Page 100 - EW 1-156 May 2024

Cover Story EW India Government University Rankings 2024-25

INDIA’S TOP-RANKED GOV. AGRICULTURE VARSITIES

Although they continue to
be adamantly unresponsive,
every year since 2020
EducationWorld has been
eliciting expert opinion to
rate and rank government
agricultural universities
countrywide

ince 2020 thousands of farm-
ers have been periodically
protesting countrywide, de-
Smanding legally guaranteed
minimum support prices for agricul-
ture produce. These protests of the
neglected rural majority have struck a
chord within the urban intellegentsia if
not the academy. Political pundits and NAU's Dr. Z.P. Patel (right): 114 crop varieties and 728 technologies record
economists — including your editors
(see https://www.educationworld.in/ budgets, are accountable only to their league table of reputed agriculture
indias-colonisation-of-bharat-liberat- political masters. In recent years, they universities, the 2,100 knowledge-
ing-rural-india/) — have been – even if have substantially reduced extension able respondents comprising higher
somewhat belatedly, suggesting ways work and connect with rural com- education faculty, students and in-
and means to cut India’s 1 billion- munities and farmers. Consequently, dustry representatives polled by AZ
strong rural citizens a fairer deal. modernisation of Indian agriculture Research Partners Pvt. Ltd, have voted
However there’s been a deafening has become a huge national blind spot for change.
silence from the apex-level Delhi-based with the great majority of the coun- Navsari Agricultural Univer-
Indian Council for Agricultural try’s farmers steeped in obsolete farm- sity (Gujarat), ranked #4 in 2023-
Research (ICAR), an ‘autonomous ing practices. Little wonder that aver- 24, has inched up to #3. Ditto ICAR
body’ promoted by the Central govern- age wheat and rice yields in India are — National Dairy Research Insti-
ment way back in 1929 to “coordinate a fifth of China and a tenth of France tute, Karnal which is promoted to
agricultural education and research” and Ukraine. #4. Govind Ballabh Pant Univer-
countrywide. Unsurprisingly affiliated Nevertheless, every year since 2020 sity of Agriculture & Technology,
113 ICAR institutes and 74 government EducationWorld has been eliciting ex- Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) is ranked
agriculture universities spread across pert opinion to rate and rank govern- #5 (#4) and Junagadh Agricultur-
the country have also had little to say ment agricultural universities. Last al University (JAU) is promoted to
about this burning issue. year, India’s #1 ranked agriculture uni- #6 (#7) jointly with the Chaudhary
Forget about burning public issues, versity — ICAR, Delhi — didn’t re- Charan Singh Haryana Agricul-
over the past 95 years ICAR and its spond to our several emails and phone tural University, Hisar (#5).
affiliated institutions have developed calls to share the mysterious secrets of The Top 10 table is completed by
a culture of not being answerable to their public service. Ditto this year. ICAR — Indian Veterinary Re-
the media or the public which funds Following ICAR, Delhi in the 2024- search Institute, Izatnagar, Ba-
the council’s Rs.10,000 crore annual 25 EW league table of India’s best gov- reilly at #7 (#6), University of Ag-
budget. The 113 ICAR institutes and ernment agriculture universities is the ricultural Sciences, Bengaluru
74 government agriculture universi- state government-promoted Punjab at #8 (#8), Tamil Nadu Agricul-
ties defined by huge establishment Agricultural University, which tural University, Coimbatore at
expenses, rock-bottom tuition fees has retained its #2 rank of 2023-24. #9 (#7) and Anand Agricultural
and large mysteriously spent research However, further down the 14-strong University at #10 (#8) jointly with

100 EDUCATIONWORLD MAY 2024