ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL WOMEN AGRICULTURISTS IN BRIDGING GAP BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY GENERATION AND UTILIZATION

ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL WOMEN AGRICULTURISTS IN BRIDGING GAP BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY GENERATION AND UTILIZATION

Dr. Indu Grover,
Ex. Dean, College of Home Science
Professor, Home Science Extension Education,
College of Home Science, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar

Formalized courses of agricultural education were institutionalized in the beginning of the 20^th century when six agricultural colleges were established at Kanpur, Lyalpur, Coimbatore and Nagpur in 1907, at Pune in 1907 and Sabour in 1908. Thereafter, gradually other colleges were added but there were hardly any female students. However, soon after independence, the Government of India initiated an extensive planning process. Education Commission was appointed in 1948 and two Indo-American Study Teams were constituted in 1955 and 1959 and an Agricultural University Committee appointed in 1960. These efforts resulted in the recommendation of establishment of atleast one State Agricultural University (SAU) per state with mandate of teaching, research and extension activities for the welfare of farming communities. The first Agricultural University was established in 1960 and today there are 31 SAUs including one Central University in North East and 3 specified universities (2 in Veterinary and Animal Science and 1 in Horticulture and Forestry Sciences), besides 4 deemed universities viz., IARI at New Delhi, IVRI at Izatnagar, NDRI at Karnal and CIFE at Mumbai. BHU at Varanasi, AMU at Aligarh and Vishwa Bharti at Shantiniketan have a strong agricultural faculty and are also involved in teaching, research and extension activities in agriculture and allied fields. Many traditional universities through their affiliated colleges and PG departments offer agricultural education programmes. Thus the country possesses an extensive network of scientists and a vibrant agricultural education system. This system offers education in agricultural faculties viz., Agriculture (60 colleges), Agricultural engineering (18 colleges), Veterinary sciences (35 colleges), Floriculture (13 colleges), Forestry (18 colleges), Home Science (19 colleges), Dairy Technology (10 colleges), Fisheries (16 colleges), Sericulture, Basic Science, Food Technology and Agricultural Marketing and Cooperation/Agribusiness (16 college). At PG level specialization is offered in nearly 90 disciplines through 250 constituted/ affiliated/ autonomous colleges. A gender perspective at UG and PG level reveals inter college, inter-discipline, inter level, inter campus and inter state variations where males outnumber females in most courses, except Home Science. However, in some Southern SAUs females are seeking admission in larger number in agriculture courses both at UG and PG level while the number of females in Veterinary discipline is also on an increase.

Today Indian Council of Agricultural Research has emerged as a big and vibrant system that plans, directs, controls, coordinates and supports national agricultural research, teaching and extension activities in 31 SAUs, 4 deemed universities, 45 Central Institutes, 10 Project Directorates, 30 National Research Centres, 86 All India Co-ordinated Research Projects, 78 ICAR Research Institutes and their Regional Research Stations, 319 KVKs, 8 Trainer’s Training Centre and one National Research Institute for Women in Agriculture at Bhuvneshwar. Nearly 30000 scientists, extensionists and teachers (60% scientists) including 15-20% women scientists/teachers/extesionists are employed in this system with nearly one third of the faculty being from the discipline of home science alone.

The spurt in the number of women professionals in agriculture and allied sectors is a recent phenomenon. With rapid changes in agriculture scenario on one hand due to globalization, liberalization, bio-technology, bio-engineering, WTO etc. the contribution of women scientists, extensionists, administrators etc. in development assumes news roles while emancipation of rural communities in general and rural women in particular from clutches of poverty, hunger, nutritional insecurity, drudgery and leading an improved quality of life assumes great significance. Although the research labs and centers are continuously generating technology but the adoption by the farming communities in general is 20-25% and rural/farm women very meager. Numerous micro level studies highlight the wide knowledge, skill and technological gap on the part of farm women largely on account of social factors and non-recognition of their unpaid work. Even various national accounting systems as census, NSSO, Surveys etc. on account of methodological tools used underestimate women’s actual work on account of which women are marginalized in development and extension programmes. Most line department of Agriculture, Horticulture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Rural Development and Panchayat, Non-Conventional Energy Sources, etc. are male dominated in staffing pattern, approach, and methodology.

As a corrective measure there is an urgent need to build up database, on a discipline cum specialization basis, official position and address. The 11 discipline classification and 90 specializations of ICAR system may be followed. Ministry of Science and Technology should give this project to any organization. The database prepared should be put on the Internet, a list supplied to all line departments at state level and to all KVKs at district level. Then these organizations in turn should tap the resources of these women professionals especially while working with female clienteles. The Ministry of Science and Technology may also assign another project on preparing audio, video and in print form success stories of women farmers, improved tools and implements for women, outstanding entrepreneurs and women scientists and these should be projected on various forums. Annual Seminar of Women Scientists, technocrats and other professional women should also be organized at various levels so as to encourage interaction between women professionals and create awareness about their work and contribution. Some incentives and awards too may be instituted to encourage women professionals. At the same time there is greater need for convergence, fine tuning of technologies, developing appropriate measurement tools in social sciences, improving implements and technologies through participatory approach, and effective use of media and information technology for dissemination of technical information to reduce time lag in adoption without a systems perspective. The line departments need to be gender sensitized and fill atleast 20% of professional vacancies by appointing women professionals and then see the difference. The gap between women professionals, rural women, line department needs to be narrowed through better linkage, commitments, liaison, networking and establishment of Women Technological Park, atleast one in each state. These efforts would contribute to easy gender sensitive and equitable sustainable development with partnership of both gender and participatory development.