The youth today are increasingly developing a negative view of agriculture as a source employment. This has been the biggest drawback of the rapid urbanisation and development. The population shift from villages to towns and cities, due to most young people opting out of the traditional agro-based sources of employment to white collared easy lifestyle is a cause of worry.
This shift has been partly due to lack of information and knowledge about the opportunities in the agricultural industry, as well as the flawed perceptions that most educated young people have about agriculture and farming. The misconception prevails that pursuing agriculture would give them a low social status as well as a low income.
Nothing can be far from the truth. The agriculture industry provides many opportunities which could give them not only a good income but also a good standing in the society if these were pursued properly. There is a need for awareness and adequate inputs by the governments to ensure an increased participation in agricultural activities by young people.
How is the Agriculture Different Today?
Scientific Advances – Gone are the days when farmers had to plough the fields manually and work at the farms was a long arduous hours from dawn to
dusk. A good agriculturist plans well and uses technology to help him/her to attain maximum benefits with fewer efforts. Most people are not aware that it is actually is a very lucrative field.
Machinery - The first tractor revolutionized farming in the late 20th century. Since then, agricultural machinery has seen a radical make over from the early apparatus like chainsaws and trimmers. The modern day computer-controlled machinery and GPS based monitoring systems have virtually reduced the need for human intervention to the minimum.
Agricultural technology – Nanotechnology and genetic engineering have opened a hitherto magical world of hybrid crops and other produce. The animal husbandry techniques being practiced mirror the huge potential in agro farming.
Awareness Levels – The health concerns have witnessed a soaring popularity and demand for organic vegetables and fruits. There have been advancements in use of the right kind of environment friendly, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and growth hormones. Food processing without ionizing radiation and the use of food additives is the call of the day.
Genomics - The genetically modified (GM) vegetation has increased the insect resistance and abundant nutritional advantages in the plants, vegetables and fruits.
Hybrid Variety of Livestock – The influx of technology has witnessed revolution in the methods used in livestock farming and cattle breeding. These now encompass scientific crossbreeding techniques that produce cattle with improved fertility.
Why is it important to involve Youth in the field of Agriculture?
Agriculture is no more a domain of an uneducated farmer. The giant strides made in this field as enumerated above makes it a vocation that can be easily pursued by the intelligent and technology savvy young people. The social status of the farmer therefore is parallel to that of any educated technocrat, provided he starts believing so himself. The youth have the wherewithal to make it a profitable venture by using the right technology and knowledge.
An increased participation by youth in the field of agriculture is necessary to facilitate food and nutrition security since:
- There is an ageing farmer population which must be retired to ensure sustainable agricultural production. The average age of farmers has risen with higher life expectancy. If young farmers do not replace them the production of food grains will be seriously compromised in the near future.
- The food import bill would continue to increase as the agricultural production falls. If such trends continue the availability of food will be dependent on outside help. Therefore, it is necessary for youth to take up farming to increase the level of productivity.
- The image of people involved in agriculture as poor, needs to be changed. Youth are the ideal catalysts for such a change since they are perceived as more willing to adopt new ideas, technology and concepts.
- Agriculture can play a significant role in removing youth unemployment.
- The energy that the youth possess and their significant numbers provides us with tremendous opportunities for an increased agricultural productivity.
- Agriculture can provide productive alternatives for youth and help reduce crime rate and other similar social problems. The availability of income generating options would help to rehabilitate many young persons.
Motivating the youth to view agriculture as a career opportunity requires a multi-level intervention. At first, there should be awareness and counseling 
sessions at the school level. Thereafter, those seeking jobs and looking for a good life need to be lured and sensitized. This can be done by delivering age-appropriate information inside as well as outside the formal school system.
Methods
- Integrate into Curricula – Agriculture is virtually absent from the curriculum, at all the levels of education. This needs to be addressed. The current mode of education is geared towards educating white-collar workers, most of whom are not even aware from where their food grains come!
