DHARWAD: Former deputy director general (education) of Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), S P Tiwary, has taken serious exception to the recent trend of setting up universities for each discipline.

Delivering SW Menasinkai Memorial Lecture at University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) here, he said it is not correct to establish university for horticulture and veterinary science as "integrated system of agriculture education is essential". Highlighting the need to promote agriculture production and agriculture education in India, he said though the contribution of agriculture to GDP is only 17%, it affected 50% populace directly.

"Increase in agriculture output and farm-related education brings about more equity and helps alleviate poverty. It is more useful than increasing the industrial output," he observed.

Tiwary called for updating the agriculture education system to suit the changing scenario. "It should deal with improved tools of content delivery, globalization of education, new areas of specialization like Intellectual Property Rights, WTO-related areas, new cutting-edge technology and stakeholders' expectations," he said.

Tiwary also sought more support from the state for agriculture education and budgetary allocation for agriculture research.

UAS vice-chancellor H S Vijay Kumar, who is also the president of SW Menasinkai Memorial Foundation, presided. Dean of College of Agriculture, Mahadev Chitti, welcomed. Former V-C J H Kulkarni, H L Nadaf and others spoke.

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