The Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) would hold its 37th Convocation here on Friday which Governor Dr SC Jamir, DARE Secretary and Director General (ICAR) Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister Pradeep Maharathy would attend as guests, said OUAT Vice-Chancellor Prof Surendranath Pasupalak at a Press meet here on Thursday.
Pasupalak said in the convocation 752 undergraduates, 452 postgraduates including 144 gold medalists, 14 doctorate students and two honourary Doctors of Science would be felicitated by the Governor. He mentioned that the OUAT has been adjudged as the best Agricultural University in East and North-East India and has occupied the 11th position among the Agricultural Universities of the country based on the ICAR ranking 2017.
Briefing about the new initiatives of the university, he said the university has reoriented its activities to provide leading-edge education, research, extension and outreach in agriculture and allied sciences.
He also said extension programmes like the Krishi Vigyan Kendras are taking up several farmer-centric extension approaches such as doubling farmers’ income through promotion of technological modules customised to location and clientele.
Pasupalak said, “We have planned for provision of smart classroom facilities, strengthening of laboratories and libraries, development of instructional farm facilities with provision of field class rooms.” For the coming year, efforts are being made to create new departments in emerging sciences, he added.
He said that in the extension programme each Krishi Vigyan Kendra of OUAT would adopt five villages representing major farming situations of the district for overall development of the villages by integrating various programmes in convergence mode.