About the Course
INTRODUCTION
Certificate Course on ‘Beekeeping and Management: A Journey from Learning to Entrepreneurship’
Apiculture is the science of rearing honey bees. It is a mesmerizing form of scientific art primarily aimed at the production of honey. Honey is a highly nutritious food with quite a lot of medicinal importance. Apart from honey, products like bee wax, bee venom, royal jelly, propolis and pollens are also produced by honey bees. These bee products are extensively being use in large- and small-scale industries in India and abroad. Besides hive products, bees play a vital role in pollination of plants during collection of nectar and pollen from flowers. This pollination in turn plays a significant role to crop production, food security and agroeconomics. Insect pollination particularly by honey bees is important for maintaining ecological balance. Visitation by honey bees between distant varieties or cultivars not only promotes hybridization but also helps the sparse populations to survive. These interactions and mutual dependency have resulted into great degree of co-evolution.
Till date seven species of Apis have been described. Among these, four species are found in India. Of which, two are domesticated species, viz. Apis cerana indica (oriental honeybee) and Apis mellifera (occidental or European honeybee) and the remaining two are wild species, viz. Apis dorsata (giant/rock honeybee) and Apis florea (dwarf honeybee). Apis mellifera is an exotic species commercially introduced to India mainly because it is resistance to Thai sacbrood virus (TSBV). Different climatic zones in West Bengal and India promotes a vast and diverge range of flora which are a prerequisite for beekeeping.
Since the ancient times, Indians have a long-standing association with beekeeping and honey. Medicinal uses of honey find mention in our Ayur Vedas. Post independence, Government of India has made several policy decisions to promote the apiary industry. In 1954, All India Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB) was 2 established. During the last two to three decades, harmonized efforts among organizations viz. KVIC (Khadi Village Industries Commission) and State KVIBs, Beekeepers’ Cooperatives and Public Institutions, the beekeeping industry has now gained momentous among villagers, thus leading to entrepreneurship.
In recent years, especially with “The National Education Policy, (NEP)” guidelines 2020, there is a constructive roadmap towards promoting further Skill Enhancement among the pupils. Along with the regular courses, targeted skill enhancement helps in grooming them for entrepreneurship so that they can provide employment to others besides making self-sustaining plans for themselves. Startups are the need of the hour and The Department of Zoology, Asutosh College realizing this, has designed the Certificate Course on ‘Beekeeping and Management: A Journey from Learning to Entrepreneurship’. We hope the participants from various disciplines shall be highly benefitted from this certificate course.
OBJECTIVES
- To introduce our participants to the BEE WORLD: Understanding their biology and behavior
- Learn about the basics of Beekeeping skills
- Study about the diverse economic potentials of Beekeeping management
- Design a sustainable project on Bee Keeping
- Beginners Guide to start and sustain a profitable Beekeeping venture