Agriculture is a late Middle English adaptation of Latin agriculture, from ager, field, and further meant cultivation To practice agriculture implies the use of natural resources to give us or to produce commodities that maintain life. Agriculture, many say, began independently all through the world in different parts of the globe. As Indian History goes, it becomes clear that Indians practice Agriculture since the Indus Valley Civilization. Green Revolution, the one that started in India, is probably the biggest revolution in Agriculture.
With the rates being charted in 2003 the production of agricultural products was worth R.S. 38 billion, making India the seventh-largest agricultural exporter. India appears to rank second in agricultural outputs, and hence the G.D.P. of the country is based on agriculture.
Indifferent to the various problems agriculture faced in India, it appears to be the profession of many-many Indians. With the green revolution, a large portion of these problems was eradicated. However, one needs to be always in touch with the study of agriculture to yield the best results. Agriculture essentially turns out to be the spine for India’s economy. Hence, degrees and studies in the field to become fundamentally important. One such degree is the BSc in Agriculture. Its the primary focus like the name suggests is in the field of agriculture.
The Bachelor of Science in Agriculture is usually abbreviated as B.Sc.(Agr.) or B.S.A. or B.Sc.(Ag.) or B.Sc. (Hons.) Ag. The program is one of 4 years after the grade 12 High School graduation. Very much like Engineering and Forestry, it follows a scientific discourse and depends on practicality. It appears to be one of those subjects that need a specialization. One may specialize in areas such as plant-protection, animal-science, soil-science, and agricultural engineering. Apart from the usual degree however there appear to be variations in the subject and its a theme such as Bachelor of Agricultural-Economic. The scope is clearly in a field of plenty.
With the Ontario Agricultural College and the passing of the Morrill Act 1862, agricultural education spread far and wide. Today a vast number of nations offer this degree.
India, due to its extensive spread need of agriculture and its age-old link with the same, provides a platform for a wide-scale agricultural educational system with 42 State Agricultural Universities and 3 Central Agricultural Universities. It enrolls almost 15,000 students in its U.G. level course. Seven thousand for Pg and around 1000 for its Ph.D. program.
The curriculum is comprehensive and inter-disciplinary consisting of courses that revolve in and around the field of agriculture. To name the basics one would State
- Plant Pathology
- Agricultural Economics
- Extension Education
- Plant Breeding
- Soil Science
- Food Technology
- Animal Husbandry.
The need for such a degree is many-fold but for a nation such as that of Indias where agriculture plays a valuable part not only in terms of its growth and economics but as a nation whose survival itself is dependant on its agriculture “ educating the people invested in the field is of utmost importance and hence Bsc in Agriculture appears to be a course the nation needs.