Relational analysis between agriculture graduating girl’s students and their aspiration towards farming

Introduction

According to a 2023 study, 43.9% of agricultural students in India prefer to work in academics, followed by 35.04% in the public sector, 10.04% in agri-business, 9.84% in the private sector, and 1.18% in farming. In 2018, a study found that 41.86% of girl students aspired for government agricultural jobs, 20.93% for government jobs, and 18.60% for banking sector jobs. Agriculture education today has become highly complex and specialized discipline. The major functions of agricultural universities are to impart diploma, undergraduate education and post graduate education in agriculture and allied fields and thus producing about thousands of diploma holders and graduates every year, these graduates are expected to be well equipped with knowledge and skills of agriculture. Agriculture is the mainstay of the Indian economy. This will continue to be so for a long time in future. In this broader educational spare agricultural education plays an important role in imparting specialized job-related skill to agriculture graduates. As they will be the managers of rural development in 21 st century. The agriculture development depends upon our ability to attract the talented youth to agriculture and the resourcefulness with which we train them. Agriculture education offers many opportunities to plan and choose a carrier to its recipients. However, the faculty students do have some plans to pursue and specific career after getting their degree. They do aspire for remunerative job as a fruit of their hard labours and have their own liking and disliking for various careers avenues open to them after graduation. Every student has some aspirations i.e. the desired conditions they think proper and they are always directing their energy and efforts to attain the desired aim.

According to Bhurke and Patil (2018) [1] Majority (55.41%) of total respondents aspired for government job with higher proportions of girl students (62.79%) compared to boys (52.63%). Awareness of all respondents was limited to career opportunities in 'banking and finance' and 'agriculture input' sectors only. Clear gender-wise difference was seen in terms of their career aspirations, and in their perception of constraints in joining management education.

Objectives 1. To study the profile of the agriculture graduating girl students. 2. To delineate the relationship between profile of respondent and their aspiration towards farming.

Methodology

The present study was conducted in College of Agriculture, Parbhani under Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani. In this study the data were collected from randomly selected 120 under graduating girl students of II nd semester admitted during the academic year 2019-20.

The data was collected with the help of a questionnaire, a paper-based survey. Questionnaire could be given directly to the students in class and collected at the same time, Questionnaire was structured in three parts, the first part was related to profile of the students, second part which is most important section of questionnaire related with aspiration of students towards farming viz. Educational, professional, social, job, self-employment and economical aspirations and third part was related with constraints faced by the respondents while they choose farming as a career.

Father's occupation

Table 1 indicated that farming is the major occupation of most of the respondent's father (i.e. 68.33%) followed by 20.00 percent respondent's father's occupation was Govt.

Job and only 6.67 percent respondent's fathers occupation was business. Only 5.00 percent respondents' father's occupation was private job. As the majority of the students taken admission to agriculture belong to rural background hence their fathers' occupation was farming.

Mother's Occupation

It is observed from Table 1 that nearly 89.17 percent of the respondents' mother's was housewife, while 9.17 percent respondents' mother's occupation was business. Whereas equal percentage of respondents' mother's occupation (0.83%) was private job and Govt. job. In rural areas women are not much educated and also our culture not allowed them to work outside their home therefore their main occupation was housewives.

Father's education

It is clearly indicated from Table1 that more than half of the respondents' fathers (51.67%) were graduated, followed by 20.00 percent respondents' fathers had educated up to high school. Whereas 14.16 percent of respondents' fathers had educated up to primary school and only 5.00 percent respondents' fathers can read and write only. Majority of fathers educated up to graduation level, probable reason behind this may be due to male dominance society more importance is given to male's education.

Mother's Education

It is observed from Table 1 that majority of the respondents' mothers educated up to primary school (47.50%) followed by middle school education (28.33%). While, 7.5 percent were graduated and very meager percentage of respondents' mothers (5.00%) were illiterate and received middle school education. Our orthodox thinking not allowed women to take more education may be the reason behind such findings.

