ExpertDabbler

http://www.scholarshipsinindia.com/agriculture.html
The above URL gives the supposedly complete list of Agricultural colleges/universities in India. It’s less than hundred as one can see.

This is the maximum possible educated manpower that is provided to a sector that feeds approximately 50% of this country’s population. I say maximum possible because, of these, a substantial number of these students might probably end up doing Phd, some would enter the civil services, some might take up jobs with titles like Agri-marketing where slowly the Agri- part would vanish and the guy will be selling soaps by Hindustan Unilever in rural areas. And i am not even talking about sectors like software. I know at least one Agri graduate who is into software.

In contrast, Tamil Nadu alone has above two hundred engineering colleges.
I get the point that there are so many engineering colleges because of the demand from the Industry. But what have we done to stoke productivity in Agriculture? Loan waivers are actually detrimental to the development of the sector in the long run. I think the government should build an ecosystem where know how, access to capital and entrepreneurship can flourish. We need someone with an eye on economics rather than elections.

I am just thinking out loud here,
What if the govt announced tax holidays for special purpose vehicles instituted for people willing to enter farming with a corporate setup, and they can join hands with some sort of a VC willing to invest capital. The farmers can give the land on lease (not outright sell) to the SPV for compensation which includes a fixed as well as variable component (share on profits). Schemes such as these obviates the need for loan dispensing and then waiving it off. The farmer does not lose his shirt even if the venture fails. He is basically entering into a lease deal with some experts.

If there can be so many players in sectors as chronically bleak as civil aviation, I don’t see why this can’t work out.

Indian students spend $13 bn on education abroad every year

No wonder the events by USEFI, IDP Education Australia, British Council etc. look like a sunday sandhais organized in Taj Coramandel.

But then, why worry when all are happy?

The banks are happy as they make good money on educational loans. The so called NOT FOR PROFIT agencies like IDP should be happy that they are making lot of money even without profit motive. Foreign universities are happy that have a huge market in Indian students willing to pay the full tuition fee.

Most of all, our elite IITs, IIMs, NITs, funded by the government of India, which in turn is funded by the tax payers aka the moms and dads of these students, can be happy that are successfully keeping their brand intact i.e that of serving only the creamiest among the cream and chasing the rest out of the country.

The city bred, fee paying students are happy that they at last get a chance to be out of this messy educational system sans reservation quota, petty politics etc.

Most of the rural students who are completely kept out of the loop with regard to higher education, are happy with their Jadhi Sangams, Mu. Ka. Azhagiri’s etc. Their dream land still remain metros like Chennai, Mumbai, Calcutta, Delhi which is only too happy to receive them as an endless supply of cheap labour who can be used for anything from construction work to contract killing.

We don’t want educational reforms, we are happy with the way things are.