14-05-2025
Tangy touch: Now, students of govt schools in U.P. to learn skills of making pickles, jam and candy
Changes have been made in the syllabus of Agriculture Science subject for students of classes 6 to 8 studying in government-run upper primary and composite (classes 1 to 8) schools across Uttar Pradesh.
In the agriculture science textbook of class 6, under fruit preservation, topics like making stuffed pickles of amla, red chilies and mixed vegetables have been added. Likewise, for students of class 7, topics like making Bael fruit jam and candy besides 'petha' have been added.
Experts of Prayagraj-based State Institute of Science Education (SISE) have made amendments in the syllabus to give students an early start on vocational topics according to the current needs and provisions of the new National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 under Samagra Shiksha Yojana, said officials of the state basic education department.
Confirming the move, director of State Institute of Science Education-Prayagraj Anil Bhushan Chaturvedi said, 'Workshops of subject experts were organised in four phases from October 21, 2024 to February 21, 2025 by us to review and revise the textbooks of the agricultural science subject for classes 6 to 8. The revised books have been sent to the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) of Uttar Pradesh for approval. The revised books are expected to be introduced from the next academic session (2026-27).'
Also, modern popular means of irrigation like tubewells, solar pumps, windmill as well as information about commercial production of seeds and 'Shri Anna' (Millets) crops like Mandua (ragi) cultivation with information related to NADEP composting— a method of organic waste decomposition developed in India that utilises a brick tank to convert biomass wastes into a high-quality compost fertiliser— under manure fertiliser topic have also been included in class 6 syllabus.
In the class 7 textbook, information regarding walking rotary tiller, rotavator, subsoiler, chisel plow has been added under land refinement topic. Under general crop, information related to natural pest management like Jeevamrit, Neemastra, Brahmastra, Agnastra (all natural inputs used for crop protection and soil health) and natural farming besides beekeeping under horticulture have been included in the syllabus.
In the class 8 textbook, under animal husbandry, information related to different types of grains for animals, livestock management which includes open cattle shed, tail-to-tail system (wherein cattle are arranged in rows with their tails facing each other, and their heads facing a central feeding area), face-to-face system (wherein cattle are arranged in a barn with stalls facing each other allowing them to stand head to head) have been included, even as under agricultural machinery, information about crop harvesting equipment like reaper, tractor driven reaper, combine harvester thresher, paddy thresher, table corner roller, duster, seed drill and under horticulture, essential topics like model of vegetable garden, crop cycle, chrysanthemum and rose cultivation etc. have been added in syllabus.
