In India formal education in agriculture starts at 10+2 level. This consists of theory and practicals. Cereals, industrial crops and horticultural crops are dealt with in detail. Food and nutrition education starts at home for girls and at 10+2 level to boys. There are graduate and diploma programmes in Food science and nutrition under the overall programme of home science. There are 63 full fledged state agricultural universities/deemed universities/central universities offering home science education. At diploma level there are a large number of Food craft and catering institutions. There are premier institutions like Central Food Technological Research Institute Mysore and Defence Research Development Organization, Bangalore and BARC Mumbat doing front line research on food and food safety. FSSAI is mandated with certification for safe food. There is seperate Ministery for Food at Central and State Level taking care the safety of food consumed. Awareness on nutritious food at affordable price is being created. In India 60% of population (1200 million) are producer-consumers and as such food is considered as medicine. India lives in families where mothers food is sanctum sanctorum.
Dr. Kuruppacharil V. Peter