Question : Study of Agriculture in School Curriculum

(a) whether the Government plan to include Agriculture as part of school curriculum;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) the steps taken by the Government for development of policy and pathway to introduce
Agriculture as a subject in course/curriculum and provide options to students to explore a career in
various areas of the farm sector like farming, dairy farming, Organic farming etc.; and

(d) the details of provision included in National Education Policy, 2022 for promoting Agriculture
in Schools in Higher Education?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

(SMT. ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a) to (d) Agriculture has been mentioned in Para 4.27, 5.25, 17.7, 20.3, 23.9 and 4.30 of National
Education Policy (NEP) – 2020.
Para 4.27 of National Education Policy (NEP) 2022 refers to the traditional knowledge of
India that is both sustainable and strives for the welfare of all.
Para 5.6 is refers to hiring of local eminent persons or experts as „master instructors? in
various subjects, such as in traditional local arts, vocational crafts, entrepreneurship, agriculture,
or any other subject where local expertise exists, to benefit students and help preserve and
promote local knowledge and professions.

Para 20.3 of NEP mentioned that „Both capacity and quality of agriculture and allied
disciplines must be improved in order to increase agricultural productivity through better skilled
graduates and technicians, innovative research, and market-based extension linked to technologies
and practices.
National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) under Ministry of Education, has Agriculture
based courses which are offered as Certificate and Diploma courses.
NIOS also provides academic courses at secondary and senior secondary level, vocational
& skill development programmes, open basic education and teacher education programmes
through open and distance learning mode. NIOS has initiated a Senior Secondary course “Krishi:
Production, Processing and Marketing” for NIOS learners, as one of the subject at the Senior
Secondary level. The Senior Secondary agriculture course provides opportunities to learn basic
agricultural skills and knowledge, employability skills, and professional growth and development.
The National Curriculum Framework has a list of 25 areas Identified for the Focus Group
Papers and Knowledge of India is part of Cross-cutting theme. Draft Position papers have been
prepared at National and State level.
Ministry of Education has established Indian Knowledge System (IKS) Division in AICTE
in 2020 with a vision to promote interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research on all aspects of
Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), preserve and disseminate IKS knowledge for further research
and societal applications, which includes agriculture.
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