Dr. Gandhi N, is the Principal and Head of Research and Development. He has a total of 13 years of experience in research and teaching in academics. He has dedicated six years to research and development in agriculture-allied subjects.

Dr. Gandhi completed a master’s degree from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Anantapur where he was the university topper. He was offered a prestigious fellowship on a merit basis for his doctorial studies. With this aide, he joined Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Anantapur in the Department of Environmental Sciences. 

He is also a member of Advance Materials and Applications, Modern Chemistry (Science Publishing Group-New York), International Journal of Agriculture and Environment (SSGP) and the Journal of Biochemistry Research since 2018. He has published more than 70 research papers in reputed international journals and conferences. 

Green Fields Institute Of Agriculture Research And Training

What is the latest program that you are offering in your institute/dept. which will help students outperform and stand apart from the crowd?

The Green Fields Institute of Agriculture (GFIA) offers BSc (Hon) in Agriculture, BTech in Food Science and Technology and BTech in Dairy Technology. We have collaborated with Singhania University to provide these courses. Apart from these regular academic courses and skill development programs in the fields of Agriculture, Horticulture and Food-technology. The later has been introduced in association with Jawaharlal Nehru Technical Education (JNTE) which has been recognised by the Ministry of Skill Development and youth affairs.

What are the factors that make this program the best for the students to opt?

The technical sessions and skill programmes conducted by GFIA help students to develop a mix of technical skills and knowledge. They cover topics like land use, farming practice, food production, crop and livestock science, use of farm machinery, sustainability and environmental management. Individuals also learn entrepreneurship skills such as RAS fish farming, Integrated farming systems, Bee keeping, Mushroom production etc.

What will you say are the “best practices” in the course you’re offering?

GFIA focus on practical application, and modern techniques used in agriculture. We offer allied subjects which help the students to understand the demand for current agricultural practices. GFIA also aims on promoting agricultural research and development to motivate for and push our students to go for development and invention of new agricultural products.

Check Green Fields Institute Of Agriculture Research And Training Courses & Fees

What are some valuable insights of the program that you are offering at your institute/dept.?

GFIA has its own farmland where we are training students for better crop production. Here, they learn to improve the quality and quantity of agricultural yield and also focus on agricultural marketing. These skills will help our students to suitable placements in the agri-corporate sector in areas like nanotechnology, genetics and plant breeding, and pathology. We also update our students through continuous internal workshops, seminars and hands-on training sessions.

How does the program ensure that students are being prepared for the future?

Agriculture is a vast subject. Professionals in this field can work in a variety of sectors like sales, administration, engineering, research or even manual labour. Our program covers all these aspects and provides a dynamic view of the industry. A career in agriculture may aslo involve planning, manufacturing, marketing and selling agricultural products. These tasks also require a great deal of soft skills that is also covered in our program.

How did you train yourself/faculty to deliver this program to the students?

All of the faculty members including principal Dr. Gandhi, every trimester, go through a faculty development program. This acts as a refresher program but they also get to learn new technologies through audio-video modules and webinars. Along with this, the FDP faculties are encouraged to regularly attend national and international symposiums, conferences and workshops to get updated about trends and movements in their fields and learn to work with new technologies.

How do you tend to build an industry connection with this program?

Our state and central Governments are providing a lot of schemes for skilled students. There are scholarships and financial aid for meritorious and economically weak students. There are even initiatives that help students to start up their own entrepreneurship ventures. Our students are trained for these ventures so that they can adapt and translate the skills and research to an industrial level. To fulfil these we collaborated with ICRISAT, AC and ABC centres, Syngenta, Coramandal, Sowbhagya biotech, FPOs.

What were the challenges that you faced while inculcating this program in your curriculum?

Starting any new initiative involves a lot of effort being put into and issues are bound to crop up. Most of our problems were regarding conducting training sessions, workshops and conferences. It was difficult to find and get experts from different fields to come to our campus. With so many people involved in designing the program, communication problems did arise at a point. However, I am pleased to say that all of that is behind us now.

What are the types of projects that the students are working on through this program?

We have numerous projects currently undergoing that has many students in them. Students who trained under us have gone on to start their own projects under their chosen fields. Some areas of studies where we offer projects are Bio-fertilizer and vermin-compost production units, mushroom farming organic farming and commercialization, fish farming through RAS and nano-fertilizers production units.

What do you find most difficult about being a principal?

First thing I am a teaching professor. Besides my regular classes, I have many duties and responsibilities as the head of the institute. I am a teacher first as I enjoy teaching my students before I identify myself as a principal. I love my job from the core of my heart. It fulfils me and whatever difficulties I do face becomes easy to handle. I have a team of colleagues and staff members who help in my work immensely. Hence, I never felt difficulties in my service.