Students, MLAs urge ICAR to include agri school students in B.Sc. Agriculture admissions

Students who studied Agriculture, Biology, and Chemistry in higher secondary classes, largely from northern States, have complained to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the University Grants Commission (UGC) that over 27 universities – both Central and State – are denying them admission to the B.Sc. Agriculture course.

Supporting the students, several MLAs and parents have written to the authorities, pointing out that some universities have made it mandatory that only those who studied Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics or Physics, Chemistry, and Biology are eligible for admission to B.Sc. Agriculture. Addressing the complaints, ICAR Director-General Mangi Lal Jat convened a virtual meeting with Vice-Chancellors, following which some universities decided to review the norms.

The ICAR, in association with the National Testing Agency, facilitates admissions to about 60 agricultural universities and institutions through the Common University Entrance Test (CUET). ICAR holds about a 20% quota in institutions that admit students based on CUET results. The petitioners told ICAR Director-General Dr. Jat and UGC Chairman Vineet Joshi that the admission guidelines, in place since last academic year, had been implemented despite concerns raised by agriculture students, parents, and public representatives.

Rajasthan MLAs Ravindra Singh Bhati and Manish Yadav, in separate letters to Dr. Jat, said students keen on studying agriculture were being denied admission despite clearing CUET. They urged the authorities to intervene, warning that about 10,000 students from Rajasthan alone would be affected by the admission criteria adopted by some universities.

Speaking to The Hindu, Dr. Jat said many State agricultural universities were already admitting agriculture students, and seven more institutions had informed him on Saturday that they would enrol students with agriculture at school level in their B.Sc. Agriculture courses, based on entrance examination results.

“We [the ICAR] are just a facilitator. The universities are under the State governments, and education is a State subject. However, it is not a good thing that students who studied agriculture in schools are not able to enrol in B.Sc. agriculture courses. The Deputy Director-General (Education) of ICAR wrote to all universities earlier this week about the issue. I also convened a virtual meeting with more than 300 Vice-Chancellors and directors of ICAR institutions on the matter. They have made some suggestions. Some of the universities said they have to consult their respective boards of management before taking a decision. As indicated, seven have already positively responded, which is a significant development. I am doing my best in the larger interest of agriculture and agriculture students,” Dr. Jat said.