India sets up an agricultural university in Afghanistan
WAR-TORN Afghanistan took another step in its transition towards becoming a productive country with the inauguration of an agricultural university in Kandahar. Afghan National Agricultural Sciences and Technology University has been set up with Indian assistance. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid was present at the inauguration of the university in a former Taliban stronghold. India is already training 614 Afghan agriculture students at various institutions and it has offered scholarships to them.
India has benefited tremendously from agriculture education, which provided the country with the much-need breakthroughs that took the form of the Green Revolution and brought about self-sufficiency in foodgrains. Like India, Afghanistan is predominantly an agrarian society and 80 per cent of Afghan people are dependent upon agriculture for livelihood. The sector, however, has not been adequately modernised. India can provide the know-how and is also a good example of how the use of modern methods, high-yielding varieties of seeds, drip irrigation and modern processing can change agrarian economies. In Afghanistan, there is much scope for improvement in agricultural practices and the use of technology that would help the farmers get better yields.
India has, for long, been a strategic partner of the present Afghan government. During the last decade, India contributed to infrastructure, especially in building roads and bridges. Recently the two countries have also signed agreements which allow for military aid. Soon Indian helicopters are expected to join Afghan forces. Even as Afghanistan faces impending Presidential elections, India is rightly continuing its engagement with the Karzai regime. Indeed, for India, it is imperative to press on with a variety of programmes that will help Afghan people in a meaningful manner. The agriculture university can perform a significant role in educating Afghan agriculture scientists and thus benefit farmers.
No comments:
Post a Comment