India’s agriculture universities receive scant media coverage depite 60 percent of the country’s population engaged in agriculture and allied vocations and industries

The National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal (NDRI, estb.1923) and Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (PAU, estb.1963) are jointly ranked India’s #1 agriculture varsities in EWIHER 2022-23. NDRI (ranked #19 in 2021-22) is awarded top scores on the parameters of curriculum and pedagogy, industry interface and placements and PAU (#26) is top-ranked on the parameters of faculty competence, research and innovation, and infrastructure.

Promoted by the Central government and accorded deemed university status in 1989, NDRI is also designated an ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) institution. “We are thrilled to be ranked India’s #1 agricultural university in the EW survey. FYI in the ICAR rankings of agricultural universities also, NDRI has been ranked India #1 for five years consecutively. Last year, the institute filed 11 patents and commercialised six technologies, initiated cloning of indigenous cattle breeds and conducted 29 training programmes despite disruption of the Covid pandemic. We are working dedicatedly to make NDRI among the Top 10 agriculture universities of the world,” says Dr. M.S. Chauhan, director of ICAR-NDRI since 2020.

Following NDRI and PAU at the top are the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Delhi at #2 (#34 in the composite 2021-22 league table), Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar and GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, jointly ranked #3. The Top 5 table is completed by the previously unranked Navsari Agricultural University (Gujarat) at #4 and Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly at #5 (#37), which have received huge promotions in this year’s domain-specific league tables.

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Dr. Z.P. Patel, vice-chancellor of Navsari Agricultural University (NAU, estb.2004), is euphoric that NAU is ranked India #4 and #1 in Gujarat (pop.65 million).

I am overjoyed to learn that NAU is ranked among India’s Top 5 government agricultural universities. This award is acknowledgement of our continuous effort to provide quality agriculture education and conduct focused farmer-oriented research and frontline extension activities. We pride ourselves on being one of the few agricultural universities that develop customised technologies to meet the needs of farmers and our highly industrious and technology-savvy agripreneurs. NAU has 25 research centres at 15 locations and an extension network of five Krishi Vigyan Kendras to reach farmers in south Gujarat. I want to thank the university’s faculty, students, and farmers who are our source of inspiration and best evaluators of our efforts. Despite rankings, we measure our success from their satisfaction and growth.

-says Patel, an alumnus of NAU and B.A. College of Agriculture, Anand, appointed VC in 2020. Currently, NAU has 2,391 students mentored by 398 highly-qualified faculty.

In the 14-strong league table of India’s best agricultural universities, several institutions have substantially improved their ranking. They include Tamil Nadu Agricultural University which has risen to #6 (#53 in 2021-22), Anand Agricultural University to #8 (#78), and University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru to #9 (#89). Two previously unranked varsities — Junagadh Agricultural University and Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University (Palanpur, Gujarat) — have debuted at #7 and #10 respectively.

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