmers’ income and poverty remained issues of concern. “Though growth is important, it is a matter of concern whether the technologies, policies and investments will be able to deliver not only growth, but also equity and sustainability,” he wondered. Mr. Sen said that 80 per cent of the farmers were small and marginal and women participation in agriculture was increasing. He suggested a “group approach” for them to become effective farmers.
He observed that the most important area in future was likely to be marketing and processing of high value perishable commodities, both crop and livestock. He cautioned the new graduates to be aware of the nature of subsidies that the Government currently provided. “There is a strong case to redesign these, not to reduce these for fiscal or other such concerns, but to stress natural resource conservation and to give greater benefits to groups of poor farmers than to individuals”.Governor Surjit Singh Barnala conferred the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on Ratan N. Tata, Chairman, Tata Group of Companies, Mumbai, in absentia.
The other experts who were also conferred with the honorary doctorates were M. Ramasami, Managing Director, Rasi Seeds (P) Limited, Attur, and Bhavarlal H. Jain, Chairman, Jain Irrigation Systems Limited, Jalgaon. Vice-Chancellor C. Ramasamy spoke on the achievements of the university and also mentioned the new ventures that it had embarked upon. Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam gave away the endowment prizes and released the university publications.
