Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched a new scholarship disbursement system for agriculture students, under which more than 6,000 students across the country received Rs 21.35 crore directly through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) using the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism.
The initiative, launched at ICAR-IARI, Pusa, is aimed at making scholarship payments faster, more transparent and hassle-free for students pursuing agricultural education. Under the new system, agriculture students will receive their scholarships every month directly into their bank accounts, helping them avoid delays associated with conventional disbursement mechanisms.
Addressing agriculture students at the programme, Chouhan said scholarships should not be viewed merely as financial assistance but as an important instrument for strengthening agricultural education and creating greater opportunities for the country’s youth. Timely financial support, he said, would allow students to concentrate more effectively on their studies and professional development.
The Minister particularly stressed the need to make agricultural education more practical and closely connected with field realities. He said classroom learning alone cannot produce capable farmers, scientists or agricultural entrepreneurs and underlined the importance of hands-on training in developing real competence among agriculture students.
Chouhan also encouraged students to think beyond conventional employment opportunities and take up innovation, startups and research in agriculture. He urged young agricultural professionals to set larger goals and contribute meaningfully to the development of the country.
Emphasising the future requirements of the agriculture sector, the Minister said agricultural education needs to be integrated with technology, practical training and industry orientation. Such an approach, he said, would better prepare students to address emerging challenges in agriculture while creating opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation.
The Minister credited the contribution of ICAR scientists and farmers for strengthening India’s food grain reserves, saying scientific research combined with farmers’ hard work has played an important role in enhancing the country’s food security. He said the Government is focusing on food security, nutrition and farmers’ income security under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The programme also highlighted the importance of environmental responsibility among agriculture students. On the occasion of Hariyali Amavasya, Chouhan appealed to students of ICAR institutions across the country to participate in plantation drives, describing green initiatives as a collective responsibility towards agriculture and the environment.
The event was attended by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Bhagirath Choudhary, ICAR Director General M.L. Jat, ICAR Secretary Gyanendra Tripathi, DDG Yashpal Singh Malik and IARI Director C. Srinivasa Rao.
Senior ICAR and IARI officials, scientists and a large number of students attended the programme physically, while thousands of agriculture students joined virtually.
The announcement does not specifically refer to cooperatives. However, the focus on practical agricultural education, farmer-oriented innovation, entrepreneurship and improved farm incomes could have wider relevance for the cooperative sector, particularly as agriculture students increasingly enter farmer organisations, agri-startups and rural enterprises.
