New Delhi [India], October 3 : Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers' Welfare, and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has resolved a major concern in agricultural education, bringing a huge relief to agriculture students and their parents. Henceforth, 20 per cent of undergraduate seats in agricultural universities will be filled through an all-India competitive examination conducted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
In line with the spirit of 'One Nation-One Agriculture-One Team', the eligibility criteria and subject groups for students across the country have been made uniform. This will allow students who studied Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Agriculture in Class 12 to secure admission through the CUET-ICAR national entrance exam in a direct and transparent manner, said an official release from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Speaking to the media in Delhi, Shivraj Singh explained that for several years, agricultural students faced a significant hurdle due to the ineligible criteria for B.Sc. Agriculture admissions. Different subject combinations in Class 12 (Agriculture/Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Mathematics), varying state rules, and differing eligibility requirements caused many deserving students to be left behind. In recent days, students highlighted this problem on social media, and some state representatives also wrote to the minister about it.
Responding with sensitivity, he took prompt cognisance of the issue and directed ICAR Director General Mangi Lal Jat to engage with agricultural universities and their vice chancellors to find a quick solution.
Chouhan congratulated the ICAR DG and his team for working promptly towards a resolution and thanked the agricultural universities and vice chancellors for cooperating in implementing the reforms swiftly.
He said that with this decision, admissions are now simplified and uniform for students across the country. This streamlined arrangement, starting from the 2025-26 academic year, will remove admission-related complications in B.Sc. Agriculture, directly benefitting nearly 3,000 students.
The Union Minister informed that of the 50 agricultural universities providing ICAR quota seats for B.Sc. (Agriculture), 42 have already accepted ABC (Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry) as the eligibility combination, usually studied by agriculture or inter-agriculture students. In addition, three universities have also accepted PCA (Physics, Chemistry, Agriculture). With this effort, about 2,700 seats (around 85%) out of the 3,121 ICAR quota seats available in 2025-26 will be accessible to students with Agriculture/Inter-Agriculture subjects in Class 12.
The remaining five universities, which require approval from their management board, have assured that from the 2026-27 academic session, Class 12 Agriculture will also be included in their eligibility criteria. Discussions with these vice chancellors are ongoing, with efforts being made to introduce the change within this session itself.