Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday, 11 August disbursed ₹21.35 crore in scholarship and fellowship funds to more than 6,000 agriculture students across India through the National Scholarship Portal, using the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism. The move marks a structural shift in how agricultural scholarships are delivered, replacing the earlier paper-heavy process with monthly direct credits to student accounts.

What the Initiative Covers

Under the new framework, agriculture students enrolled at institutions across the country will receive scholarship amounts every month directly into their bank accounts via DBT, eliminating the delays and procedural hurdles that characterised the earlier disbursement process. The ₹21.35 crore released on Tuesday represents the first tranche under this streamlined model, according to an official statement.

What the Minister Said

Addressing students on the occasion, Chouhan said the scholarship scheme was designed to make agricultural education 'stronger, more practical and better connected with opportunities.' He stressed that the DBT integration would ensure timely assistance and end what he described as 'traditional delays' in fund flow.

Chouhan also emphasised the centrality of practical training in agricultural education, arguing that classroom learning alone cannot produce capable farmers, scientists, or agri-entrepreneurs. 'Students need opportunities to gain practical experience and understand the realities of agriculture beyond the classroom,' he said.

Broader Policy Context

The minister linked the initiative to the Modi government's stated priorities of food security, nutrition, and farmers' income security. He credited Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) scientists — whose research, he said, has helped strengthen India's foodgrain reserves — and called on students to move beyond job-seeking toward innovation, startups, and research in the agriculture sector.

This comes amid a broader Centre push to modernise agricultural education and reduce dependence on traditional employment pathways. Chouhan urged students at ICAR institutions to view agriculture as a field of wide-ranging opportunity and to contribute solutions to emerging sector challenges.

Green Initiative Alongside Scholarships

Separately, the minister appealed to agriculture students at ICAR institutions to undertake plantation activities on the occasion of 'Hariyali Amavasya', describing green initiatives as part of a 'collective responsibility towards both agriculture and the environment.' He encouraged active student participation in plantation drives as a complement to their academic and research roles.

With the DBT pipeline now operational, the government is expected to scale monthly scholarship credits to a larger cohort of agricultural students in the coming academic cycle.