Hyderabad: “Academies” claiming to be affiliated to state universities are cheating students by offering BSc Agriculture course complete with field trips, farmer interactions, company-linked internship and guaranteed placements. They say their degrees are recognised by University Grants Commission. Agriculture courses require recognition by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
The government has not taken any action against them though they run their operations openly in cities like Hyderabad.
The academies promise that the degrees will be awarded by universities located in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, which are not recognised by ICAR. They also offer hostel facilities and promise to take them to the universities in UP and Rajasthan to write examinations.
These academies, sometimes owned by a single person, operate under different names. Trinity Academy of Agriculture, which has an office at Archana Arcade in Secunderabad, says it has been running for four years. It claims to have a “campus” in Vijayawada.
Future Scope Agriculture Education and Placement Services in Boduppal, when contacted, gave the same address for its office as that of Trinity Academy. They offer BSc Agriculture from Dr B.R. Ambedkar University, Agra, which is not recognised by the ICAR, at Rs 1.8 lakh per year for the four-year course.
When contacted, an official of Greenfields Institute for Agriculture in Vanasthalipuram said they offer BSc Agri from Singhania University, Rajasthan, which is also not recognised by ICAR. It charges Rs 1.2 lakh a year. The course fee, as per the university, is Rs 30,000 per annum.
A search on the internet for agriculture colleges in Hyderabad will throw up results of many such academies in the city.
Asked about these academies, Dr N. Sreedhar, Controller of Examinations, Prof. Jayashankar, Telangana State Agricultural University, said, “We do not advise students to take up such courses.
Just like medical degrees need MCI recognition and technical courses need AICTE recognition, agriculture courses need ICAR recognition. In Telangana, only PJTSAU and its off-campus colleges, where admissions are done through Eamcet, provide degrees in agriculture.”
