The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is the apex body for coordinating, guiding, and
managing research and education in agriculture in the entire country under the aegis of DARE,
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Considering the importance of agricultural education,
the University Education Commission (1948) chaired by Dr. S. Radhakrishnanrecommended the
establishment of Rural Universities in the country. As a result, the first State Agricultural
University was established in 1960 at Pantnagar on the pattern of the Land Grant Colleges of the
United States.
The ICAR-AU system of India has 74 Agricultural Universites comprising 63 State Agricultural,
Veterinary, Horticultural and Fisheries Universities (SAUs), 4 ICAR-DUs, viz. IARI, IVRI, NDRI and CIFE,
3 Central Agricultural Universities (CAU, Imphal, Dr. RPCAU, Pusa and RLB CAU, Jhansi), 4 Central
Universities (CUs) having Faculty of Agriculture (BHU, AMU, Viswa Bharati and Nagaland University).
The National Agricultural Research, Education and Extension System (NAREES) of India is one of the
largest in the world, admitting more than 27000 graduates, 14000 post-graduates and 4700 Ph.Ds
annually, in different disciplines of Agriculture and Allied Sciences.
During 2019-20, against the total of 2784 Seats, 2189 candidates were recommended by ICAR for
admission to accredited Bachelor degree programmes in 59 accredited AUs under the ICAR-AU
system.
1.3 AIEEA (UG) 2020
In 2020, All India Entrance Examination for Admission, AIEEA (UG) shall be conducted for admission
to Bachelor Degree programmes in Agriculture and Allied Sciences (other than Veterinary Sciences),
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at Agricultural Universities on 15% of the University seats (100% seats in RLB CAU Jhansi, NDRI Karnal
and Dr. RP CAU Pusa, Bihar). Further, not more than 40% candidates from any one state shall be
admitted in any agricultural university/subject.
The AIEEA (UG)-2020 examination for the academic session 2020-21 will be conducted at 178 cities
(Annexure-I) all over the country, enabling participation of a large number of candidates seeking
admission in Bachelor degree programmes in accredited AUs in different disciplines.
Candidates declared eligible for registration and choice filling for counselling by ICAR will only be
considered for allocation of subject and the Agricultural University.
There is no provision of direct nomination for admission through ICAR in any Bachelor degree
programme without qualifying in ICAR AIEEA (UG).