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Indian Council of Agricultural Research

(Redirected from Indian Journal of Animal Sciences)

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous body responsible for co-ordinating agricultural education and research in India. It reports to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture.[2] The Union Minister of Agriculture serves as its president.[3][4] It is the largest network of agricultural research and education institutes in the world.[5]

Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Other name
ICAR
Former name
Imperial Council of Agricultural Research
Motto in English
Agrisearch with a human touch
TypeRegistered society
Established16 July 1929; 96 years ago (16 July 1929)
Budget₹7,800 crore (US$810 million) (2018–2019)[1]
PresidentUnion Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare
Director-GeneralDr. Mangi Lal Jat
Students28000 (both Undergraduate & Postgraduate)
Location
New Delhi
,
India
Campus
  • Urban
Websiteicar.org.in

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.[6] 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).[7] A number of natural resource management institutes of India also come under the ICAR.[8]

Milestones

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  • 2006: ICAR represented in the First Governing Body of the FAO Seed Treaty (ITPGRFA) in Madrid, Spain.[9]
  • 2006: ICAR 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.
  • 2007: Launch of US–India Agricultural Knowledge Initiative.[10]
  • 2008: India-Brazil-South Africa Joint Working Group on Agriculture Initiated.[11]
  • 2009: In December 2009, it announced that it was considering a policy to provide open access to its research.
  • 2009: New and restructured postgraduate curricula and syllabi introduced.[12]
  • 2010: In March 2010, ICAR made its two flagship journals (Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences and Indian Journal of Animal Sciences) as open access journals.[13]
  • 2011: ICAR scientists were the first in the world to sequence the pigeonpea genome. It was an indigenous effort by 31 scientists led by Nagendra Kumar Singh of NRCPB. The first draft of the sequence was published in J. Plant Biochem. Biotechnol.
  • 2013: On 13 September 2013, it announced the Open Access Policy and committed for making all the public funded scholarly research outputs openly available via open access repositories.[14]
  • 2019: ICAR has also published an Integrated Mobile App called KISAAN (Krishi Integrated Solution for Agri Apps Navigation) for Farmers of country Mobile App has interface in 12 Indian Languages.
  • 2024: ICAR launched its 'One Scientist-One Product' program on July 16 to enhance research in agriculture and animal husbandry.[15]

Accreditation

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ICAR provides accreditation to agriculture universities, colleges and programmes, through its accreditation unit, National Agricultural Education Accreditation Board (NAEAB).[16] The board was established in 1996 and given its current name in 2017.[17] The accreditation serves only as a badge of quality assurance. It is not mandatory, is not a form of affiliation or recognition and does not give approval to open an institute or a program.[18] As of 1 April 2021, NAEAB lists only 39 accredited institutes.[19] Henceforth the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University was the first State University to get accredited by ICAR.

While ICAR accreditation is voluntary,[18] since 2016–17 it is linked with the release of grants for education quality assurance for State Agricultural Universities.[17] It is also used by some institutes as an affiliation or admission requirements. In September 2021, Goa University has reinstated affiliation to a college, after previously cancelling the affiliation because the college was not accredited by NAEAB.[20] In 2022, students were not accepted to master's degree at Rajiv Gandhi University because their B.Sc. in agriculture degree was from an unaccredited private university.[21]

Institutions

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As of May 2026, ICAR has following institutions:[22][23]

  • 4 Deemed Universities
  • 73 ICAR Institutions
  • 11 Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI)
  • 8 Directorates/Project Directorates
  • 6 National Bureaux
  • 11 National Research Centres

National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR)

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The ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), located in Karnal, Haryana, is the central nodal agency for the identification, evaluation, characterization, and conservation of India's domestic animal genetic resources. The bureau ensures that indigenous breeds are officially documented and recognized at the national level, protecting the intellectual property rights of local farming communities.[24] The bureau currently maintains the phenotypic and genomic registry for over 200 indigenous breeds and acts as India's nodal agency for the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources.[25]

Facilities and gene bank

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The NBAGR manages the National Animal Gene Bank, established to conserve indigenous livestock biodiversity ex situ. The repository preserves genetic material from native breeds through cryopreservation, storing deep-frozen semen, somatic cells, and DNA for long-term preservation and potential future revival.[26]

Impact and policy role

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Official recognition by the NBAGR directly influences regional agricultural policy. By granting formal genetic recognition to locally adapted species, the bureau prompts state authorities to initiate dedicated conservation programs. The NBAGR also provides the official diagnostic codes used in the national Livestock Census, helping experts track the decline of native genetics.[27]

Genomic research and awards

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The NBAGR conducts extensive genomic studies on milk protein profiles. The bureau's Animal Genetic Resources Division is officially mandated to test the status of A1/A2 alleles of beta-casein in milk samples, driving the scientific validation behind the Indian "A2 milk" market.[28] To promote in situ preservation, the NBAGR instituted the national "Breed Conservation Award" to recognize pastoralists who protect purebred indigenous livestock.[29]

Notable registered breeds

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The bureau's registry spans multiple species, formally cataloguing breeds that hold significant regional or economic value:

CategoryBreed NameRegional SignificanceCitation
GoatUdaipuriRecognized indigenous breed from Uttarakhand, adapted to rugged terrain.[24]
BuffaloMandaHardy draft animal from the Koraput region, highly resistant to parasitic infections.[30]
CattleVechurRecognized dwarf cattle breed from Kerala.[24]
BuffaloMurrahHigh-yield dairy breed exported globally.[24]
SheepChangthangiHigh-altitude breed from Ladakh, source of ultra-fine Pashmina wool.[24]

Headquarters

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Indian Council of Agricultural Research's headquarters is in New Delhi.

