Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Coochbehar

Name of the University: Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Coochbehar

Year of Establishment: 2001

Vision :Following the mission and mandate of the University, the goals and objective, of the University have been projected below:

Teaching – Goals and Objectives:

Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, one among the younger Agricultural Universities in the country, has been pioneering the educational heritage over the last two decades to meet the growing need of human resources in agriculture. The University is dedicated towards maintenance and promotion of standards of instruction, education and examinations to generate the much sought after human resources, with sound, updated technical knowhow in the field of agriculture and allied disciplines commensurate with the dynamic changes occurring in the same.

The major teaching goals of the university:

• To make agricultural education responsive to the growing and changing needs of the society in general and aspirations of the farming community in particular.
• To establish a dynamic system of agricultural education to generate highly skilled and competent manpower to address the challenging tasks vis-à-vis the emerging areas of agricultural sciences.

The specific objectives under the broad goals, as envisaged above, are:

• To provide a contemporary education system to meet the changing needs of the agricultural sector;
• To make agricultural education responsive to the needs of the farming sector and widen the knowledge base by providing vocational training in agricultural sciences to the rural youth ;
• To initiate courses of recent and future relevance to build a strong academic foundation for the scientific and other technical human resources generated by the University.

Research – Goals and Objectives:

Research activities of the University are organized by Academic Departments, Regional Research stations and sub-stations and through KVKs as well. However, major research activities are conducted by the Regional Research Stations and Sub-stations spread over three agro-climatic regions in North Bengal falling under the jurisdiction of the University. The major areas of research in the University include, breeding of crop varieties, crop production, crop protection, horticulture, animal science, forestry, fishery, sericulture, social sciences, resource conservation, water management, conservation agriculture depending upon the situation as prevailed in different agro-climatic regions.

The research goals of the University have been envisaged to maintain the high standards to put it on the right path to excellence.

The major research goals of the University:

• Generation of location specific and farm centric technology with a long term objective of enhancing the productivity and quality of agricultural produce and reduce the cost of production in a sustainable manner.

The specific objectives under the broad goals, as envisaged above, are:

• To identify and prioritize areas requiring immediate and long-term redressal of the problems in a mission mode;
• To create necessary infrastructure (laboratories and research farms) for carrying out the desired research in the perspective of dynamic changes in areas of agricultural sciences and allied disciplines;
• To identify the thrust areas, having relevance for future and initiate work to direct research activities towards their solution.
• To conduct need based, problem oriented research towards generating technologies for adoption in the farmers’ field
• To develop a well-equipped operational research management system ensuring quick, efficient and cost effective implementation of the research programmes
• To attract qualified and brilliant researchers to the University
• Identification and prioritization of research programme in conformity with the short term and long term needs of the Government involving the Line Departments and other research/development organizations operating in the area for joint persuasion to ICAR/Govt. of India / other funding Agencies for strengthening and revitalizing regional researches in the Universities and adaptive researches in the State.
• To take up basic research for comprehension of applied and strategic ones in agricultural sciences and build up of consortia for encouraging collaborative research with other Universities / Research Institutes.
• To organize and coordinate Industrial / Private funded market oriented research for developing product / inputs to ensure production and availability of seeds, new molecules of safer pesticides, bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides from native sources, post-harvest technologies, plant-based medicine, bio-technological protocol, processing technique and package of practices of newly introduced crops as well as to expedite the agro-industrial development in the area.

Extension – Goals and Objectives:

The extension wing of the University provides research and technological outputs generated out of the various ongoing programmes of the University to the end-users. It is also vested with the responsibility of organizing training on capacity building and human resource development. In the process of impact analysis feedback on the efficacies of the various technologies and their preference are also assessed so as to supplement or complement the lacunae in the implementation of various developmental strategies through extension oriented programmes.

The major extension goals of the University:

• To ensure dissemination of proven technologies to the farmers on a logistically feasible scale and also to identify the problems through a positive feedback;
• To impart training to the grass root level extension workers and officers of the State Department of Agriculture, Horticulture and Allied Sectors on recent advances in the field of agriculture and allied sciences through subject matter specialists in order to transmit updated scientific knowledge and technology to the farming community.

The specific objectives under the broad goals, as envisaged above, are:

• To facilitate effective transfer of technology to the farmers in a mission oriented manner;
• To educate farmers, government officials and trainers with the most modern technologies in the field of agriculture for wider dissemination;
• To develop extension techniques towards transfer of technology befitting ethnologically the diversified farming community for developing knowledge base of the farmers;
• To evaluate impact of technology and emerging problems at the grass root level through adopting effective feedback mechanisms for the benefit of researchers and extension specialists.

