The most outstanding impact of CIFE is the generation of competent and professional human resource present in all sub-sectors of fisheries and aquaculture. They have helped professionalize the sector in general. Till 2006, CIFE has produced 660 post-graduates and 88 doctorates since the Institute became a Deemed University in 1989. The alumni are now spread across the globe driving the aquaculture engine in Bangladesh, Eastern African Coast and the Middle East, while some of them are part of the brilliant research teams in India as well as in developed economies like US and Canada. They particularly cater to the trained human resource needs of the R & D programmes of various research institutes and universities dealing with fisheries and allied disciplines. Now, the CIFE professionals are increasingly finding placements in the private sector, particularly in aquafeed, medicine, hatcheries, consultancy firms, and processing industries.
This Institute was instrumental in bringing about blue revolution in Andhra Pradesh in the 1980s and 1990s. CIFE freshwater and brackish-water demonstration farms at Kakinada and the training programme for fishers and farmers coupled with appropriate technological packages have helped unleash the latent potential in the east coast for aquaculture. The training centre-cum-farm is now reaching out to as far as Bihar from where 1000 farmers would be getting trained in fish and prawn culture this year.
Training has always been its forte since inception. Through its short-term training programmes, the Institute is helping the aquaculturists and entrepreneurs in updating their knowledge and acquainting them with various types of fisheries technologies. Between 1997-98 and 2003-04, CIFE has trained 2668 farmers, fishers and entrepreneurs from across the country in different fisheries technologies and practices, and viable fisheries enterprises. It has had a motivational impact on a good number of people who have taken up fisheries as their primary vocation, thereby increasing their income and improving their socio-economic condition of living.
Through its four decades of educational services, it has attained a unique and leadership position in fisheries education in the country. Now the other fisheries educational institutions and colleges look upon CIFE for academic planning and guidance. In order to strengthen the fisheries course curriculum and to bring uniformity in the syllabus, the Institute has taken a lead in collaborating with all the fisheries colleges of the country and helped the IV Deans' Committee in redesigning and revamping the undergraduate programme to meet the emerging needs and challenges.
This Institute is also a Centre of Advanced Studies in Fisheries. Accordingly, it conducts specialised training programmes in frontier areas for the teachers working in the SAUs and CAU apart from the summer/winter schools and the programme for the faculty of fisheries research and teaching institutes. Capacity development of the academicians and researchers and its application in education have resulted in effective human resource development.
A total of 4117 fisheries extension and developmental personnel mainly deputed from different states of India as well as some neighboring countries have so far been trained under the diploma and certificate programme by CIFE till date. Today, many of these personnel are holding high positions of Directors and Joint Directors in their departments.
This has achieved two objectives. On the one hand, it has strengthened the capacity of Fisheries Department of various states in carrying out its activities, and on the other, helped better transfer of technology and support services leading to higher production and productivity. |
