IIT Bombay and ICRISAT to launch online Agriculture courses

Updated on: Monday, November 23, 2015

iitb The National Virtual Academy for Indian Agriculture will launch an online course on diseases of horticultural crops and their management in collaboration with the International Crops Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, and the Indian Institute of Technology IIT, Bombay.

The two month free online course, which begins on November 30 and concludes on January 29, 2016, is an initiative by a team of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in agriculture and educators from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and its partners together with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.

"Complementing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of a Digital India where - Quality Education reaches the most inaccessible corners driven by Digital Learning, we are excited to see the launch of MOOCs (Part-II) in India, which offers high quality learning opportunities for students across the country," said Dr David Bergvinson, Director General, ICRISAT.

"The course materials have been methodically planned and prepared by highly experienced team of educators and professors in the agricultural field, who have devoted their time and effort to educate the Indian masses on sustainable agriculture practices," said Dr Sumanthkumar, Scientist - ICT for Development, ICRISAT together with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.

The Part-II course will cover distribution, symptoms, causes, disease cycles and management of diseases of important horticultural crops and their economic importance. The course can be used as a supplementary study material at the universities in the current semester where "Diseases of Horticultural Crops and their Management " course is being offered, said an official statement from ICRISAT.

Earlier, the NVAIA had completed its first Massive Open Online Course (MOOCs) in agriculture. The Part- I of the free online course (Diseases of Horticultural Crops and their Management), which was announced on February 2 in Chennai by Professor MS Swaminathan, Father of India's Green Revolution and Emeritus Chair of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) concluded on April 27. The course by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay witnessed over 900 enrolments from learner participants from across the country ranging from participants holding degree from junior high school to doctorate level.

IIT Bombay and ICRISAT to launch online Agriculture courses

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