AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING

Many students are not aware of the career opportunities available in the field of agricultural engineering.We feel safer about knocking on known doors rather than the unknown. This article will throw some light on the field of agricultural engineering, if you plan to take it up.
Agricultural engineering is the discipline of engineering in agriculture, food and biological systems.Agricultural engineers develop engineering science and technology in the context of agricultural production and processing, and for the management of natural resources. They apply their engineering knowledge and skills to solve problems relating to sustainable agricultural production.
Agricultural engineers are trained to deal with soil, water, crop and engineering principles and apply them to agriculture. They provide inputs for mechanisation of agriculture, conservation of produce and by-products, minimisation of losses, value addition and agro-processing enterprises for additional income and employment generation, energy management in agriculture and rural living.They act as knowledge binding agents between traditional agriculturists and engineers because of their knowledge in the field of farm machinery and power, dairy and food processing and agricultural structure; land and water management engineering, energy and aquaculture.
Agricultural engineers apply engineering principles to all activities related to agriculture and horticulture. Improvement in agricultural farm machinery, farm structures, rural electrification, bio-gas, new technologies in the design and manufacture of agricultural products and also conservation of soil and water are some of the jobs handled by an agricultural engineer. This basically implies looking after the mechanisation of agricultural activities for the smooth functioning and efficient increase in food productivity.
Agricultural engineers apply their knowledge of biological and agricultural systems and engineering to equipment design and assure environmental compatibility of practices used by production agriculture. This includes all activities related to agriculture and horticulture for smooth functioning and efficient increase of food productivity, improvement in agriculture farm machinery, farm structure, rural electrification, biogas, new technology in the design and manufacture of agriculture products, conservation of soil and water are the major jobs handled by agriculture engineers.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS
There is tremendous scope for qualified engineers having professional degrees in agricultural engineering. Agricultural engineers work in production, sales, management, research and development, or applied science in agriculture. A large number of agricultural engineers work in academia or for research and developmental activities in private and government agencies such as Central and State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Council of Agricultural Research in various states at different capacities. Opportunities with UG Degree Agricultural engineers with UG degree have job opportunities in private and government sectors. Private sectors include tractor industries for sales, R&D and management, irrigation equipment companies for sales, R&D and maintenance, dairy and food industries’ for quality control, R&D, and maintenance of processing machineries, computer applications for software development, instrumentation for automation and control, consultants to many organisations; agri-clinic, agribusiness and NGOs. The government sectors include field executives and engineers, training assistants and organisers in areas of mechanisation of agriculture, irrigation, drainage, soil and water conservation engineering, command area development, watershed management and rural development. Work in SAUs, ICAR, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), universities,colleges and other organisations for teaching, research and development, extensions and other scientific and technical jobs are also possible. Nationalised banks also recruit agricultural engineers for agriculture officers and managerial level posts both private and government sectors. Private sectors include Tractor industries irrigation equipment companies, dairy and food industries, computers, instrumentation, agri-clinic and agribusiness. In private sectors they work as subject specialists for R&D, management and consultants to many other organisations including NGOs. The job opportunities in government sectors include teaching, research and development and extension activities as scientists, assistant professors, training organisers, research officers, subject matter specialists (SMS), engineers, in universities, SAUs, KVKs, ICAR, and other organisation such as DRDO, BARC etc; and also as executives aid managers in areas of mechanisation of agriculture, irrigation, drainage, soil and water conservation engineering, watershed management.
Agriculture engineers with doctorate degree are have job opportunities in teaching, research and development, and extension activities as scientists, assistant professors, research Officers, SMS, and engineers at senior levels in various universities, SAUs, KVKs, ICAR, and other organisations involved in high-level research, development, extension, consultancies, planning, and policy framing activities.

EDUCATION

Professional degrees at various levels UG, PG and Doctorate programmes in agricultural engineering are offered by State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), Deemed Universities (DUs), Central Agricultural University (CAU) and Central Universities (CUs).
Different universities and institutes offer undergraduate (UG) degree (B. Tech.) in agricultural engineering. Eligibility for UG is 10+2 pass with Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics or equivalent. The mode of admissions is through entrance test conducted by NTs state governments, universities, Institute and Indian council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). ICAR conducts All India entrance examinations for 15% of UG seats in SAUs, DUs, CAU & CUs. Eligibility for admission to post graduate (PG) degree (M.Tech./M.Sc.) programmes in agricultural engineering is B.Tech. in the discipline, if mode of admissions is through entrance-cumacademic performance (entrance test and/ or interview). Entrance test conducted, by the universities and/or qualified in Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) conducted by ICAR for 25 per cent of seats in SAUs, DUs, CAU and CUs through all India entrance examination or Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE). The specialisations offered for post graduation are: Soil and Water Conservation Engineering; Irrigation and Drainage Engineering; Farm Machinery and Power Engineering; Dairy Engineering, Food Technology, Food Processing and Agricultural Structure Engineering; Aquaculture Engineering; Renewable Energy Sources; and in other multidisciplinary branches in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering,Biotechnology, Computer Applications, Management and Humanity disciplines.
Eligibility for admission to Doctorate degree (Ph.D.) programme in various disciplines of agricultural engineering is M. Tech. or M.Sc. in that respective disciplines or equivalent. Mode of admissions is through entrance cum academic performance (entrance test and/ or interview) conducted by various universities and NTs including those qualified in Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) conducted by ICAR for 25% of seats in SAUs, DUs, CAU and CUs through all India entrance examination.
Here are a few Universities and Institutes offering various courses in Agricultural Engineering:
IIT Kharagpur, National Institute of Technology (NIT) Warangal, (Andhra Pradesh) ; Silchar, (Assam) ; Jamshedpur, (Bihar) ; Surat, (Gujarat) ; Kurukshetra, (Haryana); Srinagar, (Jammu and Kashmir); Surathkal, (Karnataka) ; Calicut, (Kerala) ; Visvesvaraya REC, Nagpur, (Maharashtra) ; Rourkela, Orissa ; Jaipur, Rajasthan ; Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu ; Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh ; Durgapur, (West Bengal) ; Hamirpur, (Himachal Pradesh) ; Jalandhar, (Punjab); Birla Institute of Technology (BITS) - (Pilani and Ranchi), Delhi College of Engineering, Delhi, University of Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttar Pradesh and many more