In a book titled, Last Child in the Woods (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2006), Richard Louv has drawn attention to the links between the absence of nature in the lives of today’s wired generation and some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as obesity, attention disorder and depression. He has termed this phenomenon as “nature deficit disorder”, or the human costs of alienation from nature. By weighing the consequences of the disorder, we can also become aware of how blessed our children can be — biologically, cognitively, and spiritually — through positive physical connection to nature. The best way of saving our children from nature deficit disorder is to adopt learning procedures based on tools that can strengthen their understanding and appreciation of nature.

Both the need and the opportunities for a “learning revolution” have never been so great as they are now. What is needed is the will to act. “For sheer size, the tasks ahead of us are so demanding that no one can afford to sit back and just watch or let frustration become endemic in our country. The situation demands of us work, work and more work, silent and sincere work, solid and steady reconstruction of the whole material and cultural life of our people” — these words are even more relevant today than when Dr Zakir Hussain spoke them while assuming the office of the President of India on May 13, 1967.

With the spread of new technologies and the dramatic transformation of agriculture in certain areas, new dimensions of adult education appear. There are new needs for education among farming communities. There is a great hunger not only for new knowledge related to agriculture, but also for new skills, particularly technical skills. The demand for “techniracy”, a term coined by me in 1971 for defining the pedagogy of learning the latest technical skills through work experience, is likely to be much stronger and deeper and more widespread than that for formal literacy, or even functional literacy.

The new demand and need for “techniracy” lead to the concept of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) to provide an institutional mechanism for imparting techniracy. KVKs now exist in almost all districts of the country. But, they are tending to become routine institutions, with farm women and men remaining passive recipients of information rather than as active participants in technology development and knowledge management.

Unfortunately, over the years, the linkages between KVK and the mother agricultural universities have not been strong enough. KVKs should be sufficiently equipped for promoting learning by doing. Also, as suggested by the National Commission on Farmers, KVKs should be developed into Krishi Aur Udyog Vigyan Kendras, by adding a post-harvest technology wing. What we need urgently is the creation of multiple livelihood opportunities for farm families through higher on-farm productivity on the one hand, and market-linked non-farm enterprises, on the other. At present, there is a mismatch between production and post-harvest technologies, with the result both producers and consumers do not derive full benefit from production.

In addition, there is a need for establishing farm schools in outstanding farmers’ fields. This will help promote farmer-to-farmer learning, which has high credibility because of the trust imposed by farmers on the economics of the enterprise of fellow farmers.

It is important that in rural areas, education is closely related to the day-to-day realities. At the time of the Eighth Plan, we proposed that new educational tools be developed for the purpose of fostering interest in harmony with nature and with each other. The three tools proposed were: Charter for nature, a socio-demographic charter and genome clubs.

As per the charter for nature, school children would be enabled by a competent and nature-loving teacher to prepare a charter for their village, which would make them aware of the need for conserving and improving soil health, rainwater harvesting, conserving bioresources and converting waste into wealth.

The purpose of the socio-demographic charter was to make students aware of the population supporting capacity of the ecosystem. Such a method of creating awareness of the need for population stabilisation as well as avoiding health problems like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria can be effective in breeding a new generation of citizens equipped to contribute to finding effective solutions to serious environmental and health problems.

Genome clubs were started in Chennai for creating awareness among school children on the implications of genomics, with particular reference to the human genome. When students understand that all human beings, irrespective of colour, religion, race and caste, share similar genomic endowment, they will understand the irrationality of prejudices and thereby help to promote greater harmony.

These are a few examples of how education can be made to relate to real life needs and help students to become agents of change. This is the best way of overcoming the spread of the “nature deficit disorder” in our country.