Since its outset in 2014, the Amritsar Group of Colleges’ Department of Agriculture has evolved considerably. Worth noticing is that AGC’s Amritsar College of Engineering & Technology (ACET), having NAAC Grade ‘A’ and NBA accreditations, has attained UGC autonomous status in the same year, i.e., 2014, and has shortly become a hub of education for students of national and international origin to pursue their higher education in the field of agriculture. Now, which course is available at AGC in the agriculture department? It is “B.Sc. (Honors) Agriculture, comprising eight semesters in four years. Providing distinguished services to the students of this department, Amritsar Group of Colleges is now referred to as one of the best B.Sc. agriculture colleges in India.
But what are the other factors that prompt one to choose AGC as the best student destination? Here are the top 10:
- Diverse Student Body: AGC comprises not only qualified and talented students of national origin but also foreign students coming from Nepal, Bhutan, Jammu & Kashmir, Afghanistan, and various other countries, bringing diversity with the multitudinous culture and perspectives on the campus. It is for sure that while studying with the diverse student bodies under one roof, the students not only get prepared for diverse educational benefits, but they also nurture a diverse world in their adult lives. Also, while making projects or other classroom activities, these students have an opportunity to experience and share their viewpoints with the different mindsets present in the class or outside as well, which is another plus point.
- Academic Reputation: With the highly skilled faculty in the department of agriculture at ACET, the college manages to have that academic reputation, which enables the students to receive the best and most quality education. Additionally, emphasizing more on the practicality of the subject through well-equipped laboratories and the college’s own organic farm (which is named AGC Organic Agro Farm and covers 7 acres of land) provides the pupils of this department with experiential learning. AGCians are also into the survey projects on important problems in Punjab that are conducted by various agricultural organizations and NGOs.
- Affordable Study: When it comes to getting an education, it is beneficial and crucial not only for an individual but for the growth of the economy of the country. And Amritsar Group of Colleges aims at providing quality education to its students falling under each category with ease of learning and that too within their budget.
- More Choices of Majors and Specializations: Another reason to choose AGC as the Best B.Sc. Agriculture College in India is the “specialization” that it offers to its students. When you head towards selecting a college, you have to explore the colleges with the specialization of your choice. The ultimate thing is that you can select a specialization based on your passion, ability, interests, values, and finally, your future. All these factors would help you learn the degree at ACET more productively and happily, which will make your future secure and successful. Here at Amritsar College of Engineering & Technology, you will have these as elective specialized subjects:
- Crop Science (Soil, Agronomy, and Agroforestry)
- Horticulture (Pomology, Olericulture, and Floriculture)
- Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology
- Agri-extension, Economics, and Business Management
- Plant Protection
- Student Activities: To indulge the students of the agriculture department in experiential learning, the students are given live projects that help them enhance their knowledge and learn the techniques of working in the same field. Some of the exemplary projects in the year 2019 included polyhouses, vermicomposting, mushroom cultivation, hydroponics, zero-budget natural farming, organic vegetable production and medicinal plants, rainwater harvesting, and kitchen gardens.
Additionally, the students are timely taken on educational and industrial visits to distinguished real agriculture fields. Similarly, the agriculture department, in recent months, has organized the trip to
- Kisan Mela, PAU, Ludhiana
- Kisan Mela, Regional Center, Gurdaspur
- Randhawa Mushroom Cultivation
- Thind Farm
- Vegetable Excellence Center, Kartarpur
- Different Nurseries
- Hydroponics Unit, Moga
- Attari Orchard
- Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory, GNDU, Amritsar
- On-campus Amenities: The campus possesses two girls’ and boys’ hostels with fully air-conditioned rooms, along with a mess and banking facility; air-conditioned classrooms; the labs in the department equipped with advanced technology; an AC seminar hall with a capacity of 200 students; an AC auditorium with a capacity of 1000 students; a transport facility; and livestock management are a few other facilities available on the college campus. The recreation opportunity is also one of the things that the students look for while searching for a college. Under this, the students get to play the games of their interests on the hostel grounds. For performing and handling the projects assigned by the professors, the students are given the opportunity to work at Amritsar Group of Colleges’ Organic Agro Farm, which consists of the following sections:
- Hydroponics
- Herbal Garden
- Nursery Raising
- Kitchen Garden
- Student Experimental Area
- Polyhouse
- Vermicomposting
- Mushroom Cultivation
- Aquaponics
- Labs with Modern Technology: To avail practical knowledge in the best way, a college must have laboratories, and that too with the modern facilities that make us in line with the latest trends in the market. The Department of Agriculture at AGC has assorted labs that are fully equipped with the latest machinery that is subsidiary to utilizing the skills gained at college in the ultimate moments when you complete your degree. These labs include:
- Agronomy/Seed Technology Lab
- Horticulture Lab
- Plant Tissue Culture and Genetics/Microbiology Lab
- Biology Lab
- Entomology Lab
- Plant Pathology Lab
- Soil Science Lab
- Biochemistry Lab
It is noticeable that the hi-tech soil testing laboratory available at AGC is helping the farmers of nearby villages to check the soil fertility of their fields, proving to be the learning in the outer world and providing a free learning opportunity in the area of mushroom cultivation, input preparation for organic farming such as Beej Amrutha, Jeev Amrutha, Agni Astra, Neem Astra, Vermicompost, Vermi wash, farmyard manure, etc., and a couple of other benefits.
- Professional Certificate: As the college is approved by AICTE, possesses various accreditations, and has an affiliation with the IKGPTU (Inder Kumar Gujral Punjab Technical University), Kapurthala, it provides you with a degree that is valid not only in India but on a global interface. There is a myth that agriculture courses in a college must be accredited by ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research), but ICAR, in its letter number Edn.5/14/2017-EQR (dated September 29, 2017), disaffirms all the misconceptions regarding the subject that accreditation is not mandatory. The letter also states that a college can voluntarily apply for accreditation. Hence, providing a globally accepted degree to its students enlists AGC among the best B.Sc. agriculture colleges in Punjab.
- Networking Opportunities to Land Internships and Jobs: Why Do We Study? What is the fun behind having a college education after all? Will this degree assure a job opportunity? All such questions arise in our minds while choosing a degree or a college. Being a student at AGC, you will have the opportunity to meet the alumni in various alumni meets, and you will also have a strong connection with your professors and friends, which will help you in networking. Ultimately, this networking helps you land a secure job or an internship in the near future. Moreover, several festivals, educational trips like PAU orchards, etc., tours, training sessions such as spawn development and mushroom training, etc., handling live projects, and maybe a guest talk with the alumni of the college are the other factors that help you in making a network and preparing for an internship. Here at AGC, this will turn out to be an added advantage in terms of a job opportunity.
- Career Services: Do you want to pursue higher education after completing your degree in B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture? You will have enormous opportunities; just search for them. But not all the students want to go for higher studies; rather, some aim to do a job right after finishing their education. The college’s entrepreneurship and development center and training and placement office prepare the students for the job market by counseling them wisely about the interview and whole recruiting process, resume writing, organizing recruitment drives on campus, and a lot more.
Bonus: Along with these top 10 reasons, the close relationship with the professors and the students, having a home-like environment, a flexible and updated curriculum, and a well-rounded education make AGC today the most demanded B.Sc. Agriculture College in India and the best place to start your career.
