About IAS

The Institute was one of the pioneers in starting postgraduate teaching and research in Agriculture in our country. In fact, this institute was the first to have established as an Institute of Agricultural Research offering M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. The undergraduate teaching started in the year 1945 and the Institute of Agricultural Research was renamed as College of Agriculture under the Faculty of Engineering. In 1968, the College of Agriculture became an independent Faculty of Agriculture. Subsequently six departments viz. Plant Physiology, Agronomy, Genetics & Plant Breeding, Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Plant Pathology and Agricultural Economics were created in the year 1969. The departments of Horticulture, Entomology and Agricultural Zoology were added in 1971, while Extension Education, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Farm Engineering were added in the year 1981. Centre of Food Sceince and Technology (CFST) was established in 2008 and became integral and permanent part of the Institute in 2016.

Keeping in view the requirement of human resources and specialized demand of 21st century, during post 2006, Institute started 11 new specialized cources viz Master of Agri Business Management (MABM), M.Sc. (Agro forestry), M.Sc. in Plant Biotechnology, M.Sc. in Soil & Water Conservation, M.Tech in Soil & water Conservation, M.Sc. & Ph.D. in Food Science, Ph.D. in Agril Statistics, Soil & Water Conservation and Post Harvest Mangement and one Diploma Course in Seed Production and Marketing.

The present form of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences was created with the following objectives:

1. To improve the quality of technical manpower with integrated approach for teaching, research and extension, thereby providing a practical basis to all the three aforesaid functions and making research, production oriented, problem solving, comprehensive and interdisciplinary. Due emphasis was given to practical training, particularly at the B.Sc. (Ag.) level;

2. To create easily adoptable technical know-how from well organized, well equipped research laboratories and experiment stations;

3. To develop technically competent and organizationally strong extension service for transmitting the results of researches down to the remote fields and farmers of the region and bringing back the cultivators’ problems to the laboratories for their solution; and

4. To organize with the co-operation of the State Government a dependable supply-line of pure and improved seeds and related inputs.

History

Ever since the creation of the Institute of Agricultural Research in 1931 this Institute has been rendering unique service to the country particularly in the areas of teaching and research. This has been made possible largely because the Institute has had the privilege of possessing one of the better faculty members in the country. If the contribution of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, B.H.U. is weighed in terms of its contribution to Indian Agriculture in relation to its budget, it is far more impressive than many others.Our students imbibed the spirit and commitment of its founder and have made significant contributions, and have achieved positions in the country that any institution may envy of. Quite a number of expert panels and committees from the ICAR, UGC and World Bank have visited the Institute from time to time to assess its achievements and various developmental requirements. Dr. B.P. Pal committee recommended in 1964 that Faculty of Agriculture deserves to be treated at par with other agricultural universities. While no grants were received during the first three Five Years Plans, the development and expansion started during Third and subsequent Five Year Plans after the visits of Pal committee (1964), Naik committee (1968), Gautam Committee (1972) and Pawar Committee (1976).

Established as Institute of Agricultural Research in 1931. Renamed as College of Agriculture in 1945. Faculty in Agriculture in 1968. Institute of Agricultural Sciences in 1980. In the academic session 2016-17, for admission to B. Sc. (Ag.) 33,452 candidates appeared in the national level entrance test conducted by Banaras Hindu University. For admission to M.Sc. (Ag.), 2,257candidates appeared in the entrance test. On an average 204 applicants appear against one seat in B.Sc. (Ag.) entrance exam and for M.Sc this figure is 42, which shows the tough competition in the admission. As many as 203 B.Sc.(Ag.) students were admitted in July, 2016, 30 in B.V.Sc. coupled with 215 M.Sc.(Ag.) and 77 Ph.D. students, spread over 11 disciplines. Apart from this, 132 students were admitted to six Special P.G. Courses and 30 in one Diploma Course. A total of 674 students (including total present strength of 1507) are getting one or the other Research fellowships/Scholarships, etc. sanctioned by the different national agencies. Of the 482 students who successfully completed their studies and awarded degrees have been 183 B.Sc.(Ag.), 253 M.Sc.(Ag.) passed out 11 Departments & one centre, including six Special Courses and 46 Ph.D., in 11 subjects. Degrees and Medals were awarded at the Convocation of Banaras Hindu University held on Janaury 16, 2017. Where in the aluminus of this university Bharat Ratna Dr CNR Rao participated as the Chief Guest and delivered convocation address. The degree distribution function of the Institute was held on Janaury16, 2017 and Dr. A.K.Srivstava, Director ICAR-NDRI Karnal graced the function as Chief Guest and blessed the graduands.

Currently in Institute, faculty of Agriculture has 132 teaching staff members placed in different 11 Departments & one centre including 69 Professors, 08 Associate Professors, 50 Assistant Professors,1 Emeritus Professor and 4 Re-employed Professors, and 199 non-teaching staff members of various categories, serving in the Directorate & various Departments and Units. Under newly established, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 01 Professor, 02 Associate professors, 06 Assistant Professors and 5 non teaching staffs are on roll.

Through our academic activities, i.e., agricultural education, research and outreach programme, the Institute is contributing to the nation in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and doubling farmers’s income. There are currently 10 multi-disciplinary ICAR All-India CoordinatedResearch Projects (30.41crores), 2 ICAR Network Projects, 47 newly sanctioned Ad-hoc research projects (total outlay :Rs. 3.27crores) and 40 on goingAd-hoc research projects (total outlay : Rs. 20.91crores), sanctioned by various national agencies and industries, and one Mega Seed Project (involving Crop Seed, Horticulture, and Mushroom Production : 1.5 crores), the output of which have been reflected in terms of the production of 46 Ph.D. theses, 253 M.Sc.(Ag.) theses, 238 refereed research papers, 81 books/book chapters. Twenty five new equipments have been added.

A number of teachers have been honoured in this session with distinctions in agricultural education, research and technology assessment/ transformation by the various national/international agencies and scientific societies.The rich faculty of this Institute presented 21 research papers in International Conferences and 123 in National Conferences/Seminar/Symposia and Workshops. Our research collaboration continues with Centres like ICAR-CPRI, ICAR-IIVR, ICAR-NIAP, AgrTech Science Ltd, Indian Institute of Packaging, DSM Netherland, NBPGR, DWR, IRRI, NRRI, IIRR - Hyderabad, USAID-AIP, IGNOU,ICRISAT, CIMMYT, Mexico, IFPRI, Universities of Cornell, Illinois, Georgia, Denmark, and various DBT & ICAR Research Institutes. Research, Development and Extension activities accomplished by the 11 Departments and three Units of the Institute, i.e., Dairy Farm, Agricultural Farm and KVK have been excellent and highly commendable. Five students were finally selected for the Agricultural Research Service through ICAR competitive exam. In addition, spread over 11 companies and NGOs who organized campus interviews through Institute’s Placement Cell, 52 new graduates/ post-graduates were selected for one or the other job, 07 students as Assistant Professor/Scientists and 35 students got success in ICAR JRF examination and other prestigious Business Schools.