The Central Agricultural University (CAU) is a public agricultural university headquartered in Imphal, Manipur, India. Established by an Act of the Indian Parliament, it serves the agricultural higher education and research needs of several states in the North Eastern Region of India.
Key facts
| Name | Central Agricultural University |
|---|---|
| Type | Central university (agricultural) |
| Established by | Central Agricultural University Act, 1992 |
| Headquarters | Imphal, Manipur, India |
| Jurisdiction | North Eastern states of India |
| Affiliation | Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) |
Overview
The university was created to impart education in different branches of agriculture and allied sciences, conduct research, and undertake extension activities for the rural communities of the North East. It functions under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Government of India, and its academic programmes are accredited by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
Background
The Central Agricultural University was constituted under the Central Agricultural University Act, 1992 (Act No. 40 of 1992), passed by the Parliament of India. The university began functioning later in the decade, with its main campus located in Imphal. It was set up to address the unique agro-climatic conditions, hill and shifting cultivation systems, and biodiversity of the North Eastern Region, where conventional state agricultural universities had limited reach at the time.
Academic structure
The university operates a network of constituent colleges spread across the North Eastern states, offering undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes. Disciplines covered by its colleges include:
- Agriculture
- Horticulture and Forestry
- Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry
- Fisheries
- Agricultural Engineering and Post Harvest Technology
- Home Science / Community Science
- Food Technology
Constituent colleges are located in states including Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, with the College of Agriculture in Imphal being among the founding institutions.
Research and extension
Research at CAU focuses on crops, livestock and fisheries suited to the hill and humid sub-tropical conditions of the North East, including indigenous rice varieties, horticultural crops, organic farming systems, jhum (shifting cultivation) improvement, and conservation of regional biodiversity. The university also operates Krishi Vigyan Kendras and extension units that work directly with farming communities.
Significance
CAU is one of only a small number of central universities in India dedicated specifically to agricultural education, and it is the principal such institution serving the North Eastern Region. By concentrating teaching, research and extension under a single central body, it has played a role in human resource development for agriculture in states that historically lacked dedicated agricultural universities.
Related topics
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research
- Agricultural universities in India
- Education in Manipur
- North East India
- Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare
- Krishi Vigyan Kendra
References
- Central Agricultural University Act, 1992, Government of India.
- Wikidata entry: Q3446150.