HOD's DESK
Hearty Welcome to the Department of Social Sciences of Horticultural College and Research Institute for Women, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India. The main objectives of this department are teaching, research and extension activities in horticulture discipline. Our goal is to encourage the students to develop strong critical thinking, analytical reasoning, problem solving and communication skills and creative talents that will foster their development as knowledgeable, engaged and confident citizens and leaders. This department also addresses the critical challenges faced by the farming society in this region.
The era of globalisation and digitalisation calls for a pragmatic approach in education and as a result, the women technocrats of horticultural sector ought to be educated, trained and developed with a fabric of innovativeness and comprehensiveness with competitive edge to face modern challenges. Keeping this objective in mind, the Department of Social Sciences offers courses which are tailor made to the current needs and future trends in the subject of agricultural economics, agricultural and rural management and agricultural extension with the supporting courses in mathematics, statistics and languages. The lecture schedules are often revamped based on the emerging trends and demands. Exposure visits and outdoor classes are arranged, wherever the situation warrants such ones. The faculties of the department of social sciences are encouraged to employ innovative educational technology methods to improve the instructional effectiveness of the teaching. An integrated approach of employing various methods such as deductive learning method, inductive inquiry method, interactive group discussion, iterative recap, instantaneous response awakening queries, introspective analysis and topic led brain-storming are undertaken to improve the quality of teaching. Use of need based audio-visual aids and students-centered approach are followed.
The Department has a computer centre with 15 computers and language lab softwares are installed in all these computers. The students who are preparing for TOEFL, IELTS and GRE are utilizing these facilities. The placement cell of this department organizes personality development workshops, soft skills enhancement workshop, idea generation workshops and passport camps every year. Further, the placement cell has pertinent books on Soft skills and personality development and various competitive magazines and periodicals to enhance the skill sets and competitive edge of the students in competitive examinations.
Besides catering to the contemporary and futuristic needs of the students, the department also undertakes research to solve region specific socio-economic problems arising in horticultural sector. The department also develop inter-institutional linkages with the state department of agriculture, horticulture, agricultural marketing and institutions like Lead Bank and NABARD so as to cater to the needs of farming community. The department is intensively engaged in “Village Adoption” for Doubling the Farmers Income (DFI). The Department of Social Sciences makes consistent and persistent efforts to gain academic excellence, research accomplishments and enabling extension outreach programs in consonance with the mission and vision of the Institute.
Dr. S. Senthilnathan, Ph.D.,
Professor and Head
Department of Social Sciences
Horticultural College and Research Institute for Women,
Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India
E mail: sstry@tnau.ac.in