The University of Agricultural Sciences Bangalore (UASB) has approved the affiliation of private agriculture colleges for the first time in the state. However, students have expressed concerns about the quality of agricultural education and employment opportunities.
A protest was staged at the Krishi Santhe held at the GKVK on July 27. The students presented a letter from the UASB Registrar’s office on July 8, which stated that the university would have some control over the academic policies, standards of education, or programs of such affiliated colleges.
The State government is yet to take a call on the move, but the student body argues that granting affiliation to private colleges will compromise the quality of agricultural education and take away employment opportunities. The number of graduates has increased in the country and the state after the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a rise in unemployment. Agricultural graduates are already working in the banking sector, LIC, and private companies, earning between ₹15,000 to ₹20,000.
This is not the first time UASB has considered granting affiliations to private colleges. In 2016, UASB wanted to grant affiliations to three private colleges, but a massive protest by students of agriculture, horticulture, and animal husbandry across the State until 2018 stopped the move.
A source in UASB suggests that while students argue that private colleges might not have the necessary campuses, strict evaluation regulations, and employment issues, the government seems to believe that affiliations will help create more agriculture jobs.
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Source: The Hindu
