📋 BSc Agriculture Complete Syllabus — ICAR 6th Deans' Committee 2026 (All 8 Semesters)

The BSc Agriculture syllabus is not only a list of subjects. It is the academic architecture of the degree. The ICAR 6th Deans' Committee revised this architecture to make the programme more skill-oriented, flexible, and aligned with the broader direction of NEP-2020.

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Why This Syllabus Update Matters

The revised syllabus matters because it changes how the programme is organized, not just what it contains.

Important shifts include:

• stronger skill orientation
• formalized credit structure
• multiple exit logic
• greater visibility of new and emerging agricultural areas
• continued emphasis on field and experiential learning

This means students should read the new syllabus as a programme design, not just a topic catalogue.

The 6th Deans' Committee curriculum is a structural reform of the degree, not merely a subject refresh.

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Basic Programme Structure

The programme is organized across:

• 4 years
• 8 semesters
• a total credit framework
• theory, practical, skill, and experiential components

It also incorporates a structured progression model in which early semesters build foundations and later semesters move toward specialization, electives, and practice-based integration.

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How the 8-Semester Structure Works

The programme can be understood in broad phases rather than memorizing each semester blindly.

Early foundation phase

The first part of the degree builds:

• communication and foundational abilities
• basic agricultural sciences
• skill enhancement exposure
• discipline introductions

Middle core phase

The middle semesters deepen core agriculture disciplines such as:

• crop production
• soil management
• plant protection
• economics and extension
• breeding and horticulture

Advanced and integrative phase

The later semesters bring in:

• advanced crop and resource themes
• biotechnology, analytics, and emerging areas
• electives
• field exposure and READY-style learning

This layered view is more useful than seeing the syllabus as one long subject list.

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Multiple Exit Logic

One of the notable features of the revised structure is alignment with NEP-style exit options.

This means the programme is designed so that students may, under the approved framework:

• exit earlier with a lower qualification milestone
• continue to higher stages toward the full degree

The significance of this change is not only administrative. It reflects a broader attempt to make the degree:

• more flexible
• more modular
• more compatible with different student circumstances

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Role of Skill Enhancement Courses

The revised structure gives clearer visibility to skill enhancement courses.

These are important because they aim to ensure that students do not remain limited to theory-heavy learning. Instead, they begin building:

• practical orientation
• employability-linked competence
• hands-on familiarity with agriculture-sector tasks

This change supports the idea that agriculture education should produce not only subject knowledge, but also usable capability.

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Newer and Emerging Areas in the Syllabus

The updated curriculum also reflects newer agricultural realities by giving space to themes such as:

• artificial intelligence and informatics
• natural farming
• biotechnology
• climate and sustainability-linked topics
• renewable and resource-efficient agriculture

This is important because it shows the degree adapting to present and future sector needs rather than staying limited to older production-only models.

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Semester-Wise Table: How to Read It

The semester-wise list below is useful, but students should read it with three questions:

1. Which subjects are foundational?
2. Which subjects are professionally central for jobs and exams?
3. Which subjects prepare for specialization or emerging sectors?

That approach helps convert a syllabus table into an actual academic strategy.

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Programme Structure — All 8 Semesters at a Glance

Year	Semester	Total Credits	Exit Option
1st Year	Semester I	21	—
1st Year	Semester II	21	UG Certificate (after 10-week internship)
2nd Year	Semester III	21	—
2nd Year	Semester IV	21	UG Diploma (after 10-week internship)
3rd Year	Semester V	22	—
3rd Year	Semester VI	21	—
4th Year	Semester VII	20	—
4th Year	Semester VIII	20	B.Sc. (Hons) Agriculture Degree
Online Courses	Any year	10	Linked approved online credits
Grand Total		177

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Semester I — Foundation & Fundamentals (21 Credits)

First Year | Focus: Foundation, Skill Development, Core Basics

S.No	Course Title	Credits (Theory+Practical)
1	Deeksharambh — Induction cum Foundation Course	Non-gradial (1 week)
2	Skill Enhancement Course – I	2 (0+2)
3	Skill Enhancement Course – II	2 (0+2)
4	Communication Skills	2 (1+1)
5	Farming-based Livelihood Systems	3 (2+1)
6	Rural Sociology and Educational Psychology	2 (2+0)
7	Fundamentals of Agronomy	3 (2+1)
8	Fundamentals of Soil Science	3 (2+1)
9	Fundamentals of Horticulture	3 (2+1)
10	NSS-I / NCC-I	1 (0+1)
11	Introductory Mathematics (need-based)	Non-gradial 1 (1+0)

Sem I Total: 21 Credits

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Semester II — Basic Sciences & Crop Protection (21 Credits)

First Year | Focus: Soil, Pest, Disease, Livestock Basics

S.No	Course Title	Credits (Theory+Practical)
1	Skill Enhancement Course – III	2 (0+2)
2	Skill Enhancement Course – IV	2 (0+2)
3	Personality Development	2 (1+1)
4	Environmental Studies and Disaster Management	3 (2+1)
5	Soil Fertility Management	3 (2+1)
6	Fundamentals of Entomology	3 (2+1)
7	Livestock and Poultry Management	2 (1+1)
8	Fundamentals of Plant Pathology	3 (2+1)
9	NSS-II / NCC-II	1 (0+1)

Sem II Total: 21 Credits | UG Certificate exit available after 10-week internship

