The Regional Meeting was held at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir,
Srinagar (J&K)on 9-10th September 2005

Theme: - Policy paper on Control of admission, improvement in examination/ evaluation system and invigilation of examinations, course curricula and mechanism for affiliation of private colleges with SAUs

Recommended Policy Guidelines on Private Agricultural Education
(A) Affiliation:

  1. The management of the private college/institution should be transparent and the affiliation of such private college, imparting UG/PG teaching in agriculture and allied sciences, need to be invariably under the regulatory control of SAUs alone.

  2. All private Agricultural colleges should be affiliated with State Agricultural Universities of their respective region (SAUs/DUs/ICAR) and follow similar system of education and guidance. SAU Model Act does not allow affiliation, as a result many agricultural colleges are affiliated with traditional universities. Element of affiliation should be incorporated in the Model Act.

  3. All existing private colleges of agriculture and allied sciences affiliated to traditional universities should now be affiliated with the SAU of the region.

  4. Affiliation should be temporary, for a period of 10 years, subsequently renewable by adopting norms relevant at that time. Non-compliance of norms will make affiliation liable to cancellation by the Vice-Chancellor of SAU concerned.

  5. To curb mushrooming of private colleges there should be substantial amount of affiliation fee as being charged by TNAU, for each course.

  6. Affiliation procedure should be well laid out in consonance with the university academic processes and mandate.

  7. Every SAU shall develop a perspective plan in term of agricultural academic institutions needed for its area of jurisdiction for intensive production agriculture, processing and value addition and quality rural life.

(B) Accreditation:

  1. There is need for establishing accreditation norms for affiliated private colleges. SAUs may enforce the accreditation norms before affiliation through an Accreditation
    Committee constituted by the concerned SAUs. One of the Members may be ICAR nominee.

  2. Costs involved in accreditation should be borne by the institution seeking affiliation.

  3. Accreditation procedure should be well laid out.

  4. Establishment of a private college or a new programme in already affiliated college should be opened with prior approval of the SAU concerned. College seeking accreditation/affiliation should have minimum 20 ha cultivable land of which 10 ha should be available for agricultural experimentation.

  5. Accredited private colleges should be eligible for financial assistance from ICAR.

(C) Admission

  1. The admission procedure to various courses of both constituent as well as affiliated private colleges need to be in accordance with the practice in vogue in the SAUs to which the college is affiliated.

  2. Annual induction to a private college should include 50% of the seats to be admitted common entrance mechanism of the SAU and remaining 50% may be filled by college on merit basis.

  3. 15% of the total seats in the private colleges may be filled by the Management body of the college.

  4. There should be a merit quota of 15% seats having same fee structure as that of SAU.5. The intake capacity should commensurate with the facilities available with the college but subject to a maximum of 64 in a UG programme.

(D) Academic Standards:

  1. Affiliated college should recruit/employ qualified competent teachers for which the pay structure shall be similar as prevalent in SAU.

  2. The minimum qualification for appointment of teachers in the affiliated private colleges should be Masters’ degree with NET, giving preference to candidates with doctorate degree.

  3. The college management committee should include Dean and concerned Director Resident Instruction or nominee of the Vice-Chancellor as members.

  4. The teachers at affiliated colleges should have opportunities for training, participation in seminar and symposia.

  5. Before accreditation/affiliation it must be ensured that the institution has prescribed laboratories, library and other instructional infrastructure.

  6. Preference should be given to active young teachers in recruitment of teachers. However, retired teachers may be hired on short term basis.

  7. Affiliated colleges should have logical institutional framework with departments headed by professor/Associate Professor.


(E) Regulation on Resident Instruction:

  1. Resident Instruction Rules and procedures/Academic regulations of the SAU concerned

  2. Periodic monitoring of the academic programmes and its delivery should be undertaken by SAU concerned.

  3. Where number of Affiliated colleges justify there may be a Controller of Examination at SAU for systematized examination and evaluation.

(F) Course Curriculum:

  1. Course curriculum and academic regulations at affiliated colleges should be same as following by the SAUs for their constituent colleges.