Examination system

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All India Entrance Exam for Agriculture (CUET) conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) is an entrance exam for admission into the agricultural universities recognized by ICAR.

Number of applicants by year

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Exam AIEEA (UG) AIEEA (PG) AICE(JRF/SRF)
Year Registered

Applicants

 Appeared

Applicants

 Registered

Applicants

 Appeared

Applicants

 Registered

Applicants

 Appeared

Applicants

 Reference(s)
2019 236,931 31,486 8,374 [31]
2020 197,837 139,365 28,830 19,946 14,080 9,518 [32]
2021 144,848 122,993 22,912 20,811 10,046 8,919 [33]
2022 89,413 61,051 20,650 18,332 13,096 11,001 [34][35]

Agricultural Research Service

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The Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB) conducts all India competitive examination Agricultural Research Service (ARS), to recruit posts in the ARS of Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

Awards

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ICAR presents the following awards:[36]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "ICAR Budget Book 2018-19". ICAR. Archived from the original on 12 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "About us". Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Organization | भारतीय कृषि अनुसंधान परिषद". icar.gov.in. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  4. ↑ "ICAR-CPCRI strive to bring back coconut leaf craft to mainstream with workshop from Sep 6 - Times of India". The Times of India. 5 September 2016.
  5. ↑ India 2016, "Agriculture" p.93, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, (New Delhi).
  6. ↑ "Report of 'The Committee to Advise on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education'" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 August 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
  7. ↑ "The Hindu : Front Page : Sibal: Yash Pal panel report will be implemented in 100 days". 28 June 2009. Archived from the original on 28 June 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  8. ↑ "ICAR Portal - ICAR institutes for Natural Resource Management". iims.icar.gov.in. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  9. ↑ "Congratulations to DDG (Crop Science)" (PDF). IGFRI Newsletter. December 2006. p. 1. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  10. ↑ "Seminar Details | Think tank". icrier.org. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  11. ↑ "Partnership and Linkages" (PDF). ICAR Partnership and Linkages. 8 August 2019. p. 5. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  12. ↑ "New and Restructured Post=Graduate Curricula & Syllabi" (PDF). ICAR News. April 2009. p. 1. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  13. ↑ "ICAR Journals in Open Access". www.icar.org.in. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  14. ↑ "The Indian Council of Agricultural Research Adopts an Open Access Policy". The Centre for Internet and Society. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  15. ↑ "ICAR to launch 'one scientist, one product' scheme today". The Hindu. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  16. ↑ "National Agricultural Education Accreditation Board". Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  17. 1 2 "Guidelines for Accreditation of Higher Agricultural Educational Institutions in India" (PDF). NAEAB. September 2019. p. 1. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  18. 1 2 "Public Notice regarding clarification on 'Recognition' and 'Accreditation'" (PDF). Indian Council of Agricultural Research. 5 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  19. ↑ "Status of NAEAB Accredited Agricultural Universities/Colleges/Programmes as on 1 April 2021" (PDF). Indian Council of Agricultural Research. 1 April 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  20. ↑ "Goa University restores affiliation of Sulcorna agriculture college with conditions". The Times of India. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  21. ↑ Ajum, Bengia (25 January 2022). "BSc agri students of pvt varsities in a fix". The Arunachal Times. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  22. ↑ "ICAR Institutions, Deemed Universities, National Research Centres, National Bureaux & Directorate/Project Directorates". Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  23. ↑ "Deemed Universities, ICAR Institutions, Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI), Directorates/Project Directorates, National Bureaux & National Research Centres". Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 "9 new breeds of indigenous livestock registered". The Hindu. 25 August 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  25. ↑ Status of Animal Genetic Resources in India (PDF) (Report). Food and Agriculture Organization. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  26. ↑ Shagun (5 January 2023). "India now has 212 indigenous livestock breeds after ICAR-NBAGR registers 10 new ones". Down To Earth. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  27. ↑ Ghai, Rajat (12 May 2022). "Over half of India's cattle, goats, sheep and swine are non-descript: Government". Down To Earth. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  28. ↑ "Division/Units". ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  29. ↑ "Breed Conservation Award". Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  30. ↑ "Odisha: Koraput's Manda buffalo gets unique, indigenous tag". The Hindu. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  31. ↑ "Press release" (PDF). National Testing Agency. 30 June 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  32. ↑ "Press release: Declaration of results of the ICAR All India Entrance Examination- (AIEEA) -2020" (PDF). National Testing Agency. 4 November 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  33. ↑ "Press release: Declaration of results of the All India Entrance Examination-2021 of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)" (PDF). National Testing Agency. 23 October 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  34. ↑ "Press Release: Declaration of Results of the All India Entrance Examination for Admission [AIEEA (UG)] - 2022 of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) – Reg" (PDF). National Testing Agency. 1 October 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  35. ↑ "Press release: Declaration of results of the All India Entrance Examination-2022 of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for admission to PG and Ph.D programmes for the academic year 2022-23" (PDF). National Testing Agency. 19 October 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  36. ↑ "Merits and Awards - ICAR". www.icar.org.in. Archived from the original on 29 August 2003.
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