NDRI VC: Agriculture universities need a ‘degree-to-company’ approach

Dheer Singh

Agriculture education has been an integral part of Indian history since the ancient period. The ancient universities at Nalanda and Takshashila used to teach agriculture as part of their curricula. Moreover, agricultural education has been imparted through the traditional Gurukul system, in which students learnt about soil types, crop cycles and animal husbandry activities.

Ancient India produced many treatises on agriculture, such as Kashyapiyakrishisukti, Mrigha Pakshi Sastra, etc. However, the first agricultural college was established during the colonial period, at Saidapet, Madras (now Chennai) in 1877, followed by Imperial Agricultural Research Institute, which is now Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), in 1905.

Considering the strategic importance of agriculture education in independent India, Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), a society, was formed in 1929. Since then, ICAR has been coordinating agricultural research and education through the National Agricultural Education System.

National Agricultural Education System

Agricultural education in India is one of the world’s largest educational systems to provide human resources for agricultural development. It is regulated by the National Agricultural Education System, which is a network of institutions and their policies.

The institutes include 76 state agricultural universities (SAU) including veterinary and fishery institutions, four deemed-to-be universities (ICAR-NDRI, IARI, IVRI, CIFE), three central agricultural universities (CAU), and four central universities with agriculture faculties.

The SAUs were established on the land-grant pattern of the USA, on the recommendations of Indo-American teams and the Cumming’s Committee during 1955-1965. Through these universities, students are offered undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees in many basic and applied disciplines of agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and fisheries.

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Additionally, 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) were established to educate farming communities and bring research findings from the laboratories to the farmers’ doorsteps (Lab to Land). The overall goals of the NAES are the development of skilled human resources to attain sustainable agriculture and food security, to implement innovative practices through basic and applied research, to develop novel marketing strategies and to promote entrepreneurship in agriculture and allied fields. It should be noted that around 42% of the population is either directly or indirectly employed in agriculture or allied fields in India, thanks to NAES.

Agriculture Education: Major milestones

Inspired by US’ land-grant concept of integrating education, research, and extension, the first SAU was established at Pantnagar in 1960. The Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB) was established in 1973 for recruiting scientists for ICAR institutions. This paved the way, not only for the development of SAUs nationwide, but also for university-driven research towards the Green Revolution in the 1960s and ’70s. It is well known that the Green Revolution transformed India from a food-deficient to a food-surplus nation.

Once deemed universities like IARI, IVRI, NDRI, and CIFE emerged as centres of excellence, research and trained human resources from these universities, other SAUs and other state bodies played a pivotal role in ushering in the White Revolution, Blue Revolution, Yellow Revolution etc. Over 1980–2000, universities for allied agricultural sciences like horticulture, veterinary sciences, animal husbandry, and forestry were established across states. In addition, the National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM) was established in 1996.

Although the Indian Agriculture system has been successful in attaining several revolutions, the education system needs continuous improvement and strengthening toward world-class quality and standards. Towards this goal, Broad Subject Matter Area (BSMA) committees were introduced by ICAR in 2006 to standardise the curriculum of agriculture and allied sectors across the country. Similarly, to promote meeting of quality benchmarks in teaching, infrastructure and faculty performance, the National Agricultural Education Accreditation Board (NAEAB) was established in 2010. Along similar lines, and to enhance international collaborations, the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP), a World Bank-funded initiative, has been implemented.

Considering the present digital world and demands of the agri-food sector, climate change, technological disruption and rural development goals, e-Krishi Shiksha, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), and virtual laboratories were launched after 2016 to make agricultural education available to remote areas. Recognising the need for integration of scientific, social and technological knowledge to solve the complex problems of the agriculture and allied fields, National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 emphasised multidisciplinary and experiential learning in agricultural education. After 2020, targeting the employability of rural youth and retaining youth in agriculture, entrepreneurship and a start-up incubation culture has been encouraged.

In this scenario, the present education system in agriculture and allied fields, especially dairying, is trying to integrate advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, genomics, drone technology, climate-smart agriculture, and precision farming, so that agriculture can be transformed from a subsistence enterprise to a knowledge-driven and innovation-led enterprise.

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Future of agriculture education

Based on the transformative legacy of the Indian Agriculture Education System, the future of agriculture education in India will be bright in alignment with the NEP 2020 and the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision. Apart from the goal of becoming a global player in agriculture education, the system also needs to target the reduction of India’s Global Hunger Index score. This can be achieved in the following five ways.

1. D (Degree) to C (Company) Concept: Students should be encouraged to start a company after attaining their degrees. Their orientation during any course should be towards setting up a company. This mindset will provide a purpose for their education in a concrete manner. As any company, including one in the agri-food industry, needs multidisciplinary knowledge, students oriented towards the “D to C” concept would learn different essential subjects from multiple sources in an innovative manner.

2. Climate smart education: Considering shrinkage of land and biodiversity because of human activities and climate change, education needs to incorporate innovations and experiences of other Asian and African countries, in addition to the developed countries.

3. Faculty training in multiple disciplines: At present, most of the faculty in Indian agricultural education are experts in specific subjects. Faculty should also be trained in at least two disciplines with an eye to business and societal needs. So far, there is no “preparing for future faculty” (PFF) programmes for masters and PhD students. Such programmes are needed to develop them into good faculty.

4. Global collaborations in education and employability: Global trade can be incorporated into the education system. In addition, dual degree programmes have to be established with other institutes located either within the country or abroad.

5. Special degrees for farmers: There should be separate degree programmes for those farmers who want to access education after 35 years of age and in their local language, irrespective of the national entrance examination. Such programmes will enhance the self-reliance of farmers, allow them to innovate in production and marketing.

Agri Courses: Better employability and societal impact

Agricultural education in India has been a great legacy since ancient days. The agricultural education system has been transformative, as evidenced by the Green, White, Blue and Yellow revolutions and the establishment of many nationwide institutions, implementing reforms in both curriculum and capacity building.

These efforts, with resilience and vision, are expected to continue to provide world-class agriculture education to future students, enabling them to be self-reliant in agribusiness and innovation.

Therefore, for better employability and to create societal impact, future students should not only focus on STEM, but also embrace science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and medicine, along with the skills of business, arts, communication and client centric solutions.

Dheer Singh is director and vice-chancellor, ICAR – National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal . This piece first appeared in the 200th issue of the Careers360 magazine, published in August 2025