ICAR paves way for multiple exits, exam reforms in agriculture courses

NEW DELHI: Multiple entry and exit options for students, linking with the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) to allow for seamless movement between institutions, and internship programmes are among the reforms in undergraduate agriculture courses suggested by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The top body for regulating agriculture education in the country, ICAR’s recommendations seek to align agriculture education with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. In the Sixth Deans’ Committee Report released recently, ICAR has also pitched for integrating machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics with agriculture courses for “preparing students in the era of digital technology”.

Along with instilling traditional knowledge and values, ICAR has also made provisions for choice-based online courses to strengthen knowledge and skill in fields beyond the prescribed BTech or BSc agriculture syllabus. A large variety of elective courses will also be available with institutions permitted to develop courses as per local needs and available expertise.

The ICAR has also proposed overhauling its evaluation system. The report introduces “progressive assessment”, where 20% of the final grade is based on continuous assessment through quizzes, assignments, and group projects.

This aims to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills, moving away from rote learning. Practical exams and hands-on training will form a significant part of the evaluation, emphasising real-world application and skill development.

The ICAR Sixth Deans’ Committee Report, accessed by Careers360, aims to transform agriculture education by focusing on flexibility, inclusivity, skill development, and the integration of technology. This is the first of a three-part series on the recommendations of the committee and the changes in the pipeline for agriculture studies.

ICAR: Dean committees and curriculum

In order to ensure agricultural education stays relevant, the ICAR regularly revises curricula based on suggestions in deans' committee reports. Thus far, five committees have updated programmes to meet national and international academic standards. Universities offering agriculture courses have adopted the fifth deans committee report for implementation since 2016.

In the NEP 2020 regime, ICAR acts as the Professional Standards Setting Body (PSSB) for agricultural education in the country. It is tasked with devising the course structures and credit frameworks to be followed country-wide.

Also read ICAR introduces two new UG courses in natural farming and agriculture business management

To implement the NEP 2020 provisions, ICAR constituted the sixth deans' committee in August 2021. “This initiative aims to standardise uniform academic structures across the country, both in public and private institutions offering undergraduate (UG) programs in agriculture and allied sciences,” Rakesh Chandra Agrawal, deputy director general (agriculture education), ICAR, said in his statement.

The 15-member committee chaired by Tej Partap, former vice-chancellor of Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT), Pantnagar, consulted subject-specific experts, Satender Arya, CEO of Agriculture Skill Council of India (ASCI), and M Jagadesh Kumar, chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC).

committee report came in September 2024. The recommendations are expected to be implemented across India's 76 agricultural universities. Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir (SKUAST-K) has become the first agricultural university to adopt the ICAR-6th Dean Committee Curriculum. It adopted the new curriculum during its academic council meeting on September 30.

BSc Agriculture Syllabus: New curriculum

The committee has restructured the curricula and credit frameworks for 13 UG disciplines in agriculture and allied sciences.

These are listed below:

• Agriculture
• Agricultural Engineering
• Biotechnology
• Dairy Technology
• Fisheries Science
• Food Technology
• Forestry
• Community Science
• Horticulture
• Food Nutrition and Dietetics
• Sericulture
• Natural Farming
• Agribusiness Management

The new structure allows students to opt for major and minor courses along with a choice of electives. Students clearing Class 12 from the science stream will be eligible for admission as per ICAR’s standard norms.

Agriculture Bachelor Degree: Multiple entry and exit

The ICAR has allowed multiple entry and exit in line with the National Higher Education Qualifications Framework (NHEQF) but it hasn’t exactly followed the NEP 2020 prescription.

While NEP 2020 suggests entry and exit in every year of the four-year UG programme, ICAR has allowed exit in the first two years only, and entry in third and fifth semesters only.

Students can exit early with the following certificates:

• After 1 Year |Certificate Course|Students can exit after one year with a UG certificate. The first year will include foundation, introductory and skill enhancement courses.
• After 2 Years |Diploma Course|Students exiting after two years will leave with a UG Diploma. The second year covers basic core courses with some more options for skill enhancement.

The students opting to exit with UG certificate or diploma in agriculture or allied discipline will have to take up a 10-week internship after the first year (second semester) and second year (fourth semester), respectively.

Beyond this point, there’s no exit option. In the third year, students will study advanced core subjects and their practical applications and in the fourth, there will be specialisation through elective courses and advanced skill enhancement through projects and internships.

Those completing the full programme will be awarded a UG degree – BSc or BTech – in the discipline.

Lateral entry

Institutions will allow lateral entry into vacant seats in the third and fifth semesters and frame their own policies on admissions.

“The lateral entry at third semester will be for the candidates having UG-certificate or those who have completed diploma (3 years course after 10th) in recognised institutions. The lateral entry in fifth semester will be for candidates who have completed UG-Diploma,” said the report.

Students with UG-Certificate and UG-Diploma from agricultural universities will be eligible for admission into any agricultural university or institution in the country at appropriate level. “It is recommended to make institutional migration after the 4th semester more convenient,” the report said.

Students who exit with a UG- Certificate or UG- Diploma are permitted to re-enter agriculture courses within three academic years and complete the degree programme. “Students may be permitted to take a break from the study during the period of study but the total duration for completing the programme shall not exceed 7 years,” the report said.

Academic Bank of Credits (ABC)

The deans’ committee recommends 166 to 174 credit hours for four years of UG programmes. Agriculture institutions will join and transfer credits to the Academic Bank of Credits – a repository of academic credits garnered by each student – and recognise credits already earned. ABC is aimed at facilitating movement of students from one institution to another with credit transfer.

ICAR deans’ committee have made it compulsory for students to complete at least 10 credits through online courses offered by platforms such as the education ministry’s SWAYAM and National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL).

Students will get two credits for being part of a study tour of 10-14 days’ duration during the fifth semester of the UG programme. A two-week course, “Deeksharambh”, will serve as an induction and foundation course and carry two credits. It will focus on traditional cultures and values.

Common courses, new-age courses

The committee has recommended the following common courses for programme across the disciplines:

• Farming-based livelihood systems
• Entrepreneurship development and business management
• Agriculture marketing and trade
• Communication skills
• Personality development
• Environmental studies and disaster management
• Agricultural informatics and artificial intelligence

The committee has incorporated new-age courses like artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning into the curricula.

In the seventh semester, students will select five elective courses, carrying a total of 20 credits, to gain advanced knowledge in the frontier areas of agricultural science. The committee has suggested 20 elective courses in the field of agriculture and allied sciences while allowing universities to include more.

Also read Agriculture Courses: ICAR makes internships a must, adds skills training in revamped curriculum

ICAR: Marking schemes, pass and fail

The committee has recommended a uniform system of the evaluation and grading with a Grade point average (GPA) system. The panel has recommended evaluation schemes for different types of courses and the extent of their theory and practical content.

Theory and practical

Theory only

Practical only

The percent of marks in a subject will be divided by 10 to obtain the grade point and a grade point average (GPA) will be computed by dividing the total grade points earned by the total credit hours attempted.

The final CGPA will be named “overall grade point average” (OGPA) and students with more than or equal to 8 OGPA will pass with first division and distinction. Students with an OGPA under five will fail.

(This is the first of a three-part series on the changes in agriculture education proposed by the ICAR.)