Chennai: Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, has bagged the 7th rank as per the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) latest findings for research work and effective administration. On the other hand, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, (Tanuvas), Chennai, has got the 10th place in ICAR rankings. While TNAU has bettered its overall performance, Tanuvas the premier institute lost its prime position to the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Lucknow which finished 9th.
According to ICAR report, released after evaluating 57 agricultural and animal sciences universities on July 16, 2017, the first place was bagged by the ICAR – National Dairy Research Institute Karnal. The second and third places were bagged by ICAR - Agricultural Research Institute, Delhi and Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.
The newly carved Tamil Nadu Fisheries University Nagapattinam finished a distant 34th place and the neighbouring Venkateshwara University in Tirupati got the 40th rank. In a rude shock to the state of Kerala, the fisheries and agricultural universities failed to bag the top 10 positions.
Responding to the recent ICAR rankings, a jubilant TNAU vice chancellor K. Ramasamy said five years back the university was finishing above 30th rank at various rankings, but now things have changed. Student and field oriented works by the university and the increase in number of research projects have started yielding results. Again in the agricultural category rankings released by Union HRD ministry, TNAU is now a topper. As per ICAR rankings are concerned, it is mostly to do with research and the application of science in rural agriculture. “We are working on this and TNAU will further increase its rankings from the next academic years.” Further the university will do better as funds to a tune of Rs 450 crore is sanctioned from Centre, state, ICAR and Nabard to take up research and agri projects, the VC said.
