S. Felix, Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, on Thursday said there was a need to produce more fisheries professionals in India.
He was speaking after inaugurating a workshop on ‘strategies for improving professional fisheries education in India’ organised by College of Fisheries here to mark its golden jubilee celebrations.
Mr. Felix said fisheries professionals should form at least 10% of the total agricultural graduates coming out of universities in the country and at present they are less than 3%. The Vice-Chancellor said by 2022, the country requires over 27,000 fisheries professionals and para-professionals and aquaculture, alone, requires around 19,000 professionals and para-professionals.
Mr. Felix said of the 30 professional fisheries colleges in the country, 11 offer only a four-year undergraduate programme.
The colleges have an intake capacity of 1079, 417 and 181 for undergraduate, postgraduate and Ph.D programmes respectively in the country.
As such, there is a huge gap in demand and supply.
Speaking about higher education system in the fisheries sector, Mr. Felix said many State universities are short-funded and lack adequate infrastructure and academic professionals while teachers are poorly trained.
There is also shortage of faculty in many fisheries education institutions while many follow outdated and rigid curricula and pedagogy.
On the other hand, fisheries professional education system needs better understanding of the industry trends, he said referring to the absence of industry-oriented curriculum in the sector.
Director and Vice-Chancellor, CIFE (Deemed University), Mumbai, Gopala Krishna, MPEDA Deputy Director Vijaykumar Yaragal, College Dean H. Shivananda Murthy and others were present.