Entrance Exams for Agricultural Courses in India

ICAR  also conducts  All India Entrance Examination for the award of ICAR’s Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) and admission to 100% seats of Master’s Degree programme at IARI, IVRI, CIFE, NDRI and 25% seats at all the SAU’s, CAU, and Central Universities in the field of Agriculture, Veterinary & Allied Sciences. The details of the Major Subject Groups and the Subject areas have been given in the Information Bulletin. The Fellowships are tenable in Agricultural Universities; ICAR Institutes based Deemed-to-be-Universities, and other institutions namely BHU Varanasi, AMU Aligarh, Vishwa Bharti, and AAI DU Allahabad. There are 475 Fellowships (JRF) in total in 19 major subject areas which will be awarded based on merit rank of the candidate in this examination and subject area. The Fellowships at present are at the rate of Rs. 5,000/- per month for graduates of Veterinary Science and Rs. 3,600/- per month for graduates in other disciplines for a period of two years with a contingent grant of Rs. 6,000/- per annum for all as per approved norms. 15% seats and JRF are reserved for S.C., 7.5% for S.T. and 3% for Physically Handicapped candidates. Theadmission as well as JRF will be given only to those candidates who join the Master’s Degree Programme in a University/ Institute other than from where he/ she has obtained Bachelor’s Degree except NDRI, Karnal.

Eligibility: Candidates having passed their Bachelor’s Degree (or appearing in final year examination) , in the field of Agriculture, Veterinary, Agricultural Engineering, Fisheries, Horticulture, Home Science, Sericulture, Dairy Technology, Dairy Engineering, Forestry, Agri. Marketing, Banking and Cooperation, Food Science & Technology, Biotechnology, Computer Science, Basic, and Allied Sciences under 10+2+4 (most seats) or 10+2+3 (only few seats) are eligible to apply for the combined examination for JRF and admission to Master’s Degree Programme as per norms of participating Universities. Degree and attaining eligibility by due date will disqualify the candidate.
Most of the participating Universities/ Institutes in this Examination require four years U.G. degree. However, Graduates from Non-agricultural Stream are also eligible for admission to Master’s Degree Programme only in few specified subjects in the limited Universities/ Institutes. For such candidates, if admitted, the duration ofMaster’s Degree Programme would be of 3 years at IARI and some other Universities as the 1st year will be for completing remedial courses in Agriculture and no fellowship would be paid during the first year to such candidates.