India is primarily an Agrarian economy with the country ranking second worldwide in farm output. The impact of agriculture and allied sectors like forestry on the Indian economy is evident from the fact that the above sectors contributed to 13.7% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in 2013 absorbing about 50% of the workforce. Though the development and technological growth of the agricultural sector seems to be falling behind when compared to the other sectors, agriculture still is demographically the broadest economic sector and plays a significant role in the overall socio-economic fabric of India.
India exported $39 billion worth of agricultural products in 2013, making it the seventh largest agricultural exporter worldwide and the sixth largest net exporter with Indian agricultural/horticultural and processed foods being exported in more than 100 countries, primarily in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, SAARC countries, the EU and the United States. The Department of Agriculture and Forestry aims at inculcating and promoting the responsible use of renewable natural resources both in India and worldwide with focus on the agricultural and forest sciences, as well as on economics and management.
B.Sc. agriculture program consists of topics such as- Agronomy, Crop disease management Weed management, Meteorology, Land surveying, Soil science, Basics of plant biotechnology, Biochemistry, Farm machinery, Animal and poultry management etc. The main aim of this programme is to use the above mentioned concepts to train students for agriculture improvement and pave way for future developments through research activities.
Present age belongs to Agriculture science and there are several areas where Agricultural science is directly or indirectly involved. Starting from its use in medicines, Agricultural science has a pivotal role to play in many other fields as well. There is a need to make Agricultural science education socially relevant by making it capable of responding to continuously growing and changing needs of the society.
Over the past years, Agriculture has recorded considerable growth in physical expansion viz. student participation, teaching campus, diversification of job oriented education in highly specialized disciplines, infrastructural development, staff strength etc. The growth and diversification with the need based specialization is the major mandate of this college and it seeks to “To impart relevant education in different disciplines of Agriculture Science”.
The department of Agriculture and Forestry offers Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Forestry under a separate college “ROORKEE COLLEGE” affiliated to Sri Dev Suman Uttarakhand University, Badshahithol, Tehri Garhwal), a State Govt. University, recognized under University Act 1960. The course pattern of the students is kept in accordance with ICAR. It helps students in authentic learning of the discipline.
The Department of Agriculture and Forestry provides a four year regular Undergraduate degree programme with an atmosphere suitable not only for healthy academic activities but also for the all-round growth and development of a student’s personality. The college has followed the system of education that provides a great deal of openness, transparency, flexibility and possibility for growth through the involvement of students at each step of the knowledge building process.
Lots of Government as well as Private job opportunities are present in front of Graduates. Talking about Government jobs, State Agriculture Departments recruits Graduates to fill up Officer level posts. Government Banks also recruits Graduates to fill up Officer level posts (generally dealing with Loans).
Talking about Private Sector jobs, graduates may find jobs as Managers at Plantations, as Officers at Fertilizer Manufacturing firms, Agriculture Machinery Industries, Agricultural Products Marketing firms, Food processing units etc. Average starting salary is generally between 2-4.7 Lakh Rupees per year.
Some well known job posts available in front of Graduates are.
A lot of career opportunities is available in this field. The career opportunities are available in public as well as in private sector. The public sector jobs includes work in zoological parks, wildlife ranges, corporate having their own plantations for timbering, wildlife research institutes, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) and its affiliated institutes, wildlife department, forest department, national parks & sanctuaries, forest nurseries. Those holding bachelor’s degree in forestry can apply for the Central government through the Indian Forest Service (IFS) examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission.
The job profiles in forestry are as follows:
Some working areas where you can find jobs after pursuing courses in the field of Forestry are:
| S. NO. | Program | Duration | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01. | B.Sc (Agriculture/Forestry) | 4 Years | Semester |
| 02. | BCA | 3 Years | Semester |
| 03. | BBA | 3 Years | Semester |
| 04. | B.Com (Hon's) | 3 Years | Semester |
| 05. | BHA | 4 Years | Semester |
| 06. | BHM | 3 Years | Semester |
| 07. | BA (Tourism Management) | 3 Years | Semester |
| 08. | B.Sc(Animation Multimedia | 3 Years | Semester |
Agriculture education is to create human resources who can apply their acquired knowledge and skills to diversify and industrialize agriculture for Socio-economic transformation of the rural societ.