Mission: MandateThe mandate of Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya (UBKV) as specified in the University Act 2000 is:

• Imparting education in different branches of study in agriculture, horticulture, agricultural processing, engineering, terrestrial and aquatic sciences, forestry, tea science, agricultural engineering, home science, biotechnology, environment and other allied branches of learning scholarship;
• Furthering the advancement of learning and prosecution of research in agriculture production system and allied sciences;
• Undertaking the extension education programme in the field of agriculture and allied sciences to the rural people of West Bengal;
• Such other purposes as the University may from time to time, determine

Mission Statement

Commitment towards absorbing newer paradigms in teaching, research and extension services related to agriculture and allied sciences and using them to develop human resource, innovative technologies and their dissemination so as to serve the farming community of the state and the country.

Jurisdiction/ area of operation: The jurisdiction of the University in teaching, research & extension education programme in the field of agriculture & allied sciences shall extend to all the northern districts of Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur & Malda in West Bengal.

Educational Programmes offered:

Courses offered at Under Graduate level-

• Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) Honours
• Bachelor of Science (Horticulture) Honours
• Bachelor of Technology (Agricultural Engineering)

Courses offered at Post Graduate level (M.Sc. and Ph.D.)-

• Master of Science in Agriculture
• Master of Science in Horticulture
• Master of Science in Forestry
• Doctor of Philosophy (Agriculture)
• Doctor of Philosophy (Horticulture)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Forestry

Major Area of Research:

• Crop Improvement through conventional and modern biotechnological breeding procedure
• Crop management for maximizing the productivity and standardization of management practices in rice, wheat, maize, jute, potato, pulses, oilseeds and other horticulturally important corps.
• Characterization of soils and their amelioration strategies with reference to micronutrient deficiency and acidity.
• Crop protection studies in major crops of the region and their validation through multidisciplinary approaches.
• Seed production and multiplication of major crops with a view to strengthen the participatory seed multiplication programme.
• Extension outreach to the farmers with the objective of enhancing the livelihood standard of the farming community through appropriate socio-economic analysis.

Highlights of Extension Education Activities – (Including Number of KVKs, Training Programmes / Certificate Courses, etc.)

To achieve the goal of reaching the unreached with a technology basket, Directorate of Extension Education had been constituted with a Farm Advisory service centre at Main campus, ATIC at the main campus of the university and five KVKs at Kalimpong, Pundibari, Majhian, Chopra and Ratua in the districts of Kalimpong, Coochbehar, Dakshin Dinajpur, Uttar Dinajpur and Malda, respectively. A considerable number of mandatory extension programmes like vocational training, demonstration, farmers’ fair and technology week, field days, exhibition, campaigns, group-meetings, farmers-scientists interaction, ex-trainee Sammelan, animal health and vaccination camp and field diagnostic visits are also conducted by all the KVKs throughout the year. The trainings are conducted in the thematic areas like Production and Management Technology of Crops, Resource Conservation Technology, Nursery Management, Protected Cultivation, Orchard Management, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), INM, IDM, Exotic Vegetables, Soil Fertility Management, Household Food Security, Post-harvest Value Addition, Animal Health Management, Feed Management, Breed Upgradation, Integrated Fish Farming, Composite Fish Culture, Fish Breeding, Leadership Development, Natural Resource Management, Vermi-Composting, Honey Bee Rearing, Women & Child Care etc. The different success stories had been observed and documented by the University on the technologies like scientific floriculture, scientific pig rearing, vermicomposting, energy rich low cost weaning food, scientific technology for tea leaf plucking, scientific hybrid Magur production, beekeeping, etc which the University extension system can boast of. KVKs have been successfully implementing different climate resilient technologies like water harvesting and recycling, contingent crop planning, etc. under Technology Demonstration Component of prestigious NICRA project. Three KVKs viz. Cooch Behar, Darjeeling and Uttar Dinajpur are supported with Soil and Water Testing Labs and during the period several number of soil, plant and water samples have been analysed and subsequent prescriptions have been forwarded to 3673 number of farmers. Instructional farms of the KVKs have successfully produced and distributed cereals, oilseeds, pulses, spices and other crops to the farmers and we are proud to share that farmers of this area have chosen our seed materials as their best option. The KVKs have developed a strong linkage with the Department of Agriculture through ATMA and with other State Govt. Departments, CRIJAF, NIRJAFT, ICARDA, IPNI, NAIP, BADP, Nehru Yuva Kendra, PPV & FRA , CRRI, CIAE, CFTRI for technology back stopping, farmers variety registration, fabrication of tools , demonstration, training etc. The technologies available for large scale adoption are lime Dressing of Black gram Seeds for Acid Soils, Zero Tillage Rice Cultivation, Healthy Seed Bed Preparation, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Module for Mealy Bug in Pineapple, Eco-friendly Management Module of Brinjal Fruit and Shoot Borer, Integration of Fish-Duck-Dyke Vegetables Production System, Indigenous De-wormer for goats, Low Cost Weaning Food, Low cost feed supplement for pregnant mother, Need based N application using LCC in kharif rice, Variety and nutrient management in Jute, Application of micro-nutrient (boron) under boron deficient old alluvial soils, Techniques to reduce leaf curl disease of chilli for higher production and productivity, Technological option for intercropping practice of banana with French bean and garden pea in terms of yield and net return, Manual efficacy for enhancement of fish yield, Low cost balanced feed on the yield performance of dairy animals, Low cost feed formulated with locally available ingredients on layer bird, Suitable variety of wheat at optimum time through ZT method under low and low- medium land, Productivity enhancement of paddy grown with green manure crop, Profit enhancement of maize with different crop combinations through intercropping, Productivity enhancement of fishes by application of feed mixture. The introduction of web-based Farmers Advisory Service through implementation of Disease and Pestilence Warning System Project paves the way to make the society more knowledge vibrant. All the KVKs under the jurisdiction of UBKV have started sending messages on different aspects of agricultural practices to the mobile sets of the farmers of the respective district to get the farmers acquainted with need based information on crop management, plant protection, disease outbreak, market intelligence, weather forecasting, etc. Recently the university has also organized one International seminar on Minor Fruits and National Seminar on Climate resilient agriculture and nutritional and food security. The University as a Technical Support Institution (TSI) successfully prepared C-DAP for seven districts of North Bengal. Regularised publication of “UBKV Newsletter” and the publication of seasonal agricultural extension bulletin ‘Uttarer Krishi Katha’ for the farmers of North Bengal help in showcasing the university events and technology. World Soil Day is observed in the University campus successfully. New KVK in Alipurduar district has been proposed to ICAR to serve the farmers of the district in a better way.

