Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

TNAU to offer seven certificate courses, three diploma courses

Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI: Tamil Nadu Agricultural University will offer seven certificate courses and three diploma courses under `open distance learning' pattern from the coming academic year on a pilot basis, said C. Ramasamy, Vice-Chancellor.

Talking to presspersons here on Tuesday, he said six-month certificate courses, for which the minimum eligibility is just an appearance in standard VI examinations, would enable the learners to gain insight into profitable dimension of agriculture such as nature farming, horticulture, mushroom culture and watershed development activities.

Likewise, diploma courses of one-year duration in biotechnology, medicinal plants and input management will be open for farmers and fertilizer dealers. The response to M.Sc. courses on environmental science and MBA agricultural business management, being offered since last year under the pattern, was encouraging. Based on the success, the pattern will be replicated in all other farm universities and deemed to be universities.

The university has forwarded a proposal to the State Government to implement a model plan the State Planning Commission had formulated in association with the BSNL for providing broadband facility to 405 villages in Coimbatore district for carrying out tele-education, tele-health and tele-agricultural business management activities.

Bt cotton

Asserting that Bt cotton was ideal for Tamil Nadu, Prof. Ramasamy, quoting a research finding by a team of experts, said the failure of the crop in Andhra Pradesh, that led farmers to commit suicide, was due to large-scale cultivation in rain-fed areas, faulty application of fertilizers and the practice of obtaining loans from money lenders at high rate of interest.

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