Students who wish to pursue a career in agricultural science should possess
a strong foundation in botany, physics, chemistry and mathematics. Various
universities and colleges in India offers Under-graduate, Post-graduate,
Diploma and Doctorate courses in agriculture science.
A bachelors degree is enough for the trade in product development or
applied research in agriculture. For a career as an agricultural scientist,
a master's degree is necessary and Ph.D in agriculture is needed for the
post of a senior researcher and teaching profession. Those with post graduate
diploma and degree in agriculture and related subjects can become an agriculture
technologists.
Educational:
The basic eligibility criteria for B.Sc Agriculture Science is 10+2 or
equivalent with science subjects with a minimum 50% marks. Duration of
the course is 4 years and the admission to most of the institutions is
based on merit or performance in the entrance examination conducted by
the concerned institute/ university or on the basis of marks obtained
in the ICAR Examination.
B.Sc or B.Tech degree in relevant subject is needed
for the 2 year Master's degree programmes. In M.Sc. Agriculture science
several specialisations are offered in the branches like agronomy, plant
physiology, nematology, seed technology, soil science and soil conservation,
sericulture, animal husbandry and dairy, horticulture, water conservation,
farming system management, agricultural botany, agricultural biotechnology,
agricultural chemistry, agricultural Economics, agricultural marketing
management and so on.
For the 3 years Ph.D, one needs to have post graduate degree like M.Sc
or M.Tech in related field. Almost all the agricultural universities provide
Ph.D degree in different disciplines. Several institutes offer P.G Diploma
courses in agriculture and those having a bachelors degree with an extensive
knowledge base in agricultural science can opt for these courses.
Selection :
Admission to all the courses in Agricultural science are made through
Entrance Examination. These exams are conducted by the concerned institute/
university.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi conduct an
entrance examination separately for graduate and postgraduate courses.
Eligibility requirement for the exam is 12th pass in science / agriculture
with 50% marks for graduate level courses, and 60% marks in B.Sc / B.Sc
(Agriculture) for postgraduate level courses. Certain institutes admit
students on the basis of the marks obtained in ICAR examination. ICAR
also provide fellowship for all the students of postgraduate courses and
for those students who've got Junior Research Fellowship during the entrance
exam at the postgraduate level. Indian Agricultural Research Institute
(IARI), Delhi; Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar; National
Dairy Research Institute, Karnal and Central Institute on Fisheries Education,
Mumbai are some of the major institutes that conducts their own entrance
examination.
Personal Attributes:
To be a successful agricultural professional, one must have a good knowledge
in science, and be familiar with crops, pastures, soil types, agricultural
and horticultural chemicals etc. They should have a keen and analytical
mind, a high level of concentration, an aptitude for research, ability
to work as part of a team, abundant physical stamina to put in long hours
of work and patience. Other needed attributes are good observation skills,
communication skill, organizing skills, written and oral skills, the ability
to give presentations and knowledge of common business concepts. Computer
knowledge is essential to analyze data and to control biological and chemical
processing. This profession demands hard work and high level of patience
along with many years of study.
