Aligarh: The Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, in collaboration with the Syngenta Foundation India, inaugurated the IRise Youth Skilling Programme in Agriculture. The programme was formally launched by the former Vice Chancellor of AMU, Prof. Mohammad Gulrez.
Designed to empower rural youth through skill development in modern agriculture, 50 students with a 10th standard qualification and rural background have been selected under the programme. These trainees will undergo one month of classroom training at AMU and two months of field training at the Syngenta Centre. The programme is sponsored by Syngenta India, Pune, which is also providing lodging and meals during the classroom phase.
The inaugural session, attended by over 150 participants, began with the Course Director, Prof. Mujeebur Rahman Khan, welcoming the Chief Guest, Prof. Mohammad Gulrez, and special guests including Dr. Shravan Kumar, Joint Director Agriculture, Aligarh; Mr. Satish Malik, Deputy Director, Plant Protection, Aligarh; Mr. Dhirendra Singh, District Agriculture Officer, Aligarh; Mr. Deepak Kumar, Divisional Marketing Manager, Syngenta; and Mr. Bhagwan Singh, Regional Manager, Syngenta. Mr. Sushil Kumar, Managing Director, Syngenta India, joined the event online.
Prof. Gulrez, in his address, praised the initiative as a commendable model of academia-industry collaboration and emphasised agriculture’s role as the backbone of civilization. He congratulated the Department of Plant Protection, Course Director Prof. Khan, and Course Coordinator Dr. Ziaul Haque for organising such a meaningful initiative and expressed hope that similar programmes would be replicated by other departments.
Prof. R.U. Khan, Dean, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, lauded the initiative and emphasised the need for sustainable farming. Dr. Shravan Kumar spoke on the importance of integrated pest and disease management, while Mr. Dhirendra Singh cautioned against the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides. Mr. Deepak Kumar highlighted the value of combining knowledge with technology for agricultural progress.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Mujeebur Rahman Khan explained the structure of the training and encouraged trainees to embrace the opportunity to learn and adopt advanced agricultural practices.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Prof. Akram Ahmad Khan, Chairman, Department of Agricultural Economics and Business Management. The session was coordinated by Dr. Ziaul Haque.
