No Jobs for Agriculture Graduates

Despite a booming agricultural sector and a surge in student enrolment, India’s top agricultural colleges are grappling with dismal campus placement at the undergraduate level. NIRF data show nearly 29% of UG students at top agricultural institutes got jobs in 2023-24 soon after finishing the course, while about 64% went on to further study that year. Meanwhile, AISHE records show a rise in enrolment in agriculture courses, which has doubled from 1,13,595 (2012-13) to 2,94,379 (2021-22). The issue is not a lack of jobs, but a disconnect between academia and industry, under skilled faculty, and the low-paying nature of entry-level jobs.

The primary reason for this gap, according to experts, is the significant faculty shortage and a lack of practical, industry-relevant knowledge among educators. “Faculty shortages and skill gaps significantly undermine hands-on teaching and placement readiness in agricultural higher education in India,” says RC Agrawal, former deputy director general (Agriculture Education), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). “Faculty members at several universities lack specialisation in emerging areas such as precision-agriculture tools (drones, Geographic Information System, IoT), and are weak in agri-data analytics and fail to impart soft skills and entrepreneurship training to the students. This academic disconnect leads to a skills mismatch, with employers consistently reporting that graduates are unprepared for the modern workplace,” he adds.

While ICAR has modernised the curriculum in 2023-24, universities still need periodic curriculum updating to keep pace with rapidly changing technologies and employer demands. “ICAR continues to spearhead curriculum modernisation as per NEP-2020 guidelines through its 6th Deans Committee (2023-24) playing a crucial role in updating UG education in agriculture. However, what is needed is periodic updating of the UG curriculum in agricultural education due to rapid technological advancements in the sector.” Underlining the lack of training in modern lab techniques, data analytics, and essential soft skills among students, which restrict their employability.

Practical training components exist in colleges, but the outcomes are not defined. “Mandatory hands-on training and the Rural Agricultural Work Experience (RAWE) are part of most UG programmes; however, most internships do not convert into jobs. Besides, RAWE placements into sustained employment are not well documented.

Students opting for specialised PG programmes are often recruited by the R&D division of agri firms. “Formal campus recruitment in BSc Agriculture, BSc Food Science, BSc Horticulture, and other UG courses remains low as roughly 65-70% students pursue higher education. Around 5-10% students prepare for competitive exams such as BPS SO, NABARD, UPSC, and the remaining students look for jobs. Hence, getting a job through the university placement is not a priority for many students.”

Students often face geographic challenges, as most agricultural universities are located in rural or semi-urban areas, where fewer corporate recruiters offer jobs. Moreover, the agricultural labour market is highly fragmented, with fewer large, organised companies compared to sectors like IT and finance Experts and university leaders urged practical policy fixes that could be implemented quickly to strengthen employability.

 [Contributed]

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Frontier
Vol 58, No. 20, Nov 9 - 15, 2025