University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur was established in the year 2009.

The University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur was established in 2009 to cater the needs of agricultural education of Hyderabad-Karnataka region, research for growth and sustainability of agricultural sector and to green the life of farming community through out-reach activities. The university has three Agricultural Colleges and an A gricultural Engineering College under its jurisdiction. The College of Agriculture situated at Raichur in north-eastern dry zone of Karnataka was established in the year 1984. The Postgraduate programme was started during 1995. Over the past 25 years, good infrastructure facilities have been created in the field of teaching, research and extension and is now recognized as premier institute of Hyderabad-Karnataka region in professional education.

The University has earned a good reputation because of its proud graduates and Post-Graduates who have excelled not only in agriculture sector but also in competitive exams such as ICAR, JRF, SRF, Banking Sectors, KAS,IFS,IAS,ARS, etc. some of our alumni are pursuing higher studies in renowned institutes of India and abroad. Students with varied talents clinched many trophies at state and national levels in sports and cultural activities. The university has well qualified faculty members and some of them have been trained in leading universities / institutions in India and abroad. The faculty members have won several prestigious awards from national and international institutes. This is the only Agriculture College in India to have received the ISO (9001- 2008) certification.

The University has state of the art library, laboratories namely Central instrumentation centre, Tissue culture laboratory, Plant M olecular Biology Laboratory, Bio-control Laboratory, Seed Testing Laboratory, Agriculture Processing Plant Health Clinic,Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory and Food Engineering Laboratory, Aris-students Computer Faculties, Research form and Poly house, Integrated Farming System Unit, Precision Farming Lab etc.

Demand for an exclusive University for Agricultural Sciences for Hyderabad-Karnataka (H-K) region was felt almost a decade back (Annexure I) owing to inimitable climatic conditions and farming activities.

The H-K region comprising Bidar, Kalaburgi, Raichur, Bellary, Koppal and Yadgir districts (Map), an agrarian area with an irrigation potentiality of 12 lakh hectares through Tungabhadra, Krishna, Karanja, Mullamari, Hirehalla, Bennethore and other irrigation projects, spanning a total geographical area of 44.96 lakh hectares accounting 33.60 per cent of the geographical area of the state, of which nearly 68 per cent is under cultivation and has a unique combination of medium (32.42%) and large farmers (36.69% bestowed with rich nat ral resources especially for agricultural development. The initiation for new Agricultural University at Raichur began through a letter by Government of Karnataka (No. AHD:165:UAS:99 dated 17-12-1999) directing University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad to submit a feasibility report on the proposal. An expert committee was constituted (No.AO/Est-V/LC/4778-B/99-00; dated 5-1-2000) which not only realized the need for new Agricultural University but also recommended the proposal. The cabinet approved the proposal for establishment of Agricultural University at Raichur, with an allocation of rupees five crore during 2008-09 academic year on 26-9-2008.

Raichur is privileged of being an oldest establishment for agricultural research in 1932 an Agricultural Research Station was established by the then Nizam’s Government of Hyderabad with a mandate to carryout research on dry land farming. After the reorganization of states in the country, Raichur was identified as the main research station for oilseeds. With the establishment of State Agricultural University in Karnataka in 1964 at Bangalore, it was elevated to Regional Research Station with a jurisdiction of five districts of Northern Karnataka. Agricultural Engineering Institute (AEI) was added to Raichur campus in 1969 to offer diploma course in Agri-Engineering which, in 1987, was upgraded to the status of College of Agricultural Engineering with up-gradation of Diploma to B.Tech degree. In 1984 and 2000, Colleges of Agriculture were started functioning, one at Raichur and the other at Bheemarayanagudi (Shahapur Taluk of Kalaburgi District) respectively, with an intake capacity of 30 students.

However, with establishment of University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad during 1986, Raichur became the component campus under UAS, Dharwad. Intriguingly, Raichur continued its privilege of being the second largest campus and a major hub of education under UAS, Dharwad. The Post-graduate degree program leading to Master’s degree in eight departments was started in 1995 with an intake capacity of five students for each department every year. In 1994, Krishi Vigyana Kendra (KVK), a component of UAS, Dharwad but funded and monitored by ICAR, started functioning in the campus and received the best Krishi Vigyan Kendra National Award for the year 2007-08, thus completing all the necessities of Teaching, Research and Extension. During 2008-09 and 2009-10, PG program began in other departments, thus making a total of 13 departments offering Post Graduate program at the campus level. The Raichur campus has registered significant growth in last decade reaching newer heights in education, research and extension.

MISSION

University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur shall persuade the needs of Agricultural Education to sensitize the farming community with scientific innovations, short and long term way outs for the tribulations faced by the farming community through Research for growth and sustainability of agriculture sector and outreaching the technologies to uplift the socio-economic status of the farming community through strong Extension linkages. Thus “Greening the life of farming community through Education, Research and Extension” is set as the motto.