Prospects in agricultural economics
Pervin Malhotra
Q.Can you please tell me something about courses in Agricultural Economics? What are the prospects for a career in this field?
— Ritesh Ahuja
A.The overriding goal of our country’s agricultural policy is to achieve food security. And to achieve this goal, we need not only agricultural scientists but also agricultural economists who can apply the principles of economics to ensure greater productivity in agriculture. As technology and economic forces drive growth in this sector, the demand for agricultural economists also increases.
The programme teaches you how to deal with the constantly changing economy and make decisions concerning risk and uncertainty of agricultural production, reliance on natural resources, key aspects of institutions that govern food and agriculture, and the competitive structures within agribusiness. Besides land appraisal, crop grading, agricultural trade & finance, wholesale and retail marketing and sales of agricultural produce/products, an agricultural economist is involved with farm management, co-operative management, natural resource managing farm utilities, setting priority for research, investment analysis and planning, assessment of returns on investment and, in short, all those activities that ensure that agricultural productivity grows at planned rate of growth.
Job prospects in this field are promising. There are openings in cooperatives, banking and insurance sector, private firms in the agricultural sector, foreign embassies, NGOs and other donor agencies, Ministry of Agriculture, Indian Economic Service as also in the field of research and academics.
Although you can specialise in Agricultural Economics while doing your MA Economics, separate MSc Courses in Agricultural Economics are also offered at over 35 universities in India, most of which are agriculture universities. I’m listing some of those in the North.
Here are some you could check out:
Alahabad Agricultural Institute, Allahabad (UP) www.aaidu.org
Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh (UP) www.amu.nic.in
AKS University, Satna (MP) www.aksuniversity.ac.in
Bundelkhand University, Jhansi (UP) www.bujhansi.org
Chandrashekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur (UP) www.csauk.ac.in
CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University, Palampur (HP) www.hillagric.ac.in
Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Agra www.dbrau.ac.in/
Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Solan (HP) www.yspuniversity.ac.in
GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar (U’khand) www.gbpuat.ac.in
Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, Delhi www.iari.res.in
Narendra Dev University of Agriculture & Technology,
Faizabad (UP) www.nduat.in
Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture & Sciences,
Allahabad (UP) www.shiats.edu.in
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
University of Agriculture & Tech, Meerut (UP) www.svbpmeerut.ac.in
Stammering is not a handicap
Q.I am a fresh science graduate. Although I scored 88 per cent marks, my problem is that I stammer which causes me great deal of embarrassment. Please guide me, which career I should choose, keeping in mind my handicap. I’m afraid I’ll lose out at the interview stage itself when applying for jobs. — Farhan
A. Don’t worry, stammering is not a permanent disability. It’s largely curable with some medical help and determination on your part.
Any job that predominantly involves research, or deskwork, should be fine to begin with. Once you gain in confidence, you can slowly graduate to activities that involve more interactions with people. Just proceed one step at a time — and you’ll be amazed at the progress you make. You’re a bright young man with all your faculties intact. Make the most of life and the opportunities it throws up. Don’t let a minor problem like stammering deter you from doing anything you fancy. Also remember this cardinal truth: People take their cues from you; if you are not embarrassed or self-conscious, no one can possibly make you feel uncomfortable.
Try composing your speech in your mind before you speak. You’ll find it helps immensely. “Practice” is the operative word here.
Remember the story of Demosthenes? The determined Athenian youth not only overcame his awful speech impediment but also went on to become one of the greatest orators and statesmen of all time! His modus operandi (not that I recommend it to you): Simply running up and down the beach while reciting complex texts over and over again with pebbles stuffed in his mouth.
Coming back to the present, do consult a good speech therapist to get the right professional tips and advice.
Signing up for a short course in dramatics may sound counter-intuitive but will do wonders. It may sound daunting at the outset, but will dramatically bolster your confidence.
Try it. You have nothing to lose but your hesitation.
Where can I pursue applied maths course in the USA?
Q.Could you please suggest some of the best universities/colleges in the USA for pursuing applied mathematics course? — Tavleen Bedi
A.Among the top universities in the USA for pursuing graduate (our PG) programmes in Applied Mathematics are:
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
Brown University, Providence, RI
Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Stony Brook University,
Stony Brook, NY
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Bryant University, Smithfield, RI
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus, Atlanta, GA
Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, NY
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
These courses typically combine classes in general mathematics with special mathematical models and formulae that are used in fields of engineering, science, medicine and business.
These courses prepare you for more specialised work in a variety of fields. You’ll learn how to solve specific problems using mathematical formulas and algorithms, which will, in turn, make you valuable to employers. Armed with advanced critical and analytical thinking skills graduates in Applied Math are generally well-paid when they enter the workforce.
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