Publish 29^th December, 2023

By Publisher Raisoni

The effects of ICAR accreditation

ICAR began accrediting agricultural universities and colleges in 2001. However, before 2016 it was optional based on the request submitted by BSc or MSc agriculture colleges in the form of a self-study report (SSR) and external peer-review report (PRT).

In order to make accreditation mandatory for the agricultural universities that have received funding from the education division of ICAR, NAEAB, on the recommendations of the cabinet committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), issued new guidelines in the year 2017 for granting accreditation to institutions offering BSc/MSc agriculture courses and allied sciences in the country, particularly a large number of private colleges offering agriculture education.

To ensure the quality of education at agricultural institutions, the council made another decision to make accreditation essential for colleges accepting students through a national-level exam conducted by ICAR. As a result of this decision, a considerable number of applications for accreditation from ICAR were made by both government-supported and private universities. The agriculture institution seeking ICAR accreditation has to submit Action Taken Reports(ATR) to ICAR based on NAEAB observations/suggestions, self-evaluation and a third-party assessment by Peer Review Team (PRT).

Some of the improvements made by management in various facets of universities/colleges are listed below

• Filling academic positions: In order to maintain the required faculty numbers in colleges, several universities finished the recruiting procedure for faculty and other supporting staff
• University officer appointment: Since the ICAR Model Act for agricultural universities in India has given high priority to the scoring/grading system for universities, officers, particularly Deans and Directors, are being hired on a regular basis.
• To address the administrative concern the board of studies of all ICAR-approved agriculture colleges have been institutionalised. Also, meetings of the Academic Council, Board of Management, and Finance Committee have been conducted to bring transparency to administrative affairs.
• Promotion of teachers and other personnel is done on a regular basis in all departments of the agricultural university
• Mandatory UGC norms have been implemented due to the importance given to them in the whole accreditation process
• All agriculture universities have put the recommendations of the Deans/BSMA committee into practice and have standardised the nation's agricultural education system in terms of terminology, credit load, and evaluation methodology.
• Pedagogical resources such as labs, classrooms, student study, research and instructional farms among other things have significantly improved because these factors received due attention during the accreditation process.
• Universities have improved or developed student facilities such as hostels, libraries, guest houses, playgrounds, hospitals, Wi-Fi services etc.
• To meet the system of accreditation that is based on results students’ placement and training cell were strengthened.
• Universities are working diligently to get funding from external sources for R&D projects and innovation. Moreover, memorandum of understanding (MoUs) and work plans have been inked with foreign organisations and institutions for the purpose of fostering collaboration in India's agricultural research and education.

ICAR-approved Agriculture College in Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh is home to several universities/colleges that offer BSc/MSc agriculture courses along with other professional and management courses. G.H. Raisoni University, Saikheda is one ICAR-accredited university in Madhya Pradesh from where you can pursue a BSc/MSc agriculture course.

Situated at equidistance (approx 60 km) from Nagpur as well as Chhindwara on the border of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, this autonomous, coeducational university offers a variety of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programmes with a focus on agriculture, as well as research facilities. During the tenure of the courses, students are exposed to all principal disciplines within each program and have the freedom to choose a concentration of courses in a field of study that interests them. Besides this, the institute incorporates the most up-to-date teaching methodology, research and field trip to make learning more engaging and interesting.

Benefits of studying in ICAR-accredited agricultural college

• There is uniformity in academic rules in all ICAR-approved colleges The terminology used for degrees, the course content, the method of evaluation, the admissions process, etc., are all in conformity with a worldwide standard.
• Students graduating from such universities have worldwide acceptability for admission as well as for employment.
• ICAR-approved BSc or MSc Agriculture College are well-equipped with student amenities such as a dormitory, library, canteen, Wi-Fi facility, experimental farms, commuting facilities, hospitals and many more.
• The fee structure at ICAR-accredited colleges is kept within the maximum and minimum prescribed limits. Besides this, there are a sizeable number of scholarships and fellowships available for selected students who are admitted to UG and PG programmes through ICAR.
• In agricultural education, gender equity has always been a major problem. Colleges with ICAR accreditation are well-equipped to meet the needs of female students. Separate lavatories for girl students, play spaces developed exclusively for girls and dormitories with separate eating areas are a few amenities to mention.

In addition to this, ICAR-accredited colleges receive substantial financial support amounting to 40% of the college's entire budget from the NAEAB. This contributes to the maintenance of high educational standards by providing the required resources and facilities.