ICAR Full Form

The ICAR, an abbreviation for the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, is the apex body responsible for the coordination. Guidance and management of all types of research and education related to the field of agriculture in the entire country under the auspices of DARE, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Discussion about ICAR

On the 16th of July, 1929, this department was founded under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. Its headquarters are located in New Delhi. Apart from agriculture, the department also works with horticulture, animal sciences, and fisheries. ICAR’s 101 institutions and 71 agricultural universities have made this department one of the world’s biggest national agricultural systems. 

It is the ICAR that is responsible for the green revolution’s success. They are the ones who put in the effort to start all kinds of growth in agricultural areas in India. Food grain production increased by a factor of five, horticulture crops by 9.5 times, fish produced by 12.5 times, eggs produced by 39 times, and milk production increased by 7.8 times in just a few years from 1951. Additionally, it has played a significant role in the promotion of excellence in agricultural higher education.

Major divisions in ICAR

Horticultural Science, Agricultural Engineering, Crop Science, Natural Resource Management, Fisheries Sciences, Animal Science, Knowledge Management, Agricultural Education, and other key units are included in ICAR.

Major milestones which were achieved by the ICAR

ICAR is well-known among true Indians for its outstanding performance. It was they who introduced the very first nation-based Coordinated Research Project on Maize in the year 1957. This resulted in significant developments in the corn cultivation process. Later the same year, in 1958, the university’s status was ultimately granted to IARI. The list only goes on from here. In 1966, they established numerous more agricultural institutes, including the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) in 1973.

In 1974, the ICAR established the first Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Puducherry. The Agricultural Research Service and Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board were founded by the ICAR a year later, in 1975. Introduced the Lab-to-Land Program and the National Agricultural Research Project in 1979. (NARP) In 1995, the Institution-Village Linkage Program was launched (IVLP). In 1996, the National Gene Bank was created in New Delhi. The King Baudouin Award was given to ICAR in 1989 for its substantial contribution to the Green Revolution. It received the King Baudouin Award for research and development once more in 2004. The National Agricultural Technology Project was launched in 1998. (NATP). In 2005, the National Agricultural Innovation Project was launched (NAIP).

Role of ICAR in accreditation

One of the significant functions of the ICAR is to accredit institutions and colleges. They accomplish this through the National Agricultural Education Accreditation Board (NAEAB). It was created in 1996 and received its current name in 2017. When any institute seeks accreditation from ICAR, it is more like a road plan for the quality of services that they provide. If you go through the list, you can find roughly 39 NAEAB-accredited institutes. Since 2016-17, this certification has been linked with the delivery of funding for quality of education control for State Agricultural Universities.  

Some institutes also utilize it as an affiliate or admittance criterion. Goa University re-accredited a college in September 2021 after previously cancelling the affiliation due to the college’s lack of NAEAB accreditation. Students were denied admission to Rajiv Gandhi University’s master’s program in 2022 because the B.Sc. in Agricultural degrees was from a non – accredited private college. 

Agricultural Research Service

It is commonly abbreviated as ARS, and the board of members participating in it is referred to as the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board. They are in charge of recruiting for positions in the ARS of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. It is one of the most important components of ICAR and contributes significantly to the advancement of the country’s agricultural studies and output.

Conclusion

ICAR is an abbreviation for the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, which was founded on July 16, 1929, under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, and is based in New Delhi, Delhi. It is an autonomous organization in charge of reporting to the Department of Agriculture of Research and Education (DARE), the Ministry of Agriculture, and Farmers Welfare.