Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Varanasi

About Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Varanasi

Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University has completed its glorious journey of 86 years having significant contributions in making hunger free India. Realizing the importance of agricultural and allied sectors in Indian economy, founder of Banaras Hindu University Bharat Ratna Pt. Madan Mohan Malviaji established an Institute of Agriculture Research in 1931. Since then, agricultural research and education became the integral part of BHU. The institute assumed different names and finally in 1981 got elevated to the status of Institute of Agricultural Sciences aiming at integration of teaching, research, extension and development in the field of Agriculture. Prior to formal establishment of Institute of Agricultural Research in 1931 at BHU, the importance of agriculture was emphasized by our founder Bharat Ratna Pt Malaviya Ji through Dharma VidyaVigyan. Infact agriculture is treated as worship to God starting from Bhoomi Pujan to celebration of Harvest in many forms like Basant Panchami, Baisakhi etc. The foundation day of BHU, which is celebrated on Basant Panchami also has direct link with the blooming of our crops during spring season. The institute continued to discharge its mandated responsibilities of developing human resources, generating farm worthy & eco-friendly technologies and dissemination of technology to sustain and enhance the agricultural growth.

The Institute was one of the pioneers in starting postgraduate teaching and research in Agriculture in our country. In fact, this institute was the first to have established as an Institute of Agricultural Research offering M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. The undergraduate teaching started in the year 1945 and the Institute of Agricultural Research was renamed as College of Agriculture under the Faculty of Engineering. In 1968, the College of Agriculture became an independent Faculty of Agriculture. Subsequently six departments viz. Plant Physiology, Agronomy, Genetics & Plant Breeding, Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Plant Pathology and Agricultural Economics were created in the year 1969. The departments of Horticulture, Entomology and Agricultural Zoology were added in 1971, while Extension Education, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Farm Engineering were added in the year 1981. Centre of Food Sceince and Technology (CFST) was established in 2008 and became integral and permanent part of the Institute in 2016.