Place of Education

It is seen from Table 1 that more than half of the respondents (56.67%) completed their education from urban areas and 43.33 percent respondents completed their education from rural areas. In rural areas facilities for higher education are generally not available hence people prefer to choose urban areas for educating their girls.

Family Size

The present data from Table 1 indicated that family size of majority (85.83%) of the respondents was medium. There were 13.34 percent respondents having big size family and 0.83 percent had small size family. Now a day peoples are living in nuclear family with less number of members hence majority of respondents had medium size of family.

Family Type

It is noticed from Table 1 that majority (58.33%) of the respondents were from nuclear families whereas 41.67 percent were from joint families. Due to shifting of most of the families to urban areas, nuclear family type observed.

Land holding of parents

It is evident from Table 1 that 29.17 percent of respondents' parents were having semi-medium land holding, followed by 27.50 percent of them having medium land holding, whereas 19.16 percent respondents' parents were having marginal land holding and remaining possessed small land holding (14.17%) and landless (10%). No one having big land holding. The distribution of respondents reveals that most of them belonged to semi-medium land holding category followed by medium land holding category. This may be due to the fragmentation of land holding a vogue separation of families trend. Another reason may be that the Land Ceiling Act also did not permit to hold big land.

Caste

Family occupation

It is observed from Table 1 that majority of the respondents' (47.50%) family occupation was farming, followed by 26.66 percent respondents' family occupation was farming + service. Whereas, 12.50 percent of respondents' family occupation was farming +business. Equal percentage i.e. 6.67 percent respondents' family occupation were farming + labour and farming + subsidiary occupation. The reason behind these findings may be that as respondents' families belonged to rural areas and in rural areas farming is the main source for their livelihood.

Annual income of parents

It is seen from Table 1 that most (72.50%) of the respondents' parents had medium annual income between Rs.27,912/-to 1,12,520/-. Whereas, 23.33 percent of respondents' parents had high annual income i.e. Rs.

1,12,521/-and above. Only 4.17 percent of respondents' parents had low annual income i.e. below Rs. 27,911/-. As, in general, there were semi-medium and medium land holders in the sample and moreover, it is observed that majority of them are engaged in farming for their source of income hence they have medium annual income.

Purpose of seeking admission to agricultural education

Purpose of the respondents for seeking admission to agricultural education is presented in Table 2 that indicated that majority (36.67%) of respondents had purpose to become an ideal farm women, followed by 27.50 percent respondents had purpose to prepare for competitive examination and 19.16 percent respondents had purpose to start agriculture related business. 16.67 percent respondents had purpose to make career in agriculture research. Now a day value of agriculture known to the world hence girl students seeking admission to agriculture for becoming ideal farm women, to start agriculture related business and to prepare for competitive examination etc.

Information about agriculture degree before taking admission

Table 2 indicated that majority (87.50%) of respondents have information about agriculture degree before taking admission to agriculture, only 12.50 percent respondents did not have information about agriculture degree before taking admission to agriculture. Students are very alert to acquire information about each degree before taking admission to various degree courses hence they also have information about agriculture degree before taking admission to agriculture.

Sought admission to agriculture by choice or by force

It is clear from Table 2 that majority of respondents (97.50%) sought admission to agriculture by choice, whereas only 2.50 percent of respondents sought admission to agriculture by force. Students know the future scope of agriculture hence they willingly take admission to agricultural education.

Knowledge of the future scope of agriculture

It is observed from the Table 2 that 98.33 percent respondents know the future scope of agriculture, only 1.67 percent respondents don't know the future scope of agriculture. Because students are aware about their career hence they know the future scope of agriculture.

Ready to work in farm

It is evident from Table 2 that about 92.50 percent of respondents are ready to work in farm as an occupation, while 7.50 percent respondents are not ready to work in farm. Students know that getting job is not easy task and also in farm they can make new research or they can start business likewise lots of scope in agriculture hence they are ready to work in work in agriculture and allied sector as an occupation.

