ICAR-CIWA organized two months RAWE Internship training programme

The RAWE Internship training programme was organized at ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture for 4th year B.Sc. Agriculture students from Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan, Bhubaneswar during 5th September to 5th November, 2022. The training comprised of several theory and practical sessions with an aim to update the students with latest technologies in agriculture and allied fields. The students got an opportunity to interact with the scientific and technical staffs of the institute who familiarized them the recent advances in fields of Crop Science, Horticulture Science, Animal Sciences viz., Dairy, Goatery and Fisheries sections, Farm Mechanization, Drudgery Reduction and Process Engineering. The students were sensitized with basic concepts of gender in agriculture, gender roles, issues and importance of mainstreaming women farmers in agriculture. In addition, they were acquainted with several Govt. schemes & policies in agriculture & allied sectors, application of Information and Communications Technology in agriculture, promotion of Farmer Producer Organizations for orienting the farming community towards commercial agriculture. Hands on training was provided on nursery raising of vegetables, hybrid seed production, canopy management of fruit crops, mushroom bed preparation, cashew nut processing and value added product preparation from fish. During the field visit, they got an exposure to the livestock, poultry & fishery units, SAS model, fodder unit, horticulture-cropping models, medicinal plant unit, protected structures, RKVY workshop, Institute’s laboratories and other infrastructures. Additionally, the students also got an opportunity to visit nearby ICAR Institutes like CIFA, CTCRI and CHES where they gained information on latest technologies, farming practices and agriculture related information which strengthened their perspective towards addressing the farmers and farm women issues. Overall, the training consisted of several interactive sessions, class room teaching, field visits, brainstorming sessions, presentations and report compilations, which enabled the students to enhance their existing knowledge and experience in agriculture and provided them the confidence to serve the farming community in a better way. The training was successfully coordinated by Dr. A. K. Panda, Principal Scientist & PME In-charge along with Dr. Tania Seth (Scientist, Vegetable Science) as Convener and Mrs. Ankita Sahu (Scientist, Fruit Science), as Co-convener of the training programme.