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Semester III — Crop Production & Genetics (21 Credits)

Second Year | Focus: Crop Tech, Genetics, Entrepreneurship

S.No	Course Title	Credits (Theory+Practical)
1	Skill Enhancement Course – V	2 (0+2)
2	Entrepreneurship Development and Business Communication	3 (2+1)
3	Physical Education, First Aid, Yoga Practices and Meditation	2 (0+2)
4	Principles of Genetics	3 (2+1)
5	Crop Production Technology – I (Kharif Crops)	3 (1+2)
6	Production Technology of Fruit and Plantation Crops	2 (1+1)
7	Fundamentals of Extension Education	2 (1+1)
8	Fundamentals of Nematology	2 (1+1)
9	Principles and Practices of Natural Farming	2 (1+1)

Sem III Total: 21 Credits

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Semester IV — Rabi Crops, AI & Soil Management (21 Credits)

Second Year | Focus: Rabi Crops, Farm Machinery, AI, Plant Breeding

S.No	Course Title	Credits (Theory+Practical)
1	Skill Enhancement Course – VI	2 (0+2)
2	Agricultural Informatics and Artificial Intelligence	3 (2+1)
3	Production Technology of Vegetables and Spices	2 (1+1)
4	Principles of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management	2 (2+0)
5	Crop Production Technology – II (Rabi Crops)	3 (1+2)
6	Farm Machinery and Power	2 (1+1)
7	Water Management	2 (1+1)
8	Problematic Soils and their Management	2 (1+1)
9	Basics of Plant Breeding	3 (2+1)

Sem IV Total: 21 Credits | UG Diploma exit available after 10-week internship

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Semester V — Advanced Crop Sciences (22 Credits)

Third Year | Focus: Crop Physiology, Pest & Disease Management, Meteorology

S.No	Course Title	Credits (Theory+Practical)
1	Agricultural Marketing and Trade	3 (2+1)
2	Introduction to Agro-meteorology	2 (1+1)
3	Fundamentals of Crop Physiology	3 (2+1)
4	Pest Management in Crops and Stored Grains	3 (2+1)
5	Diseases of Field & Horticultural Crops & their Management	3 (2+1)
6	Crop Improvement (Kharif Crops) – I	2 (1+1)
7	Weed Management	2 (1+1)
8	Ornamental Crops, MAPs and Landscaping	2 (1+1)
9	Introductory Agroforestry	2 (1+1)

Sem V Total: 22 Credits

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Semester VI — Biotechnology, Statistics & Sustainability (21 Credits)

Third Year | Focus: Biotech, Statistics, Seed Science, Biochemistry

S.No	Course Title	Credits (Theory+Practical)
1	Fundamentals of Agri Biotechnology	3 (2+1)
2	Basic and Applied Agricultural Statistics	3 (2+1)
3	Crop Improvement (Rabi Crops) – II	2 (1+1)
4	Renewable Energy in Agriculture and Allied Sector	2 (1+1)
5	Dryland Agriculture / Rainfed Agriculture and Watershed Management	2 (1+1)
6	Agricultural Microbiology and Phyto-remediation	2 (1+1)
7	Agricultural Finance & Cooperation	2 (1+1)
8	Essentials of Plant Biochemistry	3 (2+1)
9	Fundamentals of Seed Science and Technology	2 (1+1)

Sem VI Total: 21 Credits

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Semester VII — Elective Specialisation (20 Credits)

Fourth Year | Choose 5 Elective Courses × 4 Credits each

S.No	Elective Course Title
1	Agri-Business Management
2	Management of Natural Resources
3	Agrochemicals
4	Agricultural Journalism
5	Landscaping
6	Commercial Plant Breeding
7	Food Safety and Standards
8	Bioformulation and Nanoformulation
9	Biopesticides and Biofertilizers
10	System Simulation and Agroadvisory
11	Hi-tech Horticulture
12	Protected Cultivation
13	Climate Resilient Agriculture
14	Biotechnology of Crop Improvement
15	Geoinformatics, Remote Sensing and Precision Farming
16	Micro-propagation Technologies
17	Commercial Seed Production
18	Principles and Practices of Organic Farming / Conservation Agriculture
19	Food Science and Nutrition
20	Post Harvest Technology and Value Addition

Sem VII Total: 20 Credits

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Semester VIII — Student READY (20 Credits)

Fourth Year | Practical Field Experience

Option	Activity
RAWE	Rural Agricultural Work Experience
Industrial Attachment	Industry / agri-company placement
Experiential Learning	Hands-on farm / lab training
Project Work	Research project with mentor
Internship	Institutional or industry internship

Sem VIII Total: 20 Credits

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How Students Should Use This Syllabus

Students should use this page for:

• semester planning
• understanding difficulty progression
• tracking where core exam subjects appear
• identifying later specialization points

The syllabus is most useful when treated as a roadmap rather than a passive table.

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Summary Cheat Sheet

• The ICAR 6th Deans' Committee syllabus reorganizes BSc Agriculture into a more skill-linked and NEP-aligned programme.
• The degree remains a 4-year, 8-semester structure with theory, practical, and experiential components.
• Newer themes such as AI, natural farming, and updated electives reflect current sector changes.
• Multiple exit options make the structure more flexible.
• Early semesters build foundations, middle semesters deepen core agriculture, and later semesters support integration and specialization.