  2. To have uniformity in agricultural education, semester system of teaching should be mandatory.

  3. Attendance of the students in affiliated colleges should be the same as prescribed in SAU.

  4. Affiliated colleges should have the extracurricular activities for overall development of the students such as Commercial Agriculture, NSS, NCC, study tours etc.

  5. The PG programme should invariably include thesis dissertation as being followed in SAUs.

(G) Examination/Evaluation and Invigilation:

  1. The academic calendar of the Affiliated College academic calendar including registration and examination schedules should be the same as that of the SAU.

  2. Examination, invigilation, evaluation and award of the transcript and degree/certificate etc. Should rest entirely with SAU.

  3. For promoting active participation of the student in learning processes, evaluation should have internal marks, at least 40%.4. The setup of the question papers should include objective, short note and descriptive type questions covering the entire syllabus with limited optional/choice

  4. In order to curb unfair means there should be a Chief Invigilator(s) to supervise the conduct of examination, appointed by the SAU.

  5. Answer books for evaluation should be coded, forwarded and confidentiality ascertained.

  6. Supplementary examinations should be done away with.

(H) Other

  1. Failure to comply provision of MOU/directives of the University within the stipulated time, the Vice-Chancellor may withdraw the affiliation.

  2. Affiliated colleges should have student gymkhana and playgrounds. They should also be part of the SAU sports and other cultural activities.

  3. Graduates of affiliated colleges should also be entitled for service placement of the SAU.

Recommendation of IAUA 2nd Regional meeting in N E on "Agriculture and Livestock in Integrated Farming System" held on 5-6 October, 2006 at CAU, Imphal

Central Agricultural University, Imphal organized Indian Agricultural University Association

Regional Conference in North-East during 5 and 6 October 2006, on "Agriculture and Livestock in Integrated Farming System" where 21 Vice-Chancellors and Directors of National Institutes (Deemed-to-be Agricultural universities) deliberated and the following recommendations emerged.

Recommendations

1. A Regional Consultative Group needs to be established under the Chairmanship of the most senior VC in the region to frame education and development agenda in a partnership mode, to facilitate addressing of farmers' issues and propagation of intensive integrated farming-system models developed for the region by ICAR Research Complex.

2. A Regional Referral Laboratory needs to be established in NEH Region of ICAR to promote organic agriculture and animal husbandry.

3. Cultivation of maize and soybean, the two important components of animal feed, along with rice bean, and other forage and feed crops should be popularized in a mission mode with forward and backward linkages.

4. Rain-water conservation for its better utilization in non-rainy or drought period will help in increasing the cropping sequence and insensitive cropping during winter (rabi) season. Shallow tube-wells will prove highly beneficial in valley areas.

5. The scientists of KVKs should be given the required training to create awareness and development of technical skills in various aspects of production and components of farming systems. Women should also be a focus for training in livestock and fish farming.

6. To improve the productivity and profitability of various components of farming systems like crop, animal, fishery etc., the availability of quality seed, planting material, fish seeds, chicks etc. should be ensured and necessary infrastructure should be created.

7. For improving the livelihood of the farmers and farm income on year-round basis, crop diversification and integration of crops with livestock and fishery as complementary activities is the most sustainable practice.

8. There is great scope to diversify the area for medicinal plants, vegetables, pulses (lentil), groundnut, soybean etc. Seeding in the standing crops of paddy with field pea, berseem etc. may be attempted. Niger is another low water-input-requiring crop, which may be tried in the area for honeybee enterprise. The under-crops of turmeric and ginger with main fruit crops may be tested in this region.

9. There is a need for formation of SHGs/farmers' clubs with women empowerment along with training for post-harvest processing, value addition and marketing.

10. Extensive work is needed on collection, evaluation and conservation of various crops of NE region. Wild species of paddy, vegetables, fruits, horticultural crops, under-utilized fruits, spices, ornamentals and the medicinal and aromatic plants need more emphasis.

