Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU) is a public central university dedicated to agricultural education, research and extension, located at Pusa in the Samastipur district of Bihar, India. Named after Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, the institution is one of the few central agricultural universities in the country and serves as a major centre for agricultural sciences in the eastern Indian region.
| Name | Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University |
|---|---|
| Former name | Rajendra Agricultural University (RAU) |
| Type | Central university (agricultural) |
| Location | Pusa, Samastipur district, Bihar, India |
| Named after | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| Field | Agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, veterinary and allied sciences |
| Country | India |
The Pusa campus has a long historical association with agricultural research in India. It was the original home of the Imperial Agricultural Research Institute, established in the early twentieth century, before that institute was relocated to New Delhi following damage caused by an earthquake. The legacy of agricultural science at Pusa formed the foundation on which the present university was built.
The institution was first established as Rajendra Agricultural University (RAU), functioning as the state agricultural university of Bihar with a mandate covering teaching, research and extension across the state. It later attained the status of a central agricultural university through an Act of the Parliament of India and was renamed in honour of Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
The university offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes across disciplines relevant to agriculture and rural development. Its constituent colleges and faculties typically include:
The university also operates a network of research stations and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) spread across districts of Bihar, which act as the principal channel for transferring agricultural technology to farmers.
RPCAU conducts research on crops important to the Indo-Gangetic plains, including rice, wheat, maize, pulses, oilseeds, sugarcane, vegetables and fruits such as litchi and mango, for which the Bihar region is well known. Research activities are coordinated with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and include All India Coordinated Research Projects on a range of crops and farming systems. Extension services through KVKs cover farmer training, demonstrations, soil testing and dissemination of improved varieties and practices.
As the central agricultural university serving Bihar and the broader eastern region, RPCAU plays a strategic role in addressing the agricultural challenges of a densely populated, predominantly rural area characterised by small landholdings, flood-prone terrain and reliance on monsoon agriculture. Its location at Pusa connects it to a heritage of more than a century of agricultural research in India.