Current Trends in Agricultural Education in India

Agriculture employs nearly half of India’s workforce and contributes roughly 18% of the country’s GDP. Yet, the sector’s future depends not just on farming practices but on the quality of education that prepares the next generation of agricultural professionals. India has built one of the world’s largest networks of agricultural education institutions, but significant gaps remain – especially when it comes to enrolment, inclusivity, and aligning curricula with modern demands. Let’s look at where agricultural education in India stands today, what’s working, and what still needs attention.

India’s agricultural education infrastructure 🔗

India’s institutional framework for agricultural education is vast and multi-layered. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), established in 1929, serves as the apex body coordinating agricultural research and higher education across the country. ICAR oversees 113 national research institutes and 74 agricultural universities, making it one of the largest agricultural research and education networks globally.

According to a Press Information Bureau release (November 2025), India currently has 63 State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), 3 Central Agricultural Universities (CAUs) located in Pusa (Bihar), Imphal (Manipur), and Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh), 4 deemed universities – including IARI in Delhi and NDRI in Karnal – and 4 central universities with dedicated agriculture faculties. Together, these institutions offer undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes across disciplines such as agronomy, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, forestry, and agricultural engineering.

State agricultural universities are the backbone of this system. They cater to the specific agricultural needs of their regions. For example, Punjab Agricultural University focuses on crops like wheat and rice, while Tamil Nadu Agricultural University emphasises horticulture and plantation crops. Central and deemed universities, on the other hand, focus more on advanced research and often collaborate with international organisations.

Growth in enrolment and the role of NAHEP 🔗

One of the most significant recent developments in agricultural education has been the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP), launched in 2017 by the Government of India and ICAR with World Bank support. This initiative targeted 74 agricultural universities with the goal of modernising curricula, improving teaching methods, and aligning programmes with global standards.

The results have been noteworthy. Between 2017 and 2022, enrolment in agricultural universities more than doubled – growing from over 25,000 to over 54,000 students. The proportion of female students rose from 43.6% to 45.2%. On-time graduation rates improved dramatically, climbing from 77.6% in 2017 to 96.1% in 2024. Graduate placement rates also saw a significant jump, increasing from 42% in 2017 to 67% in 2024, with women graduates achieving a placement rate of 71.1%.

The quality of incoming students improved as well, with entrance cut-off scores doubling from 26% in 2017 to 41.8% in 2024. Faculty capability also strengthened – the number of external research grants secured by agricultural university faculty rose from just 28 in 2017-18 to 444 in 2023-24. Overall, the NAHEP project reached over 826,000 direct beneficiaries, nearly half of whom were women.

The private sector’s growing role 🔗

While government institutions dominate agricultural education, the private sector is gradually expanding its presence. Agricultural education in India is governed by state governments, which set their own policies for establishing and regulating private institutions. ICAR’s role with private colleges is limited to granting accreditation upon request through the National Agricultural Education Accreditation Board (NAEAB).

The number of ICAR-accredited private agricultural colleges has grown from just 5 in 2020-21 to 22 by 2024-25. While this growth is encouraging, it also raises questions about maintaining consistent quality standards across a larger number of private providers. Accreditation is not mandatory, so many private colleges operate without formal ICAR quality assurance – a situation that calls for more robust oversight.

The Gross Enrolment Ratio challenge 🔗

Despite the expansion in institutions and programmes, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in agricultural education remains notably low. The GER measures the proportion of eligible-age students actually enrolled in a particular level of education. India’s overall GER in higher education has been rising steadily – it went from about 24.6% in 2017-18 to 28.4% in 2021-22, according to All India Survey on Higher Education data. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has set an ambitious target of reaching 50% GER in higher education by 2035.

However, agricultural education specifically captures only a small fraction of total higher education enrolment. Several factors contribute to this. Limited awareness about career opportunities in agriculture is a major barrier. Many students and families still perceive agriculture as a less lucrative profession compared to engineering, medicine, or business studies. Socio-economic barriers, particularly in rural areas, further limit access. States like Bihar and Jharkhand have some of the lowest higher education GER values in the country, and agricultural education access in such regions is particularly constrained.

India needs an estimated one million graduates in agriculture and allied fields to meet sector demands, but currently only about half that number are being produced. Bridging this gap is critical for the country’s food security and rural development goals.

Curriculum modernisation and technology integration 🔗

A key focus of recent reforms has been updating what agricultural students actually learn. Under NAHEP, over 600 new market-oriented courses have been developed across areas like agri-business analytics, artificial intelligence, robotics, precision agriculture, and entrepreneurship. Seventy-nine existing disciplines have been redesigned to better prepare students for the modern agricultural economy.

