A meeting of the agriculture universities’ coordination council chaired by Farmers Welfare and Agriculture Development Minister Gaurishankar Bisen here on Wednesday decided that 10 agriculture polytechnics will be opened in Madhya Pradesh. Bisen directed to collect detailed information within next 10 to 12 days about land, building and other arrangements for college building construction, faculties and courses after studying one polytechnic college each in the neighbouring States Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Bisen asked to seek direction from University Grants Commission regarding establishment of agriculture universities under Rashtriya Uchchattar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA). Both agriculture universities should also seek government’s approval for filling up vacancies under cent percent externally sponsored schemes.
Principal Secretary Rajesh Kumar Rajora said that universities should initiate process to provide scholarships to 50 per cent students on merit basis to students of MSC and PhD. Entire information about provisions prevailing in other universities regarding this should be made available to the department. Both universities should send their separate proposals for developing infrastructure and staff for organic diploma course.
The meeting also decided about re-allotment of staff of Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia Agriculture University, Gwalior to Jabalpur Agriculture University and transfers/deputation from one university to another through mutual consent. Discussions were also held to open agriculture colleges under PPP mode.
It was also decided that both universities should decide at their own level on uniformity of fee. Pilot projects should be chalked out about possibility of other crops than rice and horticulture for Balaghat district.
Both universities were directed to mandatorily deposit in banks the contribution of employees, officers and teachers working in both universities under self-finance pension scheme from before January 1, 2005.
VC of Jawaharlal Nehru Agriculture University, Jabalpur Prof. Vijay Singh Tomar and VC of Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia Agriculture University, Gwalior Prof Anil Kumar Singh attended the meeting.