Patna, (Bihar Times): The Bihar government has sought
Central or National University status for the Rajendra
Agriculture University, Pusa in Samastipur district.
Over a century old RAU is the only agriculture
university left in Bihar after the creation of
Jharkhand. The Birsa Agriculture University is
situated in Ranchi.
In a letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the
chief minister, Nitish Kumar, said that the report of
S C Jha-led Special Task Force on Bihar suggested
Centre or National University status for RAU. The Task
Force, constittuied by the Prime Minister, estimated
that Rs 3,150 crore is required for the modernization
of RAU’s infrastructure as well as research
facilities.
The chief minister also reminded the Prime Minister of
the recent National Development Council’s
recommendation to devise state specific plan to make
agriculture planning more focused on agro-climatic
conditions and capabilities. This was necessary to
achieve the desired results.
The chief minister said that Agriculture Roadmap of
the state targets accelerated and integrated
development of agriculture and allied sector,
including horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries,
cooperative during the 11th Plan period. The state has
declared 2008-09 as the year of agriculture. Since the
success of the Roadmap depends largely on strong
research and extension support it is essential that
RAU be declared as a Central University.
The state, according to the letter, has taken
iniatives like establishment of horticulature college
at Nalanda and agriculture college at Saharsa. Another
agriculture college is proposed in Shahabad region of
the state.
It needs to be reminded that RAU is the oldest
agriculture institute in the country and after the
1934 earthquake of North Bihar a section of it was
shifted to Delhi. The Indian Council of Agricultural
Research is situated on Pusa Road in Delhi, named
after Pusa in Bihar.
