Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) vice-chancellor K Ramasamy today said that it was not only knowledge, but skills too that need to be developed through education.

Speaking on ‘Sustainable Development in Agriculture’ at an international conference on Open and Distance Learning (ODL), Ramasamy insisted on the importance of module-based learning, which is practised in developed countries, with students provided with a well-equipped course.

TNAU scientists should use conferences to interact with international scientists who come here for deliberations and motivate them to collaborate with TNAU for future academic, research and extension works, he said.

Inaugurating the conference, Chennai-based Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU) vice-chancellor Dr M Bhaskaran said that the last 60 years of education has only managed to reach 20 per cent of the farming community. With shrinking natural resources, the available agricultural technologies should be appropriately transferred to the farming community, he said.

Director of Noida-based Vigyan Prasar, which comes under the Central Department of Science and Technology Dr R Gopichandran, said that communicating science to non scientists was the biggest challenge being faced in India, and that there was the need to build scientific temper among the common man.

More than 200 delegates from across the country and 10 foreign delegates are participating in the two-day conference.