Statement of Purpose
Supply Chain Management
Agriculture includes scientific management of biological systems for the sustainable production of food, fuel, fiber, herbs and aromatic plants. It plays a significant role in economic, social and cultural fabric of the society. Our country is majorly an agrarian economy. The history of Agriculture in India dates back to an era of Indus valley civilization (2500 B.C.), when human first started settled life and cultivated crops like barley and wheat. Today, the economy of India has transformed from agricultural shortages to surplus production and thus, it has become the largest producer of milk, spices and second largest producer of fruits & vegetables. Therefore, it holds 57% of the world’s buffalo population, 14% of cattle population and has attained sixth place in medicinal ; aromatic plants. Around 50% of India’s population depends upon Agriculture but contributes just 14% to the National GDP.
India has a wide variance in its topographic and climatic features from Himalayas in the north, Thar Desert in the west, fertile Ganga-Brahmaputra deltaic plains in east and coastal parts of south. It is categorized into 15 Agro-Climatic Zones which makes it a suitable destination for the growth of several species of flora and fauna. The agriculture of our country is primarily of subsistence type and thus, it is highly dependent on the rainfall. Some of the key issues faced by the farmers in India are:-
Production Stage :- Low Productivity, Inadequate irrigation facility, Dependence on Monsoon, Traditional Methods of cultivation, Small land holdings
Post – Harvest Stage :- Lack of basic infrastructure (like roads, refrigerated transport, cold storage and primary processing centers), Lack of awareness about market regulations, Lack of storage facilities which contributes to post-harvest losses
Advanced countries experience a much faster availability of FMCG products each time they step into their supermarkets. Fresh and good quality food items are available for consumers throughout the year. However, India with its abundant production of agricultural crops lack comprehensive food supply chain, it is also struggling to feed its massive and increasingly affluent consumer population. According to FAO’s report on “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World” published in 2017, 190 million people (or 14.5% of the population) are undernourished in India and 51.4% of women in reproductive age (between 15 to 49 years) suffers from anemia. Although, the major cause of malnutrition in India is not lack of food instead it is the inefficient supply chain. 40% of fruits ; vegetables produced annually and 30% of cereals are lost due to poorly managed supply chain and thus does not reach the consumer markets. Most of the world’s produce goes waste due to lack of a resilient food-supply that can maintain its quality from farm to fork. Therefore, strengthening supply chain infrastructure can serve as a probable solution to world’s food security problem.
From my childhood onwards I have always been aspired to work for the people. I did my high school (Science ; Computer) in 2008 with 69.4% and senior secondary (Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Computer) in 2010 with 71% from Raja Ram Mohan Roy Academy (ICSE Board), Dehradun. I was a good academician so I secured a good rank in All India Engineering Entrance Exam and completed Bachelors of Technology Biotechnology program (full time four years degree course) from one of the prestigious public institute, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture ; Technology, the first Agriculture University of our nation established in the year 1960 in pantnagar on the pattern of Land Grant Agriculture Universities of the United States. I completed my graduation in 2014 with a CGPA of 6.98 on scale of 10. I participated in a seminar on “Prospects and Applications of Biotechnology in Biomedical Sectors” organized by Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, Pantnagar University. During my college, I did a one month training on “Laboratory Techniques of Molecular Biology and Macro Propagation” from Forest Research Institute earlier known as Imperial forest research institute. Forest Research Institute, established in 1906 under the administration of Indian Council of Forest Research ; Education (ICFRE), of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India to organize and lead forestry research in the country. During my under-graduate studies, I did a six months project on “Isolation and Characterization of full length Brassica juncea WRKY 33 gene” from Pantnagar Agricultural University.
During those days, I went through the pages of magazines and newspapers which had articles and reports related to supply chain problem in agriculture sector and thus decided to pursue my Masters in Supply Chain. I qualified Graduate Aptitude Test of Engineering in 2014 and secured an All India Rank of 1194. And I chose to carry out my further studies in Food Supply Chain Management. I got admitted to National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship ; Management, Sonipat in 2014 for Masters of Technology program (full time 2 years degree program) in Food Supply Chain Management offered by Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. NIFTEM is an apex public institution in the field of food technology and management, established as a brainchild of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) under Government of India. My Post-graduate course was completed in 2016 and I scored a CGPA of 8.16 on the scale of 10.
During the post-graduate course, I studied supply chain management, cold chain management, post-harvest techniques, total quality management, inventory management, basics of food economics, food safety and quality control management, enterprise resource planning and various packaging techniques (MAP, Active, Intelligent packaging). During my first year of master’s program, I prepared a review paper on “Status of Chocolate Confectionary in India”. I did a five months internship on “Implementation of 5S principle” in food department of TUV-SUD South Asia, Gurgaon (TUV-SUD is a German organization, headquartered in Munich, and established in late 1800s during the Industrial Revolution that provide inspection and product certification services) and prepared my post-graduation thesis project on “Colour and Dimensional Studies for Assessment of Different Cultivars of Apples present in Domestic Fruit Market of National Capital Region” in National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management. I volunteered in the international conference ICFOST XXIII 2015 organised at NIFTEM. I have also passed National Service Scheme ‘B’ & ‘C’ certificate examination (NSS was launched in Gandhiji’s Centenary year, 1969 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Government of India to develop student’s personality through community service). As one of the team member, I also participated in Village Adoption Program of NIFTEM, (VAP is aimed at helping the Indian food processing sector accomplish its goal of inclusive growth and integrating the rural and underprivileged sections of our society with the main stream economy by understanding their problems at grass root level) and secured third position. I even took part in several co-curricular activities like All India Inter Collegiate Cultural and Fine Arts Festival, National level Technical Festival, Spardha (the Inter Collegiate Sports Festival) and Annual Cultural Fest organised by Spic Macay Society.
After completing my post-graduate studies, I started preparing for the government services Agriculture Officer Exam and was able to clear the preliminary level of the exam but in level –II, I was unable to clear the cut-off score by just 1.25 marks. I have gathered the knowledge and skills of technical field of supply chain. But to enhance my practical knowledge and gain more professional experience in Supply Chain Management, I want to pursue a further certificate course of one year from Canada. By studying in your prestigious college, I hope to acquire more in-depth knowledge of this course, with the goal of pursuing my career as a Supply Chain Manager. It requires me to have a keen understanding of all linkages in supply chain. Through extensive lectures, assignments, research projects, case studies and practical experiences undertaken in this program, I expect to soon develop the skills and emerge with a highly practical understanding that are necessary to help companies ensure a competitive supply chain. With the academic and work experience, I have gained so far, I feel well prepared and confident to enter your diploma program. In other words, I view an education in this college as a significant stepping stone towards my future career.