Kerala Balakrishi Shasthra Congress, Mr Aravind A R, RCE Thiruvananthapuram

KERALA BALAKRISHI SHASTA
CONGRESS (KBKSC)
KERALA CHILDREN’S AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
CONGRESS
Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE), Trivandrum

ABOUT KBKSC
Organized by Regional Centre of
Expertise(RCE) Thiruvananthapuram
to inspire an agrarian movement
amongst the student fraternity of
the region.
This was the need of the hour as
Kerala was fast emerging as a
consumerist economy and children
were unaware and ignorant of the
rich heritage our state had in the
field of agriculture.
Traditional methodologies along
with the modern approaches were
brought from farms to school and
they were encouraged to join hands
with elders in making food for
future.
The program insists on the very
doctrines that were forgotten over
the years to make the world
sustainable for all the living beings.
The focal theme of KBKSC 2017 was
“Organic Kerala: Healthy Kerala.”
Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE), TrivandrumKBKSC

ABOUT KBKSC

ABOUT KBKSC
DURATION
Started in June 2016 month/year
Ended in January 2017
month/year
ANNUAL COST ANNUAL
COST OF THE PROJECT
About 29,075 US Dollars/ per year
TARGET GROUP(S)
Target area(s): Kerala State
Target group(s): Students and the
local communities
Number of people
Targeted : About Thirty Thousand
participants from schools of all
districts in the state.

FUNDING OF KBKSC
The program was funded through
sponsorship from various firms
and well-wishers.
The Government of Kerala also
extended its financial support for
running the program.
Eram Scientific, a Private Limited
Company based in
Thiruvananthapuram has also
given their financial support to
the program.

COLLABORATION OF KBKSC

WHY KBKSC?
Majority of the students especially
from the cities are practically
ignorant about how to cultivate
even the most widely seen crops of
Kerala.
They often view the farmers as
socially untouchable and people not
to mix with. This created several
socio-economic problems in the
state.
Even though there is acute
shortage of labourers, none of the
local people are interested in
taking up farming.
The recent studies show that
nearly 3 million immigrant
workers from other states are
working in Kerala.

WHY KBKSC?
To solve this problem and to create
a feeling of attachment towards
farming, KBKSC was organized in
Thiruvananthapuram.
School students from the entire
state participated in different
competitions involving agriculture.
The results of the past ten years
have shown increased interest
among the students in taking up
agriculture as a profession.
Currently there are 100s of
schools in Kerala cultivating
vegetables in and around their
school campus.

Integrating Environmental ,Social and Economic
Dimensions of sustainable development
Due to the unscientific use of
pesticides, several health problems
have occurred in different parts of
Kerala.
Large scale continuous use of
Endosulfan in cashew plantations in
Kasargode district of Kerala resulted in
death as well as malformation of the
newborns and many other health
related problems.
The concept of organic agriculture is
yet to strike roots among farmers.

In KBKSC, students are trained on
organic agriculture and help them to
start it in their school as well as in the
neighbouring villages.
Thus they act as the organic
ambassadors of the entire state which
the government including the
department of agriculture could not
achieve due to financial as well as man
power shortage.
The trained teachers act as local
mentors of the students.

Students have developed small kitchen gardens in
schools and houses making them self-sufficient in
vegetable consumption.
The recent surveys have shown that the vegetable
production in Kerala has increased and the
dependence on the neighbouring states has come
down considerably.
But for this program, youngsters might not have
given such an interest in agriculture production in
villages as a non-commercial venture.
The program has helped them cut the cost of
buying vegetables from shops.

Empowering through right methodology

The students are given the right kind of education devised by experts to develop an
agrarian culture for sustainable development.
The congress includes research paper presentation, exhibitions, cultural events, and
various other competitions including documentary film presentation.
In the presentation of project work, a team of 5 students under the guidance of a
project guide will present the results of a novel study done in the area of agriculture
by them. This will be a team presentation.

Young student farmers will present the details of home based farming done by them
apart from the agricultural activities of their school.
Various scientific models, farm produce and technology innovations are displayed by
the students for the visitors and the interaction enable to spread the concept of our
event.
Schools can present the farming activities in the school through photographs, charts
and models.
Students are made to create documentaries on the specific topic and a documentary
fest was conducted.

Achievements- Behaviour change in
targeted groups

targeted groups
The program was found to be a success in imparting the students with
knowledge about agriculture.
A noticeable pattern is observed in the metamorphosis of a society that values
only white collared jobs to a society that understands the value of agriculture.
The students and the society were made aware about the various hazards that
the imported food crops and vegetables have, pesticides being the major.

targeted groups
The idea of organic farming was well
received by them.
This method could create a healthy
society untouched by chemical
fertilizers.
The shortage of agriculture labourers
was also solved to a great extends as a
result of this program

targeted groups
One immediate and notable result is the
organic farms the students created
inside the school campus.
Many of them have also leased private
fields to extend the agricultural
practice.
The vegetable cultivation created self-
sufficiency and thus leading to the
reduction in dependence on import of
vegetables.

targeted groups
The students also act a medium of
communication of this good cause.
They communicate with adults to
convey the importance of agriculture.
Students are given chances to bring
out innovations leading to sustainable
development.
Their suggestions are reflected in the
essays, reports and projects they have
submitted.

Innovative approach to ESD
KBKSC works on the principles of Education for Sustainable Development.
Each activity undertaken as a part of the project is an innovative approach to ESD.
The students are assigned to do real-world case studies, critical incidents, project
based learning, stimulus activities etc.
These form essential part of systematic thinking towards achieving the goals of
ESD.
The students are also suggested to device futuristic plans that could go along
with the sustainable goals of ESD.

Innovative approach to ESD
Beyond the classroom activities, the students step into the real world of
agriculture and engage in hands on modes of production. This satisfies the
ultimate goal of ESD.
The students’ entry into this field has removed the stigma associated with taking
agriculture as a profession.
The society has understood the importance of agriculture and was made aware
that white collar works are not the only profession worthy of respect.
The program put a stop to the sale of vegetables drenched in pesticides to a
great extend by making students and adults conscious of the health hazards.

Future Strategy

Future Strategy
From the next year onwards, the Thiruvananthapuram held event is proposed to
be expanded region wise, namely northern, central and southern.
This will help in bringing in better representation of local schools as many
schools are finding it difficult to meet their expenses from bringing in students
from remote villages to the capital city for the competition.
The winners from these three regions will be present the projects at the annual
event in Thiruvananthapuram during January of every year.

Future Strategy
Now, mostly the government schools of state syllabus are targeted. But from
next year onwards it is proposed to include the CBSE and ICSE syllabuses also
into this program.
Similarly, students from Kendriya Vidyalaya, private schools, aided schools and
unaided schools will also be given due representation.
From 2018 onwards, the regional programs will be for two days each and the
final program at Thiruvananthapuram will be period of three days.

Low carbon project
To educate students and teachers on the concept of carbon footprint.
To enable students to collect data pertaining to the carbon emissions and carbon
sequestration in their campus.
To calculate the specific carbon footprint of the campus and classify them as carbon
negative , neutral or positive.
To create individual plans for schools to reduce their carbon foot print based on the
data generated.

KBKSC VIDEO

Kerala Balakrishi Shasthra Congress, Mr Aravind A R, RCE Thiruvananthapuram

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