Grace marks on the cards to promote students’ interest in farming: Keralam Agriculture Minister T. Siddique

Agriculture Minister T. Siddique inaugurating the paddy harvest at the Nellikkonam Padasekharam in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The Keralam government will take steps to offer grace marks to students engaged in farming, Agriculture Minister T. Siddique has said.Through this, the government aims at encouraging children’s interest in agriculture, Mr. Siddique said while inaugurating the paddy harvest at the Nellikkonam Padasekharam in Thiruvananthapuram district on Monday (September 21, 2026). Cultivation was restarted in the polder after three decades.The Agriculture department was moving ahead with plans to connect the younger generation to farming, he said. He reiterated the government’s plan to start ‘Kathiru’ clubs in 500 schools in the first phase and cover all schools by the next academic year. Short for ‘Kerala Agriculture Technology Heritage and Innovation for Rural Understanding,’ the ‘Kathiru’ clubs are aimed at bringing the younger generation closer to agriculture.As part of this project, the government would also plan ‘Kathiru Sancharam’ and ‘Kathiru Market’ programmes linking the project with the noon-meal scheme, he added. The harvest festival at Nellikkonam marked the revival of agricultural heritage as well as the success of collective effort, Mr. Siddique said. What set the Nellikkonam experience apart was the involvement of children and Kudumbashree workers in the cultivation, he added.Kulathur grama panchayat president P.N. Jinesh presided. Block panchayat president S. Ushakumari and other elected representatives were present. Published - September 21, 2026 07:01 pm IST