Adv. V.S. Sunil Kumar, Hon’ble Minster for Agriculture,

Dr. Shashi Tharoor, M.P.,         

Adv. M. Vincent, MLA,

Adv. K. Rajan, MLA,           

Prof. P. Rajendran, Vice Chancellor, Kerala Agricultural University,

Dr. K.M. Abdul Khader, Secretary, Alumni Association, College of Agriculture,

Dr. B.R. Reghunath, Dean, Members of the Faculty,         

Respected Teachers, Dear Students, 

Sahodaree Sahodaranmaare,

Ellaavarkkum Ente Namaskaaram,

I am very happy to be amongst you on this auspicious occasion of the valedictory function of the Diamond Jubilee of the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, which is the first agricultural college in the State.

Established in May, 1955, this College has always been looked upon by society as a source of credible information and guidance on matters related to agriculture.  Initially set up in the palace building belonging to the royal family of erstwhile Travancore-Cochin State, this institution soon developed to claim parity with other leading Agricultural Institutions in India.  Ever since it became a part of the Kerala Agricultural University which was formed in 1972, this College has been widely acknowledged as the nerve centre of agricultural research and education in the State.

This is my first visit to this College, which has 14 departments out of which eight offer research facilities.         I understand that in addition to propagating the innovative practices in agriculture, the college also has pioneered the ‘tri-mester’ (ie. three terms in an academic year) system of teaching with ‘internal evaluation’ in agricultural education.    I am happy that with adequate land and other infrastructure, the college has been able to train the students in farm operations which includes raising important crops of the State as part of the work experience component. The stress given to practical training in Krishi Bhavans and research stations in the final year of the undergraduate course has been known to have equipped students to acquaint themselves with the real issues in agriculture. I am certain that the greatest contribution of this college in the last six decades would be the numerous batches of professionals who are serving the agricultural sector all over the world.

I understand that the excellent training and education imparted by this College has been the reason for the presence and participation of many former students in the Diamond Jubilee celebrations held this year. I have been told that that an 'Alumni Sangamam' is being planned by the former students, as a mark of gratitude to their alma mater. The Alumni have also taken up the task of building a monumental gateway for the college.

In this context, I would request the illustrious alumni of this college to involve more in sharing with the present generation, new and advanced knowledge in the field of agriculture and agricultural research.  I am certain that this institution will benefit from the involvement of alumni in creating new infrastructure like the gateway, but along with that, we also need to open intellectual gateways that would receive knowledge inputs from professionals all over the world. An effective networking of alumni would certainly contribute to enhancing the quality of research in the college. I happily dedicate the Gateway that has been built by the alumni, to the campus with the hope that the Intellectual gateway I spoke of will not be far behind.

For most educational institutions, a milestone like the Diamond Jubilee would be marked more by developmental initiatives than by celebration. It is satisfying to note that the College of Agriculture also had organized several scientific educational, cultural and social activities as part of the jubilee. I sincerely hope that the new post graduate hostel, for which the foundation stone has been laid today, would be constructed in the shortest possible time.  I also appreciate the people who took pains to publish a souvenir in connection with the Diamond Jubilee.

The social relevance of any institution is decided by the impact it makes on society. As we all know, agriculture, which used to be our primary occupation long ago, had lost its sheen in recent years. In Kerala, the general feeling was that agriculture was not a profitable endeavor. However, of late, there has been a renewed interest in organic and other types of farming in Kerala. The academic institutions like this college have a responsibility to keep the people's interest in farming alive through timely inputs on the best agricultural practices.  The knowledge base available in the college could be used to disseminate information supportive to raising people's interest in agriculture and to guide the farmers all over the State, especially in the context of the Haritha Keralam Mission which was inaugurated last week.

I would also urge you to make use of the latest communication and social networking facilities to establish and maintain better contact with people in agriculture. While scholarly researchers like you will have a lot of information to give the farmers, you should also be willing to accept the valuable lessons from their traditional knowledge and practical wisdom.  I am certain that a give and take policy will yield much better results in agriculture.

I understand that a scientific seminar will be conducted after this meeting, with regard to the participation of youth in agriculture. I hope the seminar would inspire more young people to join the 'green army' for the benefit of agriculture. I hope the discussions will also include the different schemes of Central and State Governments for encouraging farming,  horticulture and flori-culture. 

I congratulate the Vice Chancellor, Dr. P. Rajendran, the Dean, Faculty and students for organising the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the College with meaningful programmes.  I sincerely hope that the College of Agriculture will scale new heights in teaching, research and extension in the years to come.

Ellaavarkkum Ente Aashamsakal

Nanni

Jai Hind