ICAR  

ICAR Logo

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, India is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. Formerly known as Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, it was established on 16 July, 1929 as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 in pursuance of the report of the Royal Commission on Agriculture. The ICAR has its headquarters at New Delhi.

The Council is the apex body for coordinating, guiding and managing research and education in agriculture including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in the entire country. With over 90 ICAR institutes and 45 agricultural universities spread across the country this is one of the largest national agricultural systems in the world.

The ICAR has played a pioneering role in ushering Green Revolution and subsequent developments in agriculture in India through its research and technology development that has enabled the country to increase the production of foodgrains by 4 times, horticultural crops by 6 times, fish by 9 times (marine 5 times and inland 17 times), milk 6 times and eggs 27 times since 1950-51, thus making a visible impact on the national food and nutritional security. It has played a major role in promoting excellence in higher education in agriculture. It is engaged in cutting edge areas of science and technology development and its scientists are internationally acknowledged in their fields.

Union Minister of Agriculture, Sharad Pawar is President and Dr Mangala Rai is Director General of ICAR at present.^[1]

The Mandate

• To plan, undertake, aid, promote and co-ordinate education, research and its application in agriculture, agroforestry, animal husbandry, fisheries, home science and allied sciences.
• To act as clearing house of research and general information relating to agriculture, animal husbandry, home science and fisheries through its publications and information system, and instituting and promoting transfer of technology programmes.
• To provide, undertake and promote consultancy services in the fields of education, research, training and dissemination of information in agriculture, agroforestry, animal husbandry, fisheries, home science and allied sciences.
• To look into problems relating to broader areas of rural development concerning agriculture, including post-harvest technology, by developing co-operative programmes with other organizations such as the Indian Council of Social Sciences Research, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, and universities.
• To do other things considered necessary to attain objectives of the Society.

The 'Committee to Advise on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education (Yashpal Committee, 2009) has recommended setting up of a constitutional body - The National Commission for Higher Education and Research, which would be a unified supreme body to regulate all branches of higher education including agricultural education^[2]. Presently, regulation of agricultural education is the mandate of ICAR, Veterinary Council of India (Veterinary sub-discipline) and Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (Forestry sub-discipline). The UPA government has included Yashpal Committe recommendations in its '100 days agenda'^[3]..

Organization

ICAR has follwing organizational structure : ^[1]

• Union Minister of Agriculture is the ex-officio President of the ICAR Society.
• Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research & Education Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India & Director-General, ICAR the Principal Executive Officer of the Council.
• Governing Body is the policy-making authority
• Agricultural Scientists' Recruitment Board
• Deputy Directors-General (8)
• Additional Secretary (DARE) and Secretary (ICAR)
• Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor
• 24 Assistant Directors-General
• National Director, National Agricultural Innovation Project
• Directorate of Information and Publications of Agriculture

ICAR has two bodies:

1. The General Body, the supreme authority of the ICAR, is headed by the Minister of Agriculture, Government of India
2. The Governing Body which is the chief executive and decision making authority of the ICAR. It is headed by the Director-General.

Milestones

• Initiation of the first All-India Co-ordinated Research Project on Maize in 1957
• Status of Deemed University accorded to IARI in 1958
• Establishment of the first State Agricultural University on land grant pattern at Pantnagar in 1960
• Placement of different agricultural research institutes under the purview of ICAR in 1966
• Creation of Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) in the Ministry of Agriculture in 1973
• Opening of first Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) at Puducherry (Pondicherry) in 1974
• Establishment of Agricultural Research Service and Agricultural Scientists' Recruitment Board in 1975
• Launching of Lab-to-Land Programme and the National Agricultural Research Project (NARP) in 1979
• Initiation of Institution-Village Linkage Programme (IVLP) in 1995
• Establishment of National Gene Bank at New Delhi in 1996
• The ICAR was bestowed with the King Baudouin Award in 1989 for its valuable contribution in ushering in the Green Revolution. Again awarded King Baudouin Award in 2004 for research and development efforts made under partnership in Rice Wheat Consortium.
• Launching of National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP) in 1998 and National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) in 2005

As of July, 2006 it has developed a vaccine against bird flu.The vaccine was developed at the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal, the only facility in the country to conduct tests for the H5N1 variant of bird flu.It was entrusted with the task of developing a vaccine by the ICAR after the Avian Influenza outbreak in February. The ICAR provided Rs. 8 crore for the purpose.

ICAR Institutions^[4]

ICAR Location map

There are:

• 48 ICAR Institutes
• 5 Bureaux
• 11 Project Directorates
• 30 National Research Centres
• 138 Substations of ICAR Institutes
• 77 AICRPs/AINPs
• 561 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK):The Krishi Vigyan Kendra Kannur located in the premises of world famous Pepper Research Station at Panniyur is a front line agricultual extension institution, which exerts powerful influence on other extension systems of the district. Ever since it became functional in the year 2004, it has made several innovative interventions in the agricultural development process of the district. The Compact area group approach (CAGA) against coconut mite, Paddy Task Force to combat labour shortage in rice farming, first ever Farmers' Science Congress, pioneering a new branch of agricultural extension called Creative Extension are only few of the numerous contributions made by the kendra within a short span of time. The subsurface dyke constructed at KVK as part of demonstrating rain water harvesting technologies has become a living example for an effective method for ground water conservation. The success story of the subsurface dyke has demonstrated that it is one of the most feasible methods for the conservation and exploitation of the ground water resources of the state. The dyke is now the largest rainwater harvesting system in the region.

