JAMMU, NOVEMBER 18:
Director Agriculture Jammu, Anil Gupta, today inaugurated a five-day internship programme designed to provide school students with practical exposure to agricultural systems, departmental functioning, and modern farming technologies.
The internship is being attended by 24 students—eight each from Government Boys Higher Secondary School (GBHSS) R S Pura, Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) Sai, and Government Boys Higher Secondary School (GHSS) Chakroi—along with ten teachers from the RS Pura Zone.
Senior officers present during the inaugural programme included Joint Director Agriculture (Extension), Sanjay Anand; Deputy Director (Trainings), Karuna Nidhi; Academic Mentor from Bharti Airtel Foundation, Arvi Khan, and various officials from the Agriculture Department.
Director Encourages Youth to Embrace Modern Agriculture
Addressing the gathering, Director Agriculture Jammu, Anil Gupta, encouraged students to explore agriculture as a technology-driven, innovation-rich and future-ready sector.
He highlighted the growing scope for research, entrepreneurship, and scientific innovation within modern agriculture. Gupta appreciated the collaboration between participating schools and the Bharti Airtel Foundation, acknowledging their role in promoting experiential learning.
He emphasized that the involvement of educated youth in the agriculture sector would help accelerate the shift towards modern, scientific farming practices, enhance farmers’ income, and enable India to move from an import-dependent agricultural ecosystem to an export-oriented one.
Agriculture Is a Priority Sector: JDA (Extension)
Speaking on the occasion, Joint Director Agriculture (Extension), Sanjay Anand, underscored the crucial role agriculture plays in India’s economy.
He noted that more than six lakh farmers in the Jammu Division are directly associated with the Agriculture Department, which supports them through every stage—from sowing to ensuring their produce reaches the market.
Anand expressed confidence that the internship would give students a meaningful understanding of:
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Scientific agricultural practices
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Laboratory operations
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Departmental schemes and services
Students Visit Technical Wings and Applied Agriculture Units
Following the inaugural ceremony, an orientation session was held in the Auditorium at Kisan Kendra, Talab Tillo.
The students then visited:
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Agro Cold Storage
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Agriculture Research Engineering (ARE) Workshop
Over the next few days, interns will be exposed to various technical wings of the Agriculture Department, including:
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Mushroom Production Unit
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Plant Health Clinic
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Fertilizers Unit
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Soil Testing Laboratory
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Pesticides Laboratory
They will also tour applied agriculture facilities such as:
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Apiculture Unit
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Seed Testing Laboratory
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Protective Cultivation (Green Houses)
A dedicated field visit to Chakroi Farm has been scheduled to provide hands-on exposure to modern agriculture techniques, demonstrations, and farm management practices.
Programme to Conclude on November 21
The five-day programme will conclude on November 21 with a formal ceremony and distribution of certificates.
The proceedings of the inaugural day were conducted by Information Officer FTC, Guldev Raj, and Subject Matter Specialist, Arun Khajuria, who coordinated the event and guided the participants throughout the session.
