Objectives of the Practice

• To train students to be relevant to social issues for societal welfare.

• To create knowledgeable and Skilled Nation as represented in NEP – 2020.

• To ignite the creativity and innovation in the young minds of nation.

• To expand research as a boon to society.

• To collaborate with local farmers to redress their farm grievances.

• To inculcate students with social and ethical values.

The Context

As stated in NEP – 2020, “9.1.3. At the societal level, higher education must enable the development of an enlightened, socially conscious, knowledgeable, and skilled nation that can find and implement robust solutions to its own problems. Higher education must form the basis for knowledge creation and innovation thereby contributing to a growing national economy. The purpose of quality higher education is, therefore, more than the creation of greater opportunities for individual employment. It represents the key to more vibrant, socially engaged, cooperative communities and a happier, cohesive, cultured, productive, innovative, progressive, and prosperous nation.”

To implement this, the Chief goal of the Institution in the realms of search and research is that the outcome should be beneficial to the society. Scores of investigations all over the world contributed their mite to redeem the life of the people and to transform their life-style in accordance with the shifting scenario in human society. But, except the scientists engaged in research for Agricultural promotion, many of the scientists have carried out their investigation in their own segment. The country is thickly populated with farmers who account for nearly 60% of the total population. This is why India is respectfully addressed as the `Country of Farmers’. These bread- winners for the entire country are rocked by lack of proper investigation into the problems that affect their vocation. It reduces their quantity of produce thereby indirectly leaving a considerable percentage of the population half-fed. In consideration of the problems faced by the farmers, those involved in prawn-culture are more affected as they are solely at the mercy of nature.

The Practice

To fulfill these cherished Objectives, the college imparts ample training to researchers to be the Messiahs of the society and the angels of goodwill. They are groomed so well that they can render maximum assistance in times of need and emergent necessity to redress the grievance of Prawn-Cultivators. The Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory functioning in the college has taken up nourishment of Prawn culture as its chief investigation in the best interest of the cultivators and the consumers.

Higher education sector is differentiated from other educational areas because of its research-based renovations from time to time. It is a known fact that the living organisms cannot be isolated from their non-living environment because the latter provides materials and energy for the survival of the former. The prawn-cultivators are not aware about the prawn culture ecosystem, hence our students of AAHL involve in Farm-wise screening of samples under active surveillance including Tilapia Lake virus, Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei, Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease and infectious myonecrosis virus. Prawns were exposed to a vast variety of experiments in the Lab to discover the main disease that would affect the entire population of prawns. The hard and consistent investigation undertaken by our researchers resulted in identifying the Whitespot Syndrome as the devastating agent. The perennial investigation continued for months to synthesize suitable medicine to prevent the disease in prawns. Consistent efforts coupled with knowledgeable experiments had resulted in finding out a solution to stop the Whitespot Syndrome in Prawns. The medicine, in the form of a powder, was formulated for the convenience of the farmers. It was a great invention which was very much admired and appreciated in the sectors of scientific investigation and innovation.

The college also was keen in imparting team skills to develop the spirit of team building among researchers for execution of works as one team. They were instructed properly by the research mentors to switch over to alternatives to match the resources for peak performance. Such sort of grooming has helped the students to shine in service-oriented research activities for individual and societal welfare.

Evidence of Success

As students are the nation builders, they need proper training to emerge as healthy social workers. The scientific and technological advancements have shrunk the world into a village. But in the drive to develop man has become too materialistic, self-centered and over ambitious. Hence, this kind of service-oriented research activities are very essential to impart environmental values among students in today’s world.

The samples that were screened under National Surveillance Programme for Aquatic Animal Diseases and the Database on Diseases of Aquatic Animal Prevalent in Selected District of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Pondicherry, etc., are given the below link

Weblink: http://www.aahl.res.in/surveillance-programme-for-aquatic-animal-diseases/

The coordinator, staff and students of AAHL helped the farmers to educate the farmers by interacting with them in villages scattered over Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. The move was not only a blessing showered on the farmers but was also the richest boon gifted to them. The Farmers’ interaction at Mungamur in Andhra Pradesh had been a landmark in the annals of investigation. It was well attended by prominent Project Investigators of India and the United Kingdom. Apart from staging Interactions with shrimp farmers, the college lab had also staged a workshop to help them be aware of the shrimp diseases and their prevention.