- Arousing Interest - Agriculture is often incorporated only as an optional component and taught with minimal enthusiasm; its broad-based inclusion with the appropriate resources is the need of the hour to motivate youth to have a favorable view of the employment opportunities in the agricultural sector.
- Tapping into Interests – Creation of ongoing initiatives to support youth in agricultural based enterprises, and existence of opportunities to showcase their success will attract more young people. Today’s youth is savvier with better communication technologies such as the Internet, computers, mobile phones, and global positioning systems. This can be used to their advantage in getting information about their interests in agriculture.
Importance of Youth in agriculture
There are more than one billion people between the ages of 15-24 years. Quite a large number of them are not able to utilize their full potential because of hunger, poverty, poor health, lack of education, etc. Since they lack the skills needed to gain employment, the rural youth starts migrating in search of better economic opportunities.
Modern technology and techniques pave a way that would fulfill all the dreams of those looking for interesting and challenging sources of employment.
If they are given support and the opportunity, youth have the potential to play a significant role in rural development. This would not only make their own life richer and more fulfilling, but also would have a positive impact on the economic health of the nation.
Tags: advancements in agriculture, advancements in farming, agriculture, agriculture as a source employment, agro industry, employment, farming, new employment opportunities, youth and agriculture
When Chhavi Rajawat, a young, female MBA graduate became the sarpanch (village head) of a small village in Rajasthan, it hit the headlines for more reasons than one. Her’s is a tale that actually is a mix of many stories.
This jeans-clad smart female from India had created quite a stir at the 11th Info-Poverty World Conference held at the United Nations. She is a live example of the changing Indian society and signifies the arrival of the women on one of the hitherto male 
bastion, and also signifies slow but emerging acceptance of the women power in every sphere of social activity.
For countless women, Rajawat, who rides a horse named Magic and conducts village meetings dressed in jeans and T-shirt in an Indian state where women cover their face with a veil as part of the tradition, she is a symbol of empowerment of women to which they all aspire.
Quite often there is some confusion when we use terms like “gender equality”, “women’s empowerment” and “female autonomy”. While they may be used differently to suit the context, these are all essentially the order in which women are evolving in modern society today.
The present century is witness to the highly patriarchal past of the human civilization. Women all over the world were oppressed, be it within the premises of their homes or outside. However, with the refinement of life and human race, some simmering of gender equality issues have emerged wherein, more and more women, as well as the governments are focusing on equality of women and their empowerment.
By and large in the third world countries like India, women are more likely to be poor and illiterate as compared to men. Not only that, they are also often a victim of traditional biases that give them little or no rights to property ownership, lack of education , employment, medical care and control over their own destinies. They are also often the victims of acute domestic violence.
For a balanced development, not only sociologically but also mathematically – as they constitute fifty percent of the human race, it is imperative that every section of the society develops equally and in harmony with each other. Be it the rich and influential or the not so rich. Therefore, it is important to harness the capabilities of women irrespective of the strata of society to which they belong.
Empowering Women
The first step therefore, is to initiate a change in the mindset not only of men, but also women themselves. While there are many things that can be done at the institutional or the governmental level like equality in education, medical treatment, job opportunities, etc; more can come in form of change in attitudes of the masses.
For women’s empowerment and equality it is therefore fundamental that women have the right to decide upon their choices without coercion or violence and have the freedom to participate more fully and equally in society.
Importance of Gender Equality
Gender equality ensures same opportunities, rights and obligations for women in every sphere of life. This in turn implies equality in opinion, equal opportunities, financial independence and equal access to facilities like education and business as well as the opportunities to develop their personal ambitions.
Shifting of Roles
The roles that men and women play in a society are overlapping and changing rapidly. Unlike in the medieval times, these roles are not biologically determined these days, but are more interchangeable and are socially determined. Therefore, for a stronger social fabric it is important that a woman’s potential contribution is harnessed to the optimum.
Key issues and Stages of Women’s Empowerment
- Identification of Needs and Concerns –To address any issue regarding women, firstly, the role that they play needs to be determined. This is
governed by factors such as age, urban/rural orientation, social status and educational attainment. While women in general may have many common interests, the choices that they have may widely vary from region to region. Certain groups need more attention in order to address specific concerns.
