University of Calcutta, Kolkata announces Admission to  Ph.D Programs
University of Calcutta, Kolkata announces Admission to Ph.D Programs

University of Calcutta, Kolkata invites applications for admission to Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Programs at its Kolkata Campus.University of Calcutta, Kolkata Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Admission

University of Calcutta Ph.D Admission

University of Calcutta PhD Admission 2024 in Agronomy – Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Science, Calcutta University, invites applications for admission to PhD (Agronomy) Program for the academic year 2024-25. 

Course Offered

Eligibility Criteria

Post B.Sc.-B.Tech./B.Tech./BE Degree or Masters Degree in Science.

Course Duration

  • 3 years

No. of Seats

  • 03 (Three) vacancies exist in the Dept. for admission to PhD considering the strength and availability of faculty members Reservation will be followed as per the WB(Part-I)/2014/SAR

Requirement of Ph.D. Entrance Test

Candidates having Post B.Sc.-B.Tech./B.Tech./B.E. Degree (as per provision 6.4 of Ph.D. Regulations of CU, 2016) or Masters Degree in Science (as per provision 5.1 of the aforesaid Regulations) are to appear for the Ph.D. Entrance Test for the Ph.D. programme 2024. Candidates appearing in the Final Semester/Year are also eligible.

Fee Structure

  • Rs.3,400

Important Dates

  • Last Date for Submission of Application Form 04th March 2024
  • Interview (Research Eligibility Test) on 06th March 2024 at 2 p.m. 

Eligibility Criteria

  • Candidates eligible for admission to the Ph.D. program must hold a Master’s degree in Agronomy with at least 55% marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade ‘B’ in the UGC 7-point scale (or an equivalent grade in a point scale wherever grading system is followed).
  • A relaxation of 5% of marks from 55% to 50%, or an equivalent relaxation of grade, may be allowed for those belonging to SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer)/Differently-abled and other categories of candidates as per UGC Ph.D. Regulations, 2016.
  • Candidates who have qualified in NET/GATE or have obtained DST INSPIRE Fellowship would be exempted from the Ph.D. entrance test.
  • They may directly submit a statement of purpose or research in brief and appear for the interview.

Application Process:

  1. Download the Application Form from the University Website www.caluniv.ac.in.
  2. Fill up the Application Form and attach:
    • Self-attested copies of relevant mark sheets
    • Proof of age
    • Certificate supporting reserve category
    • Receipt of deposition of Application Fee of Rs. 100/- (One hundred only) paid through a challan obtainable in the College Street cash counter or through State Bank Collect online.
  3. For online payment:
    • Visit https://www.onlinesbi.sbi/sbicollect/icollecthome.htm
    • Select the type of corporate/institution as Educational Institutions
    • Choose the state of corporate/institution as West Bengal
    • Select educational institute name as CALCUTTA UNIVERSITY ONLINE PAYMENT
    • Choose payment category as Entrance fees for Ph.D. Program Law
    • In remarks, mention “Entrance fees for RET-2024, AGRONOMY”
  4. Submit the filled Application Form and required documents to the Institute office or H.O.D. Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Science, University of Calcutta by 04th March, 2024.

Research Entrance Test (RET):

  • Mode of Exam: The entrance test will be of 50 marks with objective type or short answer type questions. The duration of the entrance test will be one hour. (Qualifying Marks for the Ph.D. Entrance Test will be 50%).
  • Exemption from Ph.D. Entrance Test: Candidates who have qualified in NET/GATE or have obtained DST INSPIRE Fellowship are exempted from the Ph.D. entrance test. They may directly submit a statement of purpose or research in brief and appear in the interview.
  • Date & Time: Ph.D. Entrance test followed by an interview (Research Eligibility Test) for Ph.D. programme in Agronomy will be held on 6th March, 2024 at 1 pm, and same day at 4 p.m. respectively.
  • Interview Details: An interview will be held on 6th March, 2024 at 4 p.m., for entrance test qualified candidates as well as candidates having NET/GATE or have obtained DST Fellowship.
  • Successful candidates will be eligible to register for their Ph.D. in the Department of Agronomy.

