Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), popularly known as the Pusa Institute, has officially discontinued its undergraduate B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture programme at its New Delhi campus and most of its academic hubs across the country.
This decision, effective from the 2025–26 academic year, comes after a review and recommendation by a committee formed to streamline degree programmes offered by IARI and its partner institutions. However, the undergraduate programme will continue at two of IARI’s off-campus centres in Assam and Jharkhand.
The move follows concerns raised during the ICAR AGM in June 2025, where Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed dissatisfaction over undergraduate courses being run in research-focused institutions. He noted that the UG programmes were interfering with scientific work, as many scientists were diverted from their core research responsibilities to support educational activities.
According to the official notification dated 11th July 2025, the existing IARI academic hubs will be phased out and replaced by a new “Student Research Partner” (SRP) model from the 2025–26 academic year. Under this model, postgraduate and PhD students will conduct coursework at IARI New Delhi and undertake research projects with designated partner institutes. About 20% of these students may conduct research at SRP centres.
Further, IARI has been asked to seek University Grants Commission (UGC) recognition for its Assam and Jharkhand centres, which will remain operational. Students currently enrolled in the now-phased-out hubs will be allowed to complete their degrees at their existing locations, and all degrees awarded up to the academic year 2024–25 will remain valid. To enhance infrastructure and maintain academic quality, ICAR has promised to provide necessary funding and support to IARI and its off-campus centres.
The notification also highlighted the introduction of supernumerary admissions for NRI and foreign students from the upcoming academic year, with revenue from these admissions to be used for supporting IARI’s global outreach goals.
These changes are part of a broader effort to re-focus IARI’s resources on cutting-edge agricultural research, while maintaining academic excellence through streamlined programmes.
