Founded
by the first non-European Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Thakur (popularly known
as Tagore) in 1921, Visva-Bharati was declared to be
a central university and an institution of national importance by an Act of Parliament in 1951. The President
of India is the Paridarsaka (Visitor) of the
University, the Governor of West Bengal is the Pradhana
(Rector), and the Prime Minister of India acts as the Acharya (Chancellor). The
President of India appoints the Upacharya
(Vice-chancellor) of the University.
PALLI SIKSHA BHAVANA
(Institute of Agricultural Science)
Rabindranath
Tagore had always recognised that the countrys
education must have close association with the economic life of its people. He
realised that if any section of the Society remains backward, it will adversely
affect the other sections. Tagore said if a true school is to be founded in
India, the School must be from the beginning group. The School will make use of
the best methods in agriculture, the breeding of livestock and development of
village crafts. The teachers, students and people of the surrounding
countryside will be related to each other with the strong and intimate ties of
livelihood. They shall co-operate to produce all the necessities of their own
existence.
Rabindranath
sent his son Rathindranath Tagore and a friend son
Santosh Chandra Majumdar to lllinois,
U.S.A in 1906 to learn Agriculture and Animal Husbandry respectively. The next
event in the genesis of agricultural ducation at Sriniketan was Rabindranath meeting with Leonard K. Elmhirst an English youth, in 1920. A practical idealism of
Rabindranath found shape at Sriniketan under the
inspiring leadership of L.K. Elmhirst. At that time
the main objective of the Agriculture department was to demonstrate to the
farmer scientific and improved methods of Agriculture.
The
Institute was established on September 1, 1963 as Palli
Siksha Sadana and was
renamed as Palli Siksha Bhavana by the Visva-Bharati Act,
1984.
Palli Siksha Bhavana (Institute of
Agricultural Sciences) imparts education in Agricultural Sciences at
under-graduate and post-graduate levels. It offers four year B.Sc. (Ag) Hons.
Course and two year M.Sc. (Ag) course in Agronomy, Plant Protection,
Agricultural Extension, Soil Science, Genetics & Plant breeding, Poultry
Science and Horticulture. Under-graduate, post-graduate courses have semester
system of examination. There exist facilities for research leading to Ph.D.
Degree in all branches of Agricultural Science. Apart from teaching and
research, Palli Siksha Bhavana is also engaged in extension activities in the
field of agriculture in the surrounding villages. Rural Agricultural Work
Experience (RAWE) is a part of the academic curriculum for under-graduate
students. Other academic support units are Dairy and Poultry Farm, Soil Testing
Laboratory, Library, Agricultural Farm, Horticulture Farm, Placement Cell and
Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Rathindra
Krishi Vigyan Kendra).