Bhubaneswar: The Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology aims to focus on ensuring proper delivery of knowledge, skill and experience to produce graduates who would be able to innovate in future.

"For enhancing the quality of education, universities have to focus on 4Ts - tradition, technology, talent and trading," said Narendra Singh Rathore, deputy director (general education) ICAR, New Delhi, on the inaugural ceremony of eighth educational council meeting at the varsity.

During the two-day meeting that began today, deliberations on teaching mechanism, evaluation, extra-curricular activities, inter and intra-institutional exchange programmes, creation of an educational and technological centre, alumni and career counselling programme, digital academics, extra and co-curricular activities would be made to help strengthen the education system.

Presiding over the inaugural programme, vice-chancellor Surendranath Pasupalak emphasised on the reform process with regard to programmes and approaches initiated at the university.

"Redesigning the education system for producing agricultural graduates as future innovative leaders for professional institutions, industry and society is the focus of the university. We have initiated a series of steps in developing e-management, e-learning, students-friendly sports complex, student exchange programme in collaboration with international organisations and developing smart classrooms to create a proper learning environment at the varsity," he said.

P.S. Pandey, ADG, (education planning and home science), ICAR, said that in the recent past, 28 schemes had been started in the country for refurbishing the agricultural education system.

At the inaugural function, a book titled Food Retail Management written by S. Mohapatra, professor and head, department of agribusiness management, OUAT, was released.

The deans, directors, faculties and students of all the colleges under the varsity took part in the programme.

The varsity will also promote and support production of nutrition-rich crops in seven districts to check the malnutrition problem in the state. These seven districts are Boudh, Kandhamal, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Nuapada and Jajpur. The varsity has partnered with voluntary organisations that will monitor the improvement in health indicators after one year.