Eligibility Requirement for the ICAR UG Exam

The ICAR All India Entrance Examination is conducted for the shortlisted students who want to pursue higher education in agriculture and allied sciences. The UG entrance exam already has 15% of seats reserved for the students. In the courses of agriculture and allied sciences, students do extensive research and the practical application of the courses is carried out with the help of the latest technologies. 

ICAR has played an important role in society which can be seen by the increase in the production of food-grains by four times and horticulture crops by six times. NTA ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) is the body that conducts, coordinates, guides and manages the research and education regarding agriculture in the country under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. 

There are many ICAR colleges in India for students who wish to learn the basics and fundamentals of agriculture. Let us look at some of the colleges.

1. Central Agricultural University, Imphal
2. Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Andheri
3. ICAR – National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal
4. G.B Pant University of Agriculture, Pantnagar
5. Rajendra Agriculture University, Bihar
6. ICAR – Indian Agriculture Research Institute, New Delhi
7. Jawaharlal Nehru Krishie Vishwavidyalaya, Jabalpur
8. Kerala Agriculture University, Thrissur
9. Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur
10. Dr. Balasaheb Swant Konkan Krishie Vidyapeeth, Maharashtra

These are some of the colleges that the students can take admission in order to study agriculture. Over time, many students have inculcated an interest in agriculture and allied sciences. Therefore, students can take up many horticulture and plant courses for undergraduate and postgraduate courses. 

Students are nowadays opting for this exam in order to know the fundamentals and basics of agriculture. Now, let us take a look at ICAR PG eligibility.

The eligibility criterion is as follows:

1. Age Criteria

1. The minimum age for applying for this examination is 19 years. There is no relaxation in the minimum age limit.
2. Students must note that the maximum age limit for ICAR UG is also the same i.e. 19 years. 

2. Qualification

1. Candidates applying for the examination must have a Bachelor's degree in the respective course under the pattern of 10+2+5 (B.V.Sc. and A.H courses).

1. The students who have qualified for the Bachelor's programs of pattern 10+2+3 can apply for IARI Pusa and NDRI Karnal.

1. Students applying for the M.V.Sc. course must have completed their bachelor's degree. Along with that, they must also do an internship before applying for the master’s program.

1. Candidates have to secure 60% in the general quota to apply for this course. 50% marks are applied for OBC/SC/SC quota.

1. The students in the final year can also apply for this program.

Students who fulfill the above–mentioned eligibility criteria can apply for this course. This is an interesting course and is trending among the students for both under-graduation and post-graduation.  

Well, after knowing the eligibility criteria, it is important to know the ICAR exam pattern. Let us look at some key points.

1. The ICAR entrance exam is a computer-based online exam that is held for 2 hours 30 minutes. 
2. The major subjects covered in this exam are Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, and Agriculture.
3. The exam is held in three streams i.e. 

Stream-A: PCM (Physics, Chemistry, Maths)

Stream-B: PCB (Physics, Chemistry, Biology)

Stream-C: PCA (Physics, Chemistry, Agriculture)

For every correct answer, the student gets four marks and for every incorrect answer, one mark is deducted. 

This is the exam pattern for the ICAR UG courses. The students who wish to apply for these courses, need to prepare well in advance before the exam.

The exam ranges from medium to difficult. So, students are advised to prepare in an efficient way. Students must go through the exam pattern in order to know what to expect in the exam. If you feel, you have missed out on something; you can visit the NTA ICAR website: www.icar.nta.nic.in. 

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