Strength of the University (Including 5 important achievements)

• Imparting advisory services through faculties and Directorates.
• Resource efficient and environmentally sound soil, plant and animal management technology available for the stakeholders.
• Facilities like Central Instrumentation Centre, Research Complex under RKVY and Agricultural Technology Information Centre (ATIC) are present in the university
• Varieties on rice, ginger, turmeric developed by the university research system released for cultivation.
• Database on soil-health status and crop- pathogen and pest interaction, on major crops.
• Faculties and college for imparting quality higher education in consonance with the developed system of frontier researches.
• Students with strong academic background
• State of the art laboratories to address frontier areas of research and modern instructional farm facilities
• Regional Research Stations and Sub-Stations for addressing the location specific research Needs
• Krishi Vigyan Kendra at district level under the jurisdiction of the university to act as the single window system of information dissemination through extension services.
• Good linkage with ICAR and State Government as well as other National and International Institutes.
• Enriched off line and online library system.
• Adequate health, sports facilities for the students

Achievements

• High success rate at the national level entrance examinations like ICAR-JRF, GATE, ICAR-NET, etc by the students of the university.
• Introduction of Entrance Examination for admission to PG (M.Sc and Ph. D) courses
• The University is successfully preparing Comprehensive District Agricultural Plan (C-DAP) as a Technical Support Institution (TSI) for seven districts of North Bengal.
• The Student READY (Rural and Entrepreneurship Awareness Development Yojana) programme has been successfully implemented for ensuring and assuring employability to the students.
• One Ginger variety UBKV-ADA-1 (Mohini) is nationally released for cultivation in the states of Kerala, Odisha and West Bengal after getting recommendation from NRCS.
• Leaf blotch and Leaf Spot resistant Turmeric variety Uttar Rangini has been developed by the university and released for cultivation by CVRC.
• Rice variety Uttar Lakshmi has been developed by the university in 2020 for cultivation in the states of West Bengal, Odisha and Tripura.
• Other notable varieties developed by the university are Uttar Sona, Uttar Samir and Uttar Sugandhi in rice and Uttar Rupanjana in Turmeric.

Niche Area of Excellence (Area in which University is strong):

• Improving Crop- husbandry under this area
• Micro and Secondary nutrient management for sustaining crop productivity.
• Pest and disease surveillance through farmers interactive portal
• Carbon sequestration potential in soil.
• Management of acid soils through detailed characterization.

Status of Autonomy:State aided University

Funding support received (from State and Other agencies)

State funding Rs.33,61,98,749/-
Other agencies funding Rs.9,99,31,368/-

Faculty position:

• Sanctioned: 181
• In position: 131
• Vacant: 50

Student intake:

• UG : 96
• PG : 138
• Ph. D: 71

Contact Details