- Education for the Girl Child – Although education is important for all, it is more so for the girl child. Governments across the world have realized that investing in girls’ education leads to overall reduction of poverty. Educated girls generally marry later and have smaller families. Similarly, educated women are more aware of health care and are better caretakers. Education also helps them to know about their rights and privileges. An educated mother generally has a greater influence in a household which help in securing more resources for herself and her children.
- Giving Women More Autonomy – This can be done by focusing on letting women manage their own lives as far as issues like size of their family, education, employment, etc are concerned. Empowering women by giving them equal say in deciding such issues results in families benefitting, which in turn has ripple effects for the development of future generations. A woman ought not only to have control over her fertility but also the number and spacing of children.
Women’s empowerment deals with the entire gambit of day to day life which includes right to education, health and an equal status in work environment. It should also include the political empowerment that would guarantee women equality in basic human and legal rights, control of resources, land etc, and an equal opportunity in employment and earning. Women’s empowerment benefits the society at large and is the magic key to a family’s as well as a nation’s well being.
Tags: Chhavi Rajawat, educating girl child, female autonomy, gender equality, woman sarpanch, Women empowerment, women issues, women sarpanch, women's cause, womens cuse, Women’s empowerment
Agreed that there is no ideal human being, but there are certain traits that would give you a clue if the man you are dreaming about is really worth it. The same applies vice versa too; however, women seem to think much more on this subject, so here is a list of things that would give you a go ahead signal.
- Does he listen? A good boyfriend is attentive to whatever you talk about. He asks questions about your topic and more importantly, waits for his turn to speak.
- Does he respect your opinion? If he loves you, he ought to find your opinions interesting and would respect them despite his own differing views.
- Does he seem bored with you sometimes? As a lover, he should be intrigued by you and would spontaneously do interesting things for you without having to ask. He should make you feel wanted in all his activities.
- Is he delicate in his touch? The most important factor in a caring person is the he ought to make it look as if you were made of breakable porcelain and should touch you with gentle care.
- Can he please you in bed? Sex is important. Hence if he cannot care for your romantic needs above his own, he is certainly not wasting emotions on.
- Does he give you space? He should not be possessive nor tail you at all times. He must understand your need to be away from him at certain occasions.
- Healthy respect? A good person ought to have a genuine healthy respect, not only for you but also your kith and kin.
- Does he find faults? It’s one matter to try and bring out the best in you by corrective positive criticism within limits. However, some men tend to find fault in everything. Make sure the person you are seeing does not have these hidden traits. Observe his remarks about others; that would give you a clue how he would be after the initial sheen has worn over.
- Compatible values? You should never compromise on your own set of values by accommodating his habits like alcoholism, smoking, etc, under a false premise that you would slowly change him.
- Does he make you feel beautiful? The man who loves you for what you are is the person you ought to love. He ought to find beauty in everything you do or say. Finally, it boils down to HOW DOES HE MAKE YOU FEEL.
Tags: best Boyfriend, Ideal Boyfriend, Ideal girlfriend, test my Boyfriend, test my girlfriend, what to Look For In an Ideal Boyfriend
Sometimes I wonder
How time falls short,
But talks do not.
And yet, sometimes,
There is nothing to say!
Sometimes just a glance
Is adequate to tell many stories
And yet, sometimes,
Volumes of pages do not convey!
Sometimes a moment of happiness
Lasts a lifetime.
Yet, at times,
The entire lifetime ends astray!
A simple word of thanks,
Is often adequate to show gratitude.
Yet, sometimes
Baskets of jewels and roses do not convey.
Sometimes life ends,
But relations continue forever.
And yet, at times
We cannot form relationships
Throughout the lifetime!
(Photos courtesy and copyright : Ms Tikuli Dogra)
Tags: beautiful poetry, Love poetry, poetic thought, relationship, relationships, remembrances, wonderful relationship
Sitting with you,
Face to face.
