Integrating Nutrition with Curricula of Agriculture
It is fact that in many Universities in India the curricula has already included the themes on Nutrition.
But it is not covered as intensively as is expected to be.
The broad coverage of the same(Coverage on Nutrition) in "Indian Economic problems" could not fulfil the requisite needs of future research in Agriculture Extension.
Only the utilitarian purpose information on minor millets, local available small millets and seasonal fruits are covered up. There is hardly any documentation of fruits, tuber, roots, leaves, flowers which have been in the food habits of specific group of people in specific region.
As an example use of mango kernel in the food habits in a large tracts of DANDAKARANYA by the tribal community. It is a beautiful example of mitigation of food shortage without any nutrition deficiency. All the new practices of food habits (dictated by market forces)introduced through the much talked about Public Distribution System (PDS) in India have truncated the existing food habits-some of which were really nutritious.
the extensive and large scale use of Jackfruit in Central high land (Odisha, Chhattishgarh, MP)and Chotnagpur area has been one of the finest practice of good nutrition habits of the local population.
The thousands of practices of food habits are yet to be documented and put in the curriculum of Agriculture university.
Again the moot question is NUTRITION is taught in HOME SCIENCE or Nutrition Institute and there is hardly any synergy or convergence between the two branch of knowledge.
Each department and it's research works in silos and they have hardly any interdisciplinary or trans-disciplinary approach towards knowledge creation.
ICRISAT has also done pioneering research in different food items and it's nutrition contribution but its dissemination of knowledge has been very limited and there is the big issue of lab to land transmission loss.
Pradip Kumar Nath
Pradip Kumar Nath