Bhubaneswar: Odisha higher education minister Dr.Arun Sahoo Wednesday inaugurated the Agriculture Lab. of Sri Sri University.

He inaugurated the 13 fully equipped laboratories of various departments of Faculty of Agriculture, viz., Agronomy and Agrometerology; Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry; Plant Pathology and Microbiology; Crop Physiology; Food, Nutrition and Dietetics; Genetics and Plant Breeding; Horticulture; Entomology; Environmental Science and Forestry; Animal Sciences; Agricultural Engineering; Agricultural Economics; Extension Education and Communication in Kirti Academic Block of Sri Sri University.

Currently, the Faculty of Agriculture is having four ongoing undergraduate B.Sc. programmes in Agriculture, Horticulture, Agribusiness; Food Nutrition and Dietetics with a plan to initiate Masters and Ph. D. Programmes in select disciplines.

The Faculty of Agriculture has adequate qualified regular faculty members in various disciplines along with support staff. The Faculty also has a plan to build center for skill development, training with major focus on building entrepreneurship amongst youth and rural women.

The minister arrived at Sri Sri College of Ayurvedic Science and Research Hospital and appreciated the facilities available. He also planted a sapling in Nakshatra Vanam. The College is expecting to start the BAMS Programme this year. This was followed by a Gau Pooja and a visit to Gowsala with 40 indigenous varieties of cows.

Prof. Rajita Kulkarni , President, SSU has mentioned the day as very important as the event coincided with the approval of UGC 12B for the University. The University has opened in physical and blended mode and it has leveraged the best from technology in the pandemic times. Prof. Ajay Kumar Singh, Vice Chancellor has promised continued academic excellence and holistic development of students through unique kind of methodology of imparting education.

Prof. B.R. Sharma, Executive Registrar and all the Deans, HoDs and Faculty members, students were present on the occasion.