Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday released scholarship and fellowship funds for agriculture students from across the country through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) at ICAR-IARI, Pusa. Under this initiative, a total amount of Rs 21.35 crore was released directly through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to more than 6,000 students. With the introduction of this new initiative, agriculture students will now receive their scholarship amounts every month through DBT without facing unnecessary difficulties or delays. The initiative is aimed at making the process of scholarship disbursement more streamlined and ensuring that students receive financial assistance in a timely and hassle-free manner.
On the occasion, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that a scholarship is not merely financial assistance, but also a means of making agricultural education stronger, more practical and better connected with opportunities. He said that with the DBT system now in place, students would receive assistance on time and the problem of traditional delays would be eliminated. Addressing the students, Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasised that practical training is extremely important in agricultural education, because classroom-based learning alone cannot produce good farmers, scientists or agricultural entrepreneurs. He stressed that students need opportunities to gain practical experience and understand the realities of agriculture beyond the classroom. He also appealed to students to share their suggestions and ideas for improvement so that the education and training system can be continuously strengthened. He said that the purpose of agricultural education should be not only to impart knowledge but also to equip young people with the practical skills, confidence and understanding required to contribute effectively to the agriculture sector.