Syllabus for the Research Eligibility Test (RET)

Basic Principles:

  • Origin and distribution of field crops
  • Physical, chemical, and biological factors affecting growth and development of field crops
  • Modern concepts of tillage
  • Cropping patterns and systems
  • Plant growth analysis
  • Plant population, sowing techniques, time, and depth
  • Crop yield components

Crop Ecology:

  • Environmental factors affecting distribution and adaptation of crops
  • Agro-ecological and agro-climatic regions
  • Ecological factors affecting crop growth
  • Crop yield and agrometeorological relationships
  • Crop yields and ecological optima
  • Adverse climatic factors and crop productivity

Weed Management:

  • Principles of weed management
  • Weed classification, biology, ecology, and allelopathy
  • Crop-weed competition
  • Herbicides classification, mode of action, selectivity, and resistance
  • Persistence of herbicides in soils and plants
  • Application methods and equipment
  • Biological weed control, bio-herbicides, and myco-herbicides
  • Integrated weed management
  • Special weeds, parasitic, and aquatic weeds and their management in crops, cropping systems, and non-cropped lands

Water Management:

  • Soil-water-plant relationships
  • Soil moisture stress and plant growth
  • Modern concepts in irrigation management
  • Methods of determining water and irrigation requirements of field crops
  • Consumptive use of water and methods of computation
  • Quality of irrigation water
  • Scheduling of irrigation under assured and limited water supply
  • Factors affecting water use efficiency
  • Water management in field crops and cropping systems
  • Methods of irrigation, merits, and limitations
  • Conjunctive use of water

Nutrient Management:

  • Concept of essentiality of plant nutrients, their availability, management, and diagnostic techniques
  • Concepts of soil fertility and productivity
  • Organic matter and organic manures
  • Cropping systems and soil fertility relationships
  • Fertilizers, their classification, composition, mineralization, availability, and reaction products in relation to crop nutrition
  • Principles and methods of fertilizer application
  • Fertilizer use efficiency in different situations
  • Integrated nutrient management

Dryland Agriculture:

  • Crop selection criteria for drylands
  • Concept of intercropping/mixed cropping in drylands
  • Precipitation-collection, conservation, and utilization
  • Crop production under moisture stress situations
  • Contingency crop planning for aberrant weather conditions
  • Use of mulches and transpiration suppressants
  • Fertilizer management in dryland crops
  • Cropping patterns and crop diversification in dryland

Crop Production in Problem Areas:

  • Principles of field drainage
  • Excess soil water and plant growth
  • Cropping systems, patterns on poorly drained soils
  • Problem soils and their distribution in India
  • Management of acid, saline, and alkali soils
  • Excess salt and water tolerant crops
  • Crop production techniques in problem soils

Crop Production:

  • Crop production techniques for cereals, legumes, oilseeds, fibre crops, sugarcane, tobacco, and potato crops
  • Distribution, season, adaptability, climate, soil, and water requirements
  • Component technology, quality characteristics, uses, and seed production techniques

Agricultural Statistics:

  • Frequency distribution, mean, median, and mode
  • Correlation and response function
  • Tests of significance – t, f, and chi-square tests
  • Designs of experiments-basic principles
  • Completely randomized, randomized block design
  • Latin square split, strip, factorial, and simple confounding designs

Sustainable Land Use Systems:

  • Concept of sustainability
  • Alternate land use systems
  • Types, extent, and causes of wastelands
  • Concept and types of agro-forestry systems
  • Bioenergetics of crop production systems

For more details visit the official website

Contact Details

Address: 87, 1, College St, Calcutta University, College Square, Kolkata, West Bengal 700073

Phone: 090011 40140

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