Lok Sabha Question No. 1605 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-20
Subject: Enhancing Agricultural Studies
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Abdul Khaleque

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1605 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20/09/2020

## ENHANCING AGRICULTURAL STUDIES

## 1605. SHRI ABDUL KHALEQUE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE d`f"k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps taken to enhance agricultural studies in India;
- (b) the number of Central Government institutes imparting Bachelors degrees and Masters degrees in agriculture studies in India; and
- (c) whether  the  Government  will  consider  establishing  a  Central  Agriculture University in Assam, particularly in lower Assam, if so, the details of the same?

## A N S W E R

## THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

d`f"k vkSj fdlku dY;k.k ea=h

(SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) To  popularize  and  enhance  higher  agricultural  education,  the  Plan  scheme ' Strengthening and Development of Higher Agricultural Education in India '  is  in operation.

The  Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR)  provides  limited  need based funding for enhancing and strengthening student and faculty amenities, student hostels, modernization of laboratories, smart and virtual classrooms and state of the art equipment for Central instrumentation laboratory. ICAR  also supports curriculum  development  and  Post  Graduate  research  in  basic  and  frontier  science subjects.

Towards entrepreneurship development amongst students, 'Student READY' (Rural  Entrepreneurship  Awareness  Development  Yojana)  programme  has  been implemented.

To attract and sustain the interest of youth in agriculture education the Council provides Stipend and Fellowships/assistance under various programs.  Assistance in the  form  of  fellowship  for  global  exposure  of  the  agriculture  students  is  also provided.  The details of various fellowship/stipend/assistance programmes are given in Annexure-1.

National  Agricultural  Education  Project  with  World  Bank  support  has  also been  implemented  to  revamp  and  reorient  the  higher  agricultural  education  in  the country and ensure reforms and quality assurance.

ICAR conducts  All  India  Entrance  Examination  for  Admission  (AIEEA)  to 15%  seats  in  Bachelor  degree  programmes  and  25%  seats  each  in  Master's  and Doctoral degree programmes in accredited Agricultural Universities (AUs) under the ICAR-AU system. It ensures Pan-India competition and better quality of students.

(b) Three (03) Central Agricultural Universities (CAUs), four (04) ICAR Deemed Universities and  four  (04) Central Universities with  Agricultural Faculty  are imparting  Bachelors  degrees  and/or  Masters  degrees  in  agriculture  studies  in  the Country.

(c) No such proposal is under consideration.

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1. ICAR awards NTS (UG) @Rs. 3,000/- p.m. for pursuing Bachelor's degree programme,  600  ICAR-PG  Scholarships  @  Rs.  12,640/-  p.m.  for  pursuing Masters  degree  programme  and  300  Junior/Senior Research  Fellowships [JRF/SRF (Ph.D.)], for pursuing doctoral degree programme in Agriculture & Allied Sciences @ Rs. 31,000/- p.m. for 1 st and 2 nd year and Rs. 35,000/- p.m. for 3 rd year. Non-PG scholarship candidates are also eligible to get NTS (PG) @ Rs. 5,000/- p.m. for pursuing Master's degree programmes.
2. To  support  the  bright  and  talented  researchers  to  pursue  Post-Doctoral Programme  to build capacity in frontier areas of national interest in Agriculture and Allied Sciences, a new initiative with 25 ICAR-Post-Doctoral Fellowships  (ICAR-PDF)  has  been  initiated  from  F.Y.  2019-20  with  the provision of Rs. 75,000/- p.m. and Contingency of Rs. 2.00 lakhs per annum to the fellows for a period of one year.
3. In addition, Merit-cum-Means and Post-Matric Scholarships are also provided @Rs. 1000/- p.m. to attract meritorious undergraduate students belonging to below poverty line and from the weaker sections of the society.

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