Koraput: Students should focus on leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship to address emerging challenges in agriculture and contribute to regional development, Subrat Kumar Pradhan, Director, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Government of India, said during an interaction at the Central University of Odisha (CUO) here.
Pradhan urged students to make “lead, innovate and create” their guiding principle in a rapidly changing world and encouraged them to identify specific problems faced by farmers in the Koraput region and develop technology-based solutions.
He said agriculture has evolved beyond conventional farming and is now closely linked with food, nutrition, healthcare, water, energy, environment, economy, technology and employment. Emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, data science, precision farming and biotechnology, he noted, are opening up new opportunities for innovation and enterprise.
Pradhan called upon students to integrate modern scientific knowledge with traditional agricultural practices and work towards improving farmers’ incomes across the undivided Koraput-Balangir-Kalahandi (KBK) region. He also encouraged them to explore value addition, product development, branding and marketing of locally available crops and indigenous agricultural resources.
Instead of only pursuing jobs, students should strive to build enterprises that create employment, he said, stressing the need to test innovative ideas in the field, assess their effectiveness and explore their wider application for the benefit of farmers and communities.
CUO Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Ajit Kumar Shasany emphasised the importance of strong academic foundations, multidisciplinary learning and practical skills. He encouraged students to explore opportunities in startups and entrepreneurship and apply their knowledge to address challenges faced by farmers, communities and society.
The interaction, attended by senior university officials, faculty members and students, also featured discussions on innovation, agriculture, entrepreneurship and the role of youth in regional development and social change.