Holding you close,
as our hearts begin to race
When our eyes meet,
The world disappears.
As we dance to the music,
Only we can hear.
I trace your lips tenderly,
Smoldering with passion.
Moments so beautiful,
Full of expression.
A magical dream,
Only you and I share.
If everything else goes,
I don’t really care.
Tags: dream world, love expression, lovers, magical world, passion, romantic poetry, smoldering
You have been seeing each other for some time and one fine day he/she suddenly proposes marriage to you. What do you do? You’ve got along well enough as friends and generally there is a sort of cozy feeling being together but is that adequate to make you decide to agree to the proposal?
Certainly not!
There are certain warning signs that we normally do not notice at all or tend to ignore during the friendship (or even engagement) period but these should never be ignored as they point to a troubled marriage when the dust settles in the future.
Contrary to numerous plots in countless romantic movies and novels, love itself is just not adequate to make marriages work. In fact, it is one of the most volatile emotions that vanishes sooner than later with a potentially “bad spouse material”.
Therefore, before committing finally to a marriage, do give a little thought to some events that were mundane, but disturbed you a little during the courtship period. Do not ignore these warning signs –
Jealousy
Is your boyfriend/girlfriend jealous of every member of the opposite sex who comes to you? Or makes a dig at you for the same?
While it might look nice at that time and would make you feel like the cynosure of his/her eyes; in the long run, it will take away your personal space to meet anyone without arousing suspicion. The insecurity can only increase with time since a wedding ring itself would not be adequate to make your spouse feel more secure.
A good spouse is not irrational or possessive without some serious reason. Just think – if you were to constantly reassure him/her that the other person in your life is not a threat, it would spiral into you trying to meet the others while you are away from your spouse which may spell a doom in any long-term commitment.
Tries to Change You
If your would be spouse constantly nitpicks about your appearance, behavior, personality, career path, friends or your personal habits, he/she is practically hinting that you are not good enough!
While a good life partner helps in developing a better personality, but a forever tirade upon you about changing some thing or another, is a sure sign that the person will make a bad and a nagging spouse. While sometimes you might feel that it’s been done for your improvement; no amount of love is worth a lifetime commitment to such a person.
Ask yourself how much would you be willing to give up in order to please him/her? What if, one fine day he/she says that he/she was dead against having children while you have always loved children? Would you be able to give up your desire of owning a farmhouse to suit his/her vision for a cottage in the suburbs?
How would you decide when the change she is asking you to make is reasonable or not?
Mismatch in Sexual Drive
Although sex is an important ingredient in a marriage, the finer things about it do not emerge before marriage.
Do you like to discuss sex while he/she hates to talk of it? Are you vocal while making love and he/she considers it crude! Do you need it comparatively more often? Is there a mismatch in the libido?
How you relate to one another physically makes a big impact on how you live together after marriage. There can be medical as well as psychological issues and hence one ought to have a very clear vision of it before walking down the aisle.
Fickle Mindedness
If a person is fickle minded and has a trouble staying committing to any job, friendship or even a flimsy thing like a hairstyle is certainly not the responsible type and hence think twice before you commit yourself to an undying loyalty to him/her.
Such people also show the same characteristics when it comes to choosing friends as they go about life constantly making new friends as they drop the old ones on flimsiest of reasons or sometimes, even no reason!
They are prone to knee jerk reactions, have trouble holding on to any jobs as well as relationships and do not generally think beyond their noses and settling down with them is fraught with a lot of risk. Such people “move on” from one relationship to another (do consider how long you have known him/her) and unless your bond has been for a long period, think again before saying yes.
Doesn’t Approve of Your Friends
A person who disapproves your friends and is not comfortable with your hanging out with them will become a spouse who does not want to have life outside the marriage and would create problems whenever your friends call on you or you go out with them.
The spouse has to respect your choice of friends and ought to accept them or even become a part of your circle naturally, instead of trying to monopolize your life into just his/her own company. If you have noticed your would-be spouse sneer or pass sarcastic remarks on the type of company you keep, its time to re-think because this habit can only become worse after the marriage vows.