11. Indigenous livestock of NEH Region including Manipuri pony, Banpala sheep, Dam and Mali pig and wild Asiatic buffalo needs to be surveyed and characterized, both at phenotyopic and molecular levels and conserved. Non-descript cows should be upgraded through crossing with Sahiwal or Gir. Backyard poultry should be encouraged and model backyard poultry farms should be established by KVKs in their areas of jurisdiction. States should develop regional livestock databank so that species-wise breeding policy can be framed with the help of NBAGR.

12. Facility of credit availability at low interest rate should be provided for land development, establishing regulated markets and processing facilities.

13. Role of women needs to be promoted further, especially for skill-based cottage industries and home stead farming components.

14. To improve the efficiency and rate of tea-leave plucking, there is need to propagate light-weight cloth-bags for collecting the leaves and use of finger-blades for cutting the leaves instead of hand plucking.

15. Value addition of fruits, vegetables, bamboo shoots, fish and bio-fuel by planting Jatropha can be taken up. Use of waterlogged areas of Assam and Tripura for cultivation, production and processing of lotus stem, makhana and singhara needs attention.

16. Women should be organized at village, block and district levels. Funds by line departments like Tribal Welfare Department, Rural Development Department etc. should be released directly to women organizations. Women's grants can be issued through Micro-credit plan of village and implemented with or without bank-credit support.

17. General Recommendations covering SAUs, DUs and CAUs:

(i) Adoption of Model Act.
(ii) Enhancement of RAWE and Internship for agricultural and veterinary graduates under consideration by the ICAR should be pursued for early orders,
(iii) Resource crunch in SAUs, ICAR and IAUA should be taken up with Planning Commission for adequate flow of funds.
(iv) Conditional advertisement of NET for recruitment for SAUs may be given,
(v) To make KVKs as the knowledge centre, only State Government or Line Department should take up extensive activities.

Recommendations of 3rd Regional Meeting on 'Value addition in Agricultural Products'
held on 13-14 February 2007at TNAU, Coimbatore

Recommended

  • A delegation of IAUA comprising Vice-Chancellors will meet the Prime Minister and other members of planning commission and appraise the achievements in the field of agriculture including animal husbandry and fisheries and also the future expectation during the XI plan period.

  • A book on the successful technologies evolved and success stories of extension may be compiled and IAUA will publish and circulate this book.

  • Most of the SAUs are functioning in old dilapidated buildings and the basic infrastructure housing the laboratories are outdated. Special financial allotment under non-recurring has to be sought from Central and State Government's to modernize the basic amenities.

  • The Vice-Chancellors of Agriculture Universities have to be involved in the planning process of state financial allocations as agriculture forms the major activity of our country.

  • Financial allocation for agricultural research and education should be made under separate budget in the states as well as centre.

  • Certain percentage of teaching/research personnel in all Agriculture Universities may be recruited from other states in order develop healthy competition and avoid inbreeding.

  • Tailoring the research and development programmes in order to cater to the standards of domestic and export markets.

  • Sensitizing the policy makers on creation of community level infrastructure for grading, packing and packaging, and storage and promoting grower's association to empower them to negotiate on price.

  • Efforts to be taken to encourage co-operative/contract farming with buy-back arrangements to initiate market-led production.

  • Maintaining cool chain for the post-harvest handling of cut flowers around 5° C with appropriate packaging to get better prices in the international markets.

  • The investment in agricultural research has to be enhanced to increase Total Factor Productivity to achieve 4% growth of the sector per se.

  • For exploitation of the agro-ecological diversity of the country, programmes should be evolved for production/export of agricultural produce from different regions during the off seasons in importing countries.

  • Adoption of suitable national strategies on augmenting animal productivity, production, consumption and marketing of animal products. Creation of realistic database on meat, milk and egg production, handling transportation, pre and post harvest loss, marketing etc.

  • Cutting edge technologies on processing, preservation and value addition on animal products by integrating newer biotechnological tools with the ITK may be developed.

  • Development of HACCP, GMP protocols and quality standards for animal products viz., milk, meat, poultry, fish etc. with establishment of reference and testing laboratories.

  • Food safety and quality should be dealt while considering the use of GM foods. There should be regulatory system established to oversee the biosafety of GM foods.