20 pc seats in agriculture universities to be filled through ICAR exam: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

New Delhi, Oct 3 (IANS) Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday announced changes in the admission process for agriculture universities across India.

Starting from the academic session 2025–26, 20 per cent of undergraduate seats in these universities will be filled through the All India Competitive Examination conducted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The Minister said that eligibility norms and subject groups for the entrance exam have now been standardized.

Students who have studied Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, or Agriculture at the higher secondary level will be eligible to apply under the CUET-ICAR system.

Chouhan explained that earlier, variations in subject combinations and state-specific rules had created confusion and difficulties for students aspiring to join B.Sc. Agriculture courses.

The issue was repeatedly raised on social media by students and also discussed by state representatives.

Following this, the Minister directed ICAR’s Director General, Dr. Mangi Lal Jat, to hold discussions with universities and vice-chancellors.

As per ICAR, out of 50 agricultural universities that admit students under the ICAR quota, 42 have agreed to accept the Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry (ABC) subject group for admissions.

Three universities have also allowed the Physics, Chemistry, Agriculture (PCA) combination.

This means nearly 2,700 out of the 3,121 ICAR quota seats -- about 85 per cent -- will now be open to students who studied agriculture at the higher secondary level.

The remaining five universities have informed that they require approval from their Board of Management before implementing the change.

However, they have assured that Agriculture will be added as an eligibility subject from the 2026–27 academic session, with efforts underway to introduce it earlier.

The Minister said that this new system will make admissions easier and more transparent.

He added that nearly 3,000 students will benefit from the revised rules starting from 2025–26.

--IANS

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