The Kerala Agricultural University is the primary and the principal instrumentality of the Kerala State in providing human resources, and skills and technology, required for the sustainable development of its agriculture, defined broadly encompassing all production activities based on land and water, including crop production (agriculture), animal husbandry, forestry and fishery through conducting, interfacing and integrating education, research and extension in these spheres of economic endeavour.
Deemed to have come into existence on February 24th 1971 by the Act 33 of 1971 of the Kerala State Legislature, entitled 'The Agricultural University Act, 1971', the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) became operational since February 1st 1972 when the then existing two educational and 21 research institutions administered by the Departments of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry of the Government of Kerala, were brought under one umbrella for facilitating the sustainable and accelerated development of agriculture in the State.
Ever since its inception, the Kerala Agricultural University has been providing high quality professional education. In the year 2001, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has adjudged the Kerala Agricultural University as the best performing University among the thirty five State Agricultural Universities and deemed Universities in the country.
Between four faculties (Agriculture, Veterinary and Animal Science, Fisheries and Agricultural Engineering,) ten constituent colleges (three for Agriculture, two for Veterinary and Animal Sciences, one each for Agricultural Engineering, Forestry, Fisheries, Cooperation Banking Management, and Dairy Science and Technology) and 56 Departments, the University offers graduate and post-graduate programmes at Masters as well as Doctoral levels, in almost all the disciplines and specialties on various subjects related to agriculture.
The seven graduate programmes offered include Agriculture, Forestry, Cooperation and Banking, Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Dairy Science and Technology, Fisheries, and Agricultural Engineering and Technology.
In 43 disciplines the University offers nine Post-graduate programmes leading to Masters degree such as Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Agricultural Statistics, Cooperation and Banking, Home Science (Food and Nutrition), Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Fisheries and Agricultural Engineering and Technology
Doctoral programmes are offered in Agriculture, Horticulture, Home Science (Food and Nutrition), Cooperation and Banking, and Veterinary & Animal Sciences covering 23 disciplines.
The University has built up the capacity and facilities to train annually a little over 700 students of which 425 for Graduates, 215 for Masters and 65 for Doctorates. On the average, the University has around 2000 students on its rolls of which girl students constitute nearly three fifths.
The Kerala Agricultural University has been instrumental in providing the intellectual foundation and training in scientific experimentation through its graduates and post graduate programmes to a visible quantity of internationally known professionals and scientists in agriculture and related fields.
The University supports the NCC and the NSS as part of its commitment to instill discipline, sense of patriotism and social sensitivity and commitment. The NCC unit in the University is unique in the state in that it belongs to Veterinary Corps. Apart from contributing in a small measure to the defense preparedness of the nation by having a small but discipline group, the NCC unit makes the University feel proud by securing every year national awards for performance. In all the colleges NSS units are actively functioning.
These details are retrieved from www.kau.edu
Mission & Vision
The Vision
Kerala Agricultural University is well poised to meet the challenges ahead that transforms agriculture sector into the engine of growth of Kerala's economy by providing the human resources, and skills and technology for the sustainable development of state's agriculture, all economic activities put to the production of biomass based land and water including crop production (agriculture), animal husbandry, forestry and fishery.
Realisation of this objective renders imperative; on the one hand, the fostering the natural strengths and advantages emanating from resource endowments such as abundant rainfall, and sun shine and tropical year round biomass production capability as well as the literate and well informed human population; and on the other hand sharpening the competitive edge of Kerala's agriculture through a package of appropriate strategies, public policies, programmes technology services and investment support.
In the specific context of Kerala's highly heterogeneous resource base and societal values, for ensuring livelihood security of the dependent population a paradigm shift in optimisation of the biophysical resource base for agriculture development is called for from the maximisation of production of specific commodities in contrast, to the maximisation of income and employment on a sustainable basis.
The Kerala Agricultural University would strive to fulfill its commitment by reorienting and restructuring its programmes. In education at the graduate level, professionalism would be strengthened with entrepreneurship; and at the post graduate level, training would be imparted in emerging areas integrating relevant disciplines such as biotechnology, natural resource management, environment, IPR and biodiversity, WTO and global trade to mention a few.
Research would be reoriented on pursuing a system approach to technology generation systems rather than specific commodities and focused on integrated agro-silvi-pastoral-aqua production systems and resource based livestock production; emphasis would be on product conversion and value addition rather than ending production alone.
Extension and technology transfer would focus on group approach and area approach, and technology for production systems rather than commodities; training for entreprenuership rather than adding skills; and support services to be rendered by the single window.
Admission
Students are admitted to the Under Graduate courses of the university on the basis of the ranks obtained in the common entrance examination conducted by the the Commissionarate of Entrance Examinations, Government of Kerala. For details, the relevant Government Notifications issued from time to time may be seen. Also visit the official site of the Commissioner of Entrance Examinations Kerala, www.cee-kerala.org.
Application forms for UG courses other than BSc (C&B) can be obtained from institutions listed in the Government Notification regarding Common Entrance Examination, issued from time to time.
For details regarding admission to BSc Co-operation and Banking (C&B) course, please go through the relevant notification issued by KAU.
For the PG courses except Ph.D., selections are made by the committee constituted by the University for the purpose on the basis of written test and interview. Ph. D. admissions are on the basis of interview. For details, please go through the relevant University Notification and Prospectus issued from time to time.
Application forms for PG courses can be downloaded from this website.
