BENGALURU: As the examinations examinations for the positions of Agriculture Officer (AO) and Assistant Agriculture Officer (AAO) stands indefinitely postponed owing to a controversy surrounding the inclusion of Bachelor of Engineering (BE) and Bachelor of Technology (BTech) graduates as eligible candidates, city-based educationists are of the opinion that the policy is not only redundant, but also detrimental to the sanctity of the eligibility process, and the student community at large.
The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) should ideally have completed the conduction of examinations for the positions of Agriculture Officer (AO) and Assistant Agriculture Officer (AAO), over the past weekend (August 8 and 9).
Following widespread protests from the students from the Gandhi Krishi Vigyana Kendra (GKVK) campus (main campus) of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), which culminated in a meeting with the protesters and Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, the latter announced on August 6, a couple of days before the first round of the examinations, that they stood temporarily cancelled. Till date, neither KEA nor the Higher Education Department has confirmed revised dates, or if the revised examinations would prohibit BE and BTech students from participating.
“This is a complete mismatch. The pushback shows the gravity of unemployment and frustration amongst qualified youth. Unless a candidate has a qualifying degree in the subject (agriculture), they can’t do justice to their job in the sector,” said Prof. Niranjanaradhya VP, chief convenor at the People's Alliance for Fundamental Right to Education (PAFRE).
Activist and academician Prof. Sabiha Bhoomigowda, former vice-chancellor at the Karnataka State Akkamahadevi Women’s University in Vijayapura, said, “A graduate from an engineering background may help in improving agricultural instruments, but is not fit for a post like AO or AAO. Without the basic knowledge of agriculture, including the traditional ways of agriculture (which an agriculture graduate studies as a specialisation), no one can meaningfully contribute to the job.”
Both the experts concur in the view that this dilution of specialisation not only undercuts the need for focused epistemology, but also creates competition where it is redundant, especially considering the lack of employment on a national level. “This decision made by KEA will harm agriculture degree holders and snatch their job opportunities. What remains to be the meaning of studying different disciplines?” asked Prof. Bhoomigowda.
For Prof. Niranjanaradhya, the decision to include BE and BTech students was business as usual under capitalism. “The salient feature of capitalism is to keep an army of unemployed youth to create unhealthy competition to get cheap labour. Naturally, there is competition since there is a dearth of employment,” he said.