Tezpur: After finishing his class, Abhinab Baruah hurries off to the mustard field at the back of his college. Upon reaching, Abhinab carefully approaches the beekeeping boxes and checks if everything is right. After a careful observation, he approaches other boxes and sighs a relief — everything is alright.
This has become a routine for Abhinab and some other students of his college to check the beehives after classes every day. They have to be careful as winged predators and pests often attack these boxes. Particularly pest attacks can destroy the honeycomb, spoiling the yield.
A student of the Tyagbir Hem Baruah (THB) College in Jamugurihat, these students formed a group of volunteers who, aside from maintaining their class timings also take care of the beekeeping boxes to ensure there is no dearth of production.
The THB College, one of the premier educational institutions in Assam's North Bank, has become a trendsetter not only by engaging itself in resource mobilising activities and successfully generating revenue for the institution but also by inculcating an enterprising mindset among the students which could help themselves in later years of their lives.
Most of the students pursuing different courses have been actively participating in different activities like beekeeping, lemon cultivation, banana plantation etc which are sold in the local market.
"We started packing the honey under the brand name of 'THB College' from last year. We collect the honey from the honeycombs and filter and package it in our college. The honey produced under the THB College brand is available in 250 gms packets," Ajit Hazarika, principal of the college, told ETV Bharat.
Hazarika said the college has initiated different enterprising activities to inculcate an enterprising mindset among the students which is very important besides formal education.
"We have a lot of opportunities. Honeykeeping is such an option which can be undertaken without much investment. Most of the families of our students have farming or agricultural lands where they can start beekeeping. We have started the initiative to provide handholding to the students by experts. We organise workshops on scientific methods of beekeeping and how to process and package the honey. These activities not only give the knowhow to the students but also encourage them to take up such activities at home," said Hazarika, adding that some of the alumni of the college have already started beekeeping.
The college sold 54 litres of packaged honey last year and this year they have sold 27 litres so far. "I have been engaged in beekeeping activities in the college for a year. I do it because by engaging myself I can learn the nuances of beekeeping. Through the workshops on packaging and processing of the honey, we came to know about the nitty-gritty of the trade," Abhinab said, adding that he plans to start beekeeping at home soon.
"I started beekeeping last year at home. I have already completed graduation from THB College and during the last two years, I have picked up the basics of beekeeping. Now that I am preparing for higher education, I have taken up beekeeping at home. It's very easy, one just has to keep monitoring the boxes at regular intervals to stop flying predators like the birds from disturbing the bees," said Pallab Saikia, a former student.
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