Getting married involves meshing up two lives in every sense. Therefore, do give it a serious thought before committing to it. Unlike the friendship or the courtship period marriage involves living together all the time, for years ahead. These warning signs should not be ignored as they help you decide whether the person you have in mind is an ideal marriage material.
Getting into a relationship with an open eye and rational frame of mind would help you notice these warning signs and prevent ruining your marriage by making you avoid committing to a wrong person.
Tags: being possessive, Fickle Minded spouse, Fickle spouse, Getting married, Mismatch in Sexual Libido, nitpicking husband, nitpicking spouse, nitpicking wife, odd behavior, possessive, possessive spouse, possessive wife. Possessive husband, relationships, Say NO to a Marriage, Saying NO to a Marriage, Sexual Libido, Should I agree to a Marriage, Tries to Change, warning signs of bad marriage, warning signs of bad spouse
If you have an account with any of the Google services, sooner or later you will get an “invite” to experiment with their Google+. And there will be a time when you will realize that it is just another social networking platform with nothing very different to offer and might actually lead to you ending up with far too many people having a peep into your Picasa albums and other services since instructions on Google+ are far too many and difficult to understand – at least initially; by which time it may already be too late!
And so, you may want to delete the Google plus account but won’t know how to. You see, the trouble with geeks is that they tend to complicate things.
Here is the sep-by-step process that will guide you through the procedure easily -
1. Sign into your Google+ account if you have not done so already.
2. Look at the extreme right side of your screen. You will see the Google+ bar.
3. Click on your name. 
4. A new drop down window will open, which will look like this.
5. Click on “Account Settings”.
6. Ensure the tab Account Overview as shown below, is selected. Then click on “Delete profile and remove associated social features”.
7. Select the “Delete Google+ content”.
8. Check on the appropriate radio button.
9. Click on “Remove selected services” in the same window, just below the radio buttons.
10. Log out to complete the process.
This procedure will not affect any other Google service.
Job done? Now go back to Facebook and continue complaining about its appalling privacy record! Delete Facebook too, as it is just the same.
Go talk to the guy sitting nearby, it’s easier and far better – and that is how we were programmed to interact socially, till the nerds took over.
Tags: Google plus, Google tutorial, how do I delete my Google+ account, How to delete Google+, How-To
My life was a blank canvas,
Pearl white, dazzling, so pure!
But not the right way to be,
I was so sure.
Like a magical breath,
You entered my life.
And added colors,
That were ever so bright.
You gave a stroke,
of sunny hues.
The Vibrant violets,
and the velvety blues.
Deft strokes of Calming colors,
Lively, vivid and ever so bright.
To me your colors inspire and excite,
And invoke in my life joy and delight.
That random touch of delicate white,
Sparkling tint of happy sun rise.
A drop of red scattered here ‘n’ there,
My heart sings of love life and care.
The emerald sea of soothing greens,
A few Shots of silver.
And tenderness of blue,
My canvas of a love is now so true.
Thinking of your lips,
Like petals of a rose!
I dream of you,
as my eyelids close.
Colors of the canvas,
Now smile at me.
Mystical colors in pure white,
Turning my life to sheer delight.
Entry for the Take Flight With Color Contest by HP and IndiBlogger
Tags: colors of life, for someone you love, for sweetheart, lips like petals, Love poetry, loving poetry, paint my canvas, poetry from the heart, romantic poetry, true colors, you paint my canvas, your lovely lips
If you ask what is it
That makes me happy
And gets me every time,
and speaks to me,
and tells me we may be out of touch
But you are fine.
I would say the only thing I know
That – It is your lovely smile.
It brightens my day
And warms my heart
it’s the only one thing
I wish to bask in all day
Only if I had my way, I would live my life
Looking at your wonderful smile
Tags: heart warming smile, heartwarming smile, ode to a smile, what makes me happy, your lovely smile
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