• 41 State Agricultural Universities (SAUs)
• 1 Central Agricultural University and
• 4 Central Universities having faculty of agriculture

Headquarters

1. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi

ICAR Institute^[5]

1. Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi
2. Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, New Delhi
3. National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
4. Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
5. Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana
6. National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana
7. Central Avian Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh
8. Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh
9. Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, Maharashtra
10. Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, Haryana
11. Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Mumbai, Maharashtra
12. Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai
13. Central Institute for Research on Goats, Mathura, U.P.
14. Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow, U.P.
15. Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow, U.P.
16. Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal, M.P.
17. Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, Madhaya Pradesh
18. Central Institute of Arid Horticulture, Bikaner, Rajasthan
19. Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai
20. Central Institute of Post Harvest Engineering & Technology, Ludhiana, Punjab
21. Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Srinagar, J&K
22. Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Cochin
23. Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin
24. Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod
25. Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, Rajasthan
26. Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla, H.P.
27. Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres, Barrackpore, West Bengal
28. Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore
29. Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Orissa
30. Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar
31. Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
32. Central Tobacco Research Institute, Rajamundry
33. Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
34. ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna, Bihar
35. ICAR Research Complex for Goa, Goa
36. ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Ri Bhoi,
37. Central Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair
38. Indian Grassland & Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi, U.P.
39. Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru
40. National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, Karnataka
41. Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums, Ranchi
42. Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur, U.P.
43. Indian Institute of Spices Research, Marikunnu, Kerala
44. Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi, U.P.
45. National Institute of Research on Jute and Allied Fibre Technology, Kolkata, West Bengal
46. Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
47. Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora, Uttarakhand
48. Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Bhubaneshwar, Orissa

Bureau^[5]

1. Agriculturally Important Micro Organisms, Mau Nath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh
2. Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, Haryana
3. Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
4. Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi
5. Soil Survey & Land Use Planning, Nagpur, Maharashtra

Project Directorate^[6]

1. Maize, New Delhi
2. Seed, Mau Nath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh
3. Wheat, Karnal, Haryana
4. Biological Control, Bengaluru, Karnataka
5. Animal Disease Monitoring and Surveillance, Bengaluru, Karnataka
6. Cropping Systems, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
7. Cattle, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
8. Foot and Mouth Disease, Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand
9. Poultry, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
10. Oilseeds, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
11. Rice, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh

National Research Centre^[7]

1. Agricultural Economics and Policy, New Delhi
2. Integrated Pest Management, New Delhi
3. Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi
4. Agroforestry, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh
5. Banana, Thiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu
6. Cashew, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka
7. Soybean, Indore, Madhya Pradesh
8. Citrus, Nagpur, Maharashtra
9. Equines, Hisar, Haryana
10. Grapes, Pune, Maharashtra
11. Onion and Garlic, Pune, Maharashtra
12. Groundnut, Junagarh, Gujarat
13. Litchi, Muzaffarpur, Bihar
14. Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Anand, Gujarat[1]
15. Mushroom, Solan, Himachal Pradesh
16. Oilpalm, West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh
17. Orchids, Gangtok, Sikkim
18. Sorghum, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
19. Meat, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
20. Weed Science, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
21. Women in Agriculture, Bhubaneshwar, Orissa
22. Water Technology Center for Eastern Region, Bhubaneshwar, Orissa
23. Camel, Bikaner, Rajasthan
24. Mithun, Dimapur, Nagaland
25. Pig, Guwahati, Asom
26. Pomegranate, Solapur, Maharashtra
27. Rapeseed-Mustard, Bharatpur, Rajasthan
28. Seed Spices, Ajmer, Rajasthan
29. Cold Water Fisheries, Bhimtal, Uttarakhand
30. Yak, West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh

Others

1. Krishi Vigyan Kendra - Babhaleshwar, Maharashtra
2. All India Coordinated Project of Micro and Secondary Nutrients and Pollutant Elements in Soils & Plants

ICAR Headquarters

ICAR,

Krishi Bhavan,

Dr Rajendra Prasad Road,

New Delhi - 110114

91-11-25842787, 23388842

www.icar.org.in [www.icar.org.in]

All India Agriculture Entrance Examination

The ICAR conducts an entrance test for a reserved pool of 15% seats in all undergraduate courses in agriculture and allied fields in all agriculture universities of India. The syllabus is parallel to various PMTs especially AIPMT There is a rule aimed at increasing admissions from more number of states by allowing only 40% seats from a state.

ICAR Merits & Awards^[8]

• Sardar Patel Outstanding ICAR Institution Award
• Choudhary Devi Lal Outstanding All-India Coordinated Research Project Award
• Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award
• Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Award for Tribal Areas
• Hari Om Ashram Trust Award
• Jawaharlal Nehru Award
• Vasantrao Naik Award
• Lal Bahadur Shastri Young Scientist Award
• Bharat Ratna Dr C Subramaniam Outstanding Teacher Award
• Punjab Rao Deshmukh Woman Agricultural Scientist Award
• Chaudhary Charan Singh Award for Excellence in Journalism in Agricultural Research and Development
• N.G. Ranga Farmer Award for Diversified Agriculture
• Jagjivan Ram Kisan Puruskar
• Swamy Sahajanand Saraswati Extension Scientist/ Worker Award
• ICAR Award for Outstanding Multidisciplinary Team Research in Agriculture and Allied Sciences
• National Krishi Vigyan Kendra Award
• Dr Rajendra Prasad Puruskar for Technical Books in Hindi in The Field of Agriculture and Allied Sciences

References

External links

• ICAR.org
• University of Agricultural Sciences ,Dharwad
• Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar
• http://www.icar.org.in/dipa/events/ICAR-REPORTER/july-sept2005.pdf
• http://www.ias.ac.in/currsci/jun252008/1547.pdf