Agricultural universities must improve job outcomes, says junior minister

The Ministry of Agriculture has highlighted a significant employment gap among graduates from the country's agricultural universities, prompting calls for institutional focus on job placement outcomes.

According to the Ministry of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, approximately 2.5 million students have graduated from agricultural universities over the past decade. However, around 800,000 of these graduates—roughly one-third—have failed to secure employment, indicating a substantial mismatch between education and job market demands.

The official underscored the need for agricultural varsities to strengthen their employability metrics and maintain comprehensive employment data. This move aims to bridge the gap between the skills being imparted and the requirements of the job market, ensuring that graduates possess competencies valued by employers in both public and private sectors.

The intervention reflects growing concerns about graduate unemployment in specialized fields, particularly in agriculture where skilled professionals are deemed essential for modernizing farming practices and boosting productivity. Universities are expected to revise their curricula and placement strategies to better align with industry needs and improve overall employment prospects for their students.

Experts suggest that closer collaboration between educational institutions, industry stakeholders, and government agencies could help address the employment deficit and create more meaningful career pathways for agricultural graduates.