Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous body responsible for coordinating agricultural education and research across India, reporting to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education under the Ministry of Agriculture. The Union Minister of Agriculture serves as its president, and it is considered the largest network of agricultural research and education institutes in the world. ICAR regulates agricultural education alongside the Veterinary Council of India and the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, and oversees numerous natural resource management institutes. Its headquarters is located in New Delhi. ICAR has achieved several milestones, including developing a bird flu vaccine in 2006, sequencing the pigeonpea genome in 2011, and launching open access policies for its research journals. It provides accreditation to agricultural institutions through the National Agricultural Education Accreditation Board (NAEAB), established in 1996. As of January 2020, ICAR comprises 4 deemed universities, 65 ICAR institutions, 15 National Research Centres, 6 National Bureaux, 13 Directorates/Project Directorates, and 11 Agricultural Technology Application Research Institutes. The Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB) conducts the Agricultural Research Service exam for recruitment, and ICAR presents numerous awards recognizing excellence in agricultural research, teaching, and journalism.