KATHUA, Aug 4: The Institution’s Incubation Cell (IIC), in collaboration with the Departments of Zoology and Geography, Government Degree College for Women (GDCW), Kathua, organized an educational field visit to an Apiary Farm, Hiranagar on Tuesday as part of the internship programme for the students of Semester-V.
The programme was conducted under the patronage of the Principal of the college, Dr. Jaipal Singh.
The field visit aimed to provide students with practical exposure to the scientific and commercial aspects of apiculture, enabling them to bridge the gap between classroom learning and field-based experience.
A total of 38 students enrolled in the internship programme participated in the visit.
The programme was conducted by Pankaj Jasrotia, Apiculture Development Assistant, Office of the Chief Agriculture Officer, Kathua. During the interactive session, he acquainted the students with the fundamentals of beekeeping, the ecological and agricultural significance of honey bees in crop pollination, scientific hive management practices, honey extraction techniques, and the immense entrepreneurial and commercial prospects of apiculture.
He also emphasized the growing scope of beekeeping as a sustainable livelihood opportunity capable of generating supplementary income while contributing significantly to biodiversity conservation and agricultural productivity.
The students actively interacted with the expert and observed various apiary operations firsthand, gaining valuable practical insights into modern beekeeping practices and honey processing techniques.
The visit proved to be highly informative and enriched the students’ understanding of apiculture as an important component of sustainable agriculture and rural entrepreneurship.
The internship participants were accompanied by the faculty members Dr. Poonam Sambyal, Prof. Manjot Singh, Dr. Ajay Sanotra, and Dr. Gurpreet Kour, who encouraged the students to make the most of the experiential learning opportunity.
The Principal, Dr. Jaipal Singh, appreciated the efforts of the Institution’s Incubation Cell and the Departments of Zoology and Geography for organizing such a meaningful educational programme.
He emphasized that experiential learning through field visits and internships plays a vital role in enhancing students’ practical knowledge, entrepreneurial skills, and employability, in line with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks to the resource person and the management of the Apiary Farm for their valuable support and cooperation in making the visit a successful learning experience.