Skill training programmes on data analytics and conservation of forest resources begin at SKUAST-K

Srinagar, Nov 17: With an aim to create awareness and impart the latest business and technology skills among the youth, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Govt of India, Friday inaugurated two week-long entrepreneurship and skill development training programs.

A week-long Existing Management Development Programme (E-MDP) on ‘Statistics, Big Data Analytics and Machine Learning in Agriculture and Allied Sciences’ organised by the Division of Agri Economics & Statistics, Faculty of Agriculture commenced at the Government Degree College, Sopore.

Another one-week training programme on ‘Developing an Ex-Situ Conservation Plan for Forest Genetic Resources’ organised by the university’s Division of Forest Biology and Tree Improvement, Faculty of Forestry began at the Benihama campus.

The objective of these MSME-sponsored trainings is to encourage youth for entrepreneurship and create awareness about startup opportunities in emerging Agri-tech and other agriculture and allied fields and impart modern business and technological skills among them.

At the Degree College Sopore, Dr Showkat Maqbool, Coordinator of the data analysis training, gave a detailed overview of the program and stressed upon the participants to develop a keen interest in the subjects of Machine Learning, Artificial Neural Networks, Artificial Intelligence, Data Mining, Deep Learning and Cloud computing to keep pace with the changing times.

He also impressed upon the participants to get familiar with R and Python Software Languages which form the core of Data Science. The training Programme was coordinated by Dr Nazir Ahmad Khan, HOD Statistics and Dr Zahoor Ahmad Shah, HOD Computer Sciences.

At the Benihama campus, Dean, Faculty of Forestry, Prof SA Gangoo, emphasized the need of these training programs to instill an entrepreneurship mindset among the unemployed youth and stressed upon the participants to establish tree nurseries of economically important species for the production of quality planting material and establish germplasm of the same on scientific lines.

Dr Mohamad Maqbool Rather, Training Coordinator and Scientist, Division of Forest Biology and Tree Improvement, presented the comprehensive details of the activities to be carried under the training program. He expressed hope that such awareness programmes will enable the participants to make their ideas sustainable on a commercial basis and ultimately benefit society in general.