Universities are increasingly integrating technology into teaching. Students now train in labs equipped with GPS tools, drones, and remote sensing equipment. Virtual classrooms supplement in-person teaching, enabling students in remote locations to learn from national and international experts. The government is also actively promoting the use of IoT and AI in agricultural education, with dedicated Technology Innovation Hubs set up at institutions like IIT Ropar, IIT Bombay, and IIT Kharagpur.

A recent ICAR-World Bank survey found that 75-94% of students in states like Assam, Odisha, and Karnataka now consider technologies such as AI, machine learning, and GIS to be core competencies for modern agriculture. This represents a significant shift in how the next generation views the sector.

Experiential and entrepreneurial learning 🔗

Beyond classroom teaching, agricultural universities have been fostering a startup culture. Incubators set up under NAHEP have helped students launch over 120 agricultural startups, attracting investment and generating rural employment. International internships have also expanded – students have completed placements in countries like Australia, Japan, Israel, Germany, and Saudi Arabia, broadening their exposure to global agricultural practices.

This entrepreneurial push is changing perceptions. Agriculture is increasingly being seen not just as farming, but as a sector offering diverse careers in technology, business, research, and policy.

Farmer training and extension: beyond formal education 🔗

Agricultural education in India extends well beyond universities. A massive network of training and extension programmes ensures that practising farmers also receive ongoing skill development.

Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) are the frontline of farmer training. ICAR runs 731 KVKs across the country. Between 2021-22 and 2023-24, these centres trained over 58 lakh farmers, and an additional 18.56 lakh were trained in just the first ten months of 2024-25. KVK programmes cover improved agronomy, livestock care, soil health management, and post-harvest technology, all tailored to local conditions.

ATMA (Agriculture Technology Management Agency) is another key initiative. It strengthens decentralised agricultural extension at the state and district levels. Between 2021 and 2025, ATMA trained nearly 1.27 crore farmers across the country. Additionally, the Skill Training of Rural Youth (STRY) programme provides short vocational courses in areas like horticulture, dairy, and fisheries. Over 51,000 rural youth have been trained under STRY since 2021.

The Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) trained over 57,000 farmers in farm machinery use during 2021-25. Meanwhile, the Soil Health Card Scheme has distributed more than 25 crore cards, accompanied by over 93,000 soil-health training sessions and 6.8 lakh field demonstrations.

Challenges that persist 🔗

Despite significant progress, several challenges continue to hold back agricultural education in India.

Funding constraints remain a major issue. Many SAUs receive the bulk of their state government grants as salary expenditure, leaving limited funds for infrastructure, research, and operational improvements. This affects the quality of education and the ability to attract and retain qualified faculty.

Outdated curricula are still a concern at many institutions that have not fully adopted reforms. Topics like precision farming, climate-smart agriculture, data analytics, and sustainable practices need to be mainstreamed rather than treated as optional additions. As a report on agricultural education challenges notes, outdated curricula leave graduates poorly equipped to adopt modern techniques and respond to emerging challenges.

Regional disparities are stark. While states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala maintain relatively high higher education GER values, states like Bihar and Jharkhand lag significantly behind. Agricultural education access in these underserved regions needs targeted intervention.

Gender and social inclusion have improved but still require attention. While female participation in agricultural universities has grown, the GER for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in higher education remains below the national average. Ensuring equitable access for all social groups is essential.

Faculty shortages and competence gaps also need addressing. Agricultural institutions require faculty who are proficient in emerging fields like biotechnology, AI, and agri-business – areas where trained professionals are in short supply.

The road ahead 🔗

India’s agricultural education system is at a turning point. The foundations are strong – a vast institutional network, growing enrolment, modernised curricula at leading universities, and a vibrant extension system reaching millions of farmers. The NEP 2020’s vision of multidisciplinary, flexible education and the goal of 50% GER in higher education by 2035 provide a clear policy direction.

However, achieving truly inclusive agricultural education will require sustained investment in infrastructure, especially in underserved states. Strengthening accreditation processes for both public and private institutions is critical. Expanding virtual and digital learning platforms can help reach students in remote areas. And perhaps most importantly, changing the public perception of agriculture as a career – from a last-resort option to a technology-driven, entrepreneurial field – will be key to attracting more young talent.

What do you think? Can technology-driven reforms in agricultural education truly change how the next generation perceives farming as a career? What additional steps could help raise the Gross Enrolment Ratio in agricultural studies across India’s underserved regions?

References

1. https://icar.org.in/en/about-us
2. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2186124
3. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2025/09/08/cultivating-change-in-agricultural-education-the-rise-of-tech-driven-learning-in-india-s-agriculture-universities
4. https://icar.org.in/en/national-agricultural-education-accreditation-board-1
5. https://educationforallinindia.com/trends-analysis-of-gross-enrolment-ratio-ger-in-higher-education-in-india-2024/
6. https://icar.org.in/institutes
7. https://www.jiva.ag/blog/the-current-landscape-of-agriculture-education-identifying-challenges
8. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1588899/full