Use agricultural knowledge in farming

It is revealed from Table 2 that 88.33 percent respondents can use their agricultural knowledge in farming, only 11.67 percent respondents could not able to use their agricultural knowledge in farming. For increasing their agricultural production they are able to practice or use agricultural knowledge in farming.

Opinion is invited in agricultural decision making

Table 2 clearly indicated that majority (86.67%) of respondents' opinion was invited in agricultural decision making, whereas opinions of only 13.33 percent respondents were not invited agricultural decision making. As these respondents are students of agriculture degree programme hence their opinion is invited in agricultural decision making.

Ready to accept the farmer as a life partner (husband)

It is observed from table 2 that most of respondents (80.83%) were ready to accept farmer as life partner or husband, only 19.17 percent respondents were not ready to accept farmer as life partner or husband. Educated and highly qualified youth today attracted towards farming hence respondents are ready to accept the farmer as a life partner (husband). Students with high education status get motivated more as compared to low education status. Farming is the father's and mother's main occupation aspired these students more towards farming. In nuclear family because of less number of family members parents can aspired their children towards farming. As the respondents took admission by their own choice hence they are already aspired towards farming.

The respondents are ready to work in farm and also their opinion invited in agriculture decision making hence they aspired towards farming. were graduated and mothers educated up to primary school, parents were having semi-medium land holding and family occupation was farming and respondents' parents had medium annual income.  Most of respondents had purpose to become an ideal farm women, had knowledge about agriculture degree before taking admission to agriculture education, they sought admission to agriculture by choice, know the future scope of agriculture, ready to work in farm as an occupation, use their agricultural knowledge in farming, respondents' opinion was invited in agricultural decision making and they are ready to accept farmer as their life partner or husband.  Majority respondents were aspired to complete under graduation, to become an innovative farmer, to develop own family, to do job in multinational company, to earn Rs. 3,00,001/-and above per year and majority of respondents had high aspiration towards farming.  Variables viz; secured marks in H.S.C. Std. (12 th Std.), marks in CET, father's occupation, mother's occupation, place of education, family size, type of family, and sought admission by choice or by force were positive and significantly related with the overall aspirations level towards farming at 0.05 level of probability.  Annual income, ready to work in agriculture as an occupation and whether opinion invited in agricultural decision making force were positive and significantly related with the overall aspirations level towards farming at 0.01 level of probability.

References

1. Bhurke, Vineel, Rachana P. Agriculture students' career aspiration and awareness of opportunities in emerging rural market: A collaborative framework for enhancing employability, Department of Rural Management, Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research (Weschool), L. N. Road, Matunga (C. Rly.), Mumbai (M.S.) India. International Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2018, 14-2; c2018. p. 327-334. e ISSN-0976-5670, DOI:10.15740/HAS/IJAS/14.2/327-2.
2. Das G, Chowdhury S. Occupational aspirations of agricultural graduates. Internat. J Soc. Sci. 2014;3(4):463-470.
3. Makwana AK. Agricultural education in India: Challenges and prospects. Voice Res. 2013;2(3):90-94. ISSN No 2277-7733.
4. Mishra R, Sharma SK, Thorat GN, Singh G. Level of occupational aspiration and preference for placement of undergraduate students of Agriculture. Indian Res. J Genetics & Biotechnol. 2014;6(4):657-661.
5. Ramarao D, Agrawal R, Rao BVLN, Nanda SK, Joshi GP. Agri-manpower forecasting and educational planning. J Agric. Edu. & Extn. 2014;20(4):397-412.
6. Shireesha, Srikala. Aspirations of post graduate students. Global J Res. Analysis. 2014;3(6):1-3.
7. Tamboli PM, Nene YL. Modernizing higher agricultural education system in India to meet the challenges of 21st Century. Asian Agri-History. 2013;17(3):251-264.
8. Yomgam L, Tekale VS. Aspiration of girl students of college of agriculture, Nagpur. Internat. J Extn. Edu. 2014;10:141-145.