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Home , Baba Amte, Dhondo Keshav Karve, Prafulla Chandra Ray

Science for Development of Rural Glimpses of applications in agriculture

5th Indian Youth Science Congress ‘Leading mind into ever-widening thought and action’ Sriniketan, 7th December 2013

Partha R Das Gupta Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture

First social reformer of modern India

• Advocated induction of Western learning into Indian education system. • Promoted study of English, science, western (modern) medicine and technology. • He realised that the key to superiority (over India) of the western countries was technology they derived out of advancements in science. Raja 1772 - 1833

2 Harbingers of change • Tagore’s early interest in science and evolved further through frequent interactions with his scientist friend. Partha Ghose • He had passion for science and its use for social development . • He was probably one of the earliest people who foresaw the need for scientific thinking and technology in third world development. • He felt that developer and development had to adapt to the local scenario. • His first experiment started in 1920 with Leonard Elmhurst which inspired further thinking along those lines. • He felt that science had to serve society and not vice versa. Mallika Sarabhai

3 Social reformers who leaned on science Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Maharshi (1827 – 1890) (1858 – 1962)

• Major work in women’s welfare • Son Raghunath Karve (1882 – 1953) pioneered in family planning – First clinic in in 1921.

4 “Father of Indian chemistry”

Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray (1861 – 1944) • Heralded the start of indigenous chemical industry by founding Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceuticals (1892) and other industries. • Donated his savings in promoting chemistry and helping poor students to receive education.

5 Last social reformer of this century

Baba Amte (1914 – 2008) • Gave up a lucrative legal practice. • Put in his money in setting up Anandwan for rehabilitation of leprosy patients into a life of dignity. • School, college and vocational training. • Engagement in agriculture.

6 Application of science in modern Indian agriculture Beginning of education in agricultural sciences

1906

1905 Lyallpur Agriculture College (now Faisalabad)

1868 (1906) 1920 1907

Coimbatore Agriculture College/ TNAU Poona () Agriculture College (MPKV)

8 Early authors of textbook in agricultural sciences

Nitya Gopal Mukerji • Educated in England and Scotland. • Taught agricultural chemistry at Bengal Engineering College. • Taught agriculture at Allahabad Agricultural Institute (now Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology & Sciences), estd. 1910. • Wrote ‘Handbook of Indian Agriculture’: Published by Thacker & Spink, in two 2 volumes, 1915.

9 Post-independence: Science on a high priority

mmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmm “Emergence of mmmmmmmmmmmmm a new caste mmmmmmmmmmmmm system in India” mmmmmmmmmmm – narrow definition of sepecialisation of subjects

Nehru and Bhaba

10 Green Revolution in Indian agriculture Technology fatigue post-late 1990s

• “The fruits of progress (e.g., the services sector) has eluded the rural poor…over 65% of population still depended on agriculture for their livelihood while the sector’s contribution to GDP has come down from 30% in 1990, to ~18%”; • “Unless we do something quickly to alleviate their conditions, we will not be able to see inclusive growth”. N R Narayana Murthy • “Public policy, farmers' enthusiasm and technology transfer are fundamental to strengthening agriculture. The national policy on farming had, three years ago, shifted emphasis from production to raising net farm incomes.”; • “For youth to become interested in agriculture, farming has to be intellectually stimulating and economically rewarding,” M S Swaminathan

* Coverage on Int’l Conf. on Eliminating Hunger & Poverty, , 9 Aug.’10. 12 Mounting challenges faced by small-holder farmers

• Lack of access to productivity enhancing technology – Knowledge – lack of awareness; – Inputs – rising costs, erratic availability; – New techniques/ practices – no practical demonstrations. • Water for irrigation – Inadequate public investment in infrastructure; – Poor capacity of farmers to invest in lifting devices, MIS, etc. • Credit – access lacking; too complex for small farmers. • Market – poor access, hence, low share of value chain. • Natural risks – hardly any security e.g., of insurance. • Average age of people engaged in farming increasing – Young generation getting disinterested.

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Basic needs of farmers – smallholders and others

Services • Genetics and plant • Transport breeding • Storage • Soil fertility solutions • Agricultural extension • Information • Crop protection • Better organization • Logistics • Irrigation • Financial services • Contracts • Mechanization • Connectivity Access to Technology markets

Millions of small farmers are reached commercially as they buy farm inputs as well as consumer goods and durables, but they remain starved of services

14 Solutions: The ‘Tool Box’

Knowledge Tools

Delivery and on-the-ground Technology – products of relevance support centered on e.g., high performing crop varieties productivity enhancement & seed systems; agronomic and improvement of techniques; machinery & IMPACT market access. implements

Opportunity

Reform in policy, & thought leadership; finance & insurance; market development, & logistics; ICT applns.

15 SFI Projects: Trials in search for answers

Central Projects 1.Madhya Pradesh 2.

KESLA

CHANDRAPUR Eastern Projects JAWHAR ASHTI BANKURA Western Cluster 1. VIKRAMGAD Maharashtra PURULIA 2.Odisha WADA

MOKHADA BOUDH KALAHANDI

MAHABUBNAGAR Hyderabad Pune SFI Admin Office Corporate Office Southern Region Andhra Pradesh

16 Step 1: Farmers’ training

Chandrapur Jawhar

Bankura Kalahandi Step 2: Technology demonstration Step 3: Improving water resources for irrigation

Kalahandi

Chandrapur

Bankura Jawhar 19 Expected outcome

Jawhar Jawhar

Chandrapur

Bankura Kalahandi 20 Importance of access to market Scale & resources do matter

Small producer as retailer in a village haat.

Starting to grow together … Then selling together

21 Agriculture has to be remunerative*

• Knowledge (e.g., training) alone will not ensure adoption of technology by farmers – Inputs needed to reach farmers (credit may be necessary); – New techniques/ products needed to be demonstrated; – Water played a vital role. Adoption of technology will lead to increase in productivity • Increased productivity may not mean increased income – Intelligent marketing of produce is equally important. Educated rural youth should get engaged in farming.

*In order to be sustainable 22 Tailpiece (without any comments) • At 30, Borlaug went to work on wheat breeding in Mexico and helped turn it a net exporter before he was 50. • Swaminathan was 43 when released that now famous postage stamp on ‘wheat revolution. • Francis Crick (& Maurice Wilkins) was 37 and James Watson only 25, when they W published their paper in Nature (1953) on double helix model of DNA. Nine years later they received the Nobel Prize (in physiology or medicine). • Gurdev Khush was 37 when he became head of breeding at IRRI.

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