A Study on the Impact of COVID on Farm Sector Higher Education and Employment

The issue of the COVID-19 and its impact on higher education is an emergent focus of debate across the globe. Higher education sectors all over the world are exceptionally disordered and disrupted radically and students are struggling a lot to navigate this crisis. An Analysis of Higher Education, Placement, Employment and Earning Contours of TNAU Farm graduates during the Pre and Post COVID 19 Regimes was conducted with the following objectives. For the present study, 372 past candidates were contacted. Data was collected by mailed Questionnaire. The issue of the COVID-19 and its impact on higher education is an emergent focus of debate across the globe. Higher education sectors all over the world are exceptionally disordered and disrupted radically and students are struggling a lot to navigate this crisis. Among the respondents 57 per cent were girls and 43 percent were boys. Around 42 per cent of the graduates were from rural background, 31% from urban and remaining from peri-urban areas. Over 61 per cent of the passed out graduates were preparing for competitive examinations, 26 per cent were pursuing higher education and only 13 per cent were employed. The percentage of graduates doing higher education and employed has reduced by nearly 50 percent during the COVID. All the students were employed within India during the pre and post COVID period and the difference between these periods was negligible. However it could be noted that the number of graduates being employed in private sector reduced drastically in the first year of Covid while it increased by 35 percent during the second year after CoVID. The choice of jobs were prioritized in the following preference. They were Salary, passion and job security. However it can be found that the job security aspect has reduced by 20 percent in the Covid situation. About 59 per cent indicated that their jobs were not secured and 36 per cent expressed that they found it difficult to get admission in national and international institutions due to covid pandemic and 17.2 per cent indicated that they were not able to pursue education in National and International institutions even after getting admissions and fellowships. COVID has impacted higher education and job prospect in abroad and far way places.