MOOCs in Agriculture Date:   Friday , February 27, 2015 The opening of the free online course in agriculture, is a step to significantly open opportunities for agricultural professionals in India to have access to low-cost, high-quality agricultural education, enrollment is now open for the first of a series of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in agriculture. The first MOOCs by National Virtual Academy of Indian Agriculture are an initiative of a team of ICT and agriculture experts and educators from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), with its global headquarters in Hyderabad, and partners together with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. The course materials for the first MOOCs on “Diseases of Horticultural Crops and their Management – PATH372.1X” have been methodically planned and prepared by highly experienced team of educators and professors in the field of agriculture who have devoted their time and effort to educate the Indian masses on sustainable agriculture practices. The opening of the enrollment for the first MOOCs in agriculture was announced at the inaugural event of the 10th Convocation of Jamsetji Tata National Virtual Academy and 9th Convention of Grameen Gyan Abhiyan – Rural Knowledge Movement on Role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals of Zero Hunger Challenge, held on 2 February 2015 at MSSRF, Chennai, India. The course starts from 9 February to 6 April 2015. India and Australia to setup Vocation Education College in New Delhi The Indian and Australian governments have recently signed a skills development pact, which will establish a vocational education college in New Delhi. Technical and Further Education (TAFE), which is Australia\'s largest provider of vocational education and training, India\'s National Skill Development Corporation and Heraud Education and Training, an Indo-Australian skill-based venture have signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The Australian government hopes to train half a billion students within decades with the help of the government. Australian High Commissioner Patrick Suckling said, “We are establishing a new vocational education college in India, which will train 80,000 students a year.\" He added, \"The students in India are looking to gain high quality skills and training which our world class vocational education will provide.\" Minister for State Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy and South Australia\'s Employment, Higher Education and Skills Minister Gail Gago MLC were present during the signing of the agreement. Rudy mentioned, \"This opportunity will open more possibilities for an increase in bilateral collaboration between India and Australia. We hope to adopt the transnational standards in training for meeting the requirement of skilled manpower in both countries.\"