Faculty in agriculture colleges, varsities invited to write textbooks

Hyderabad: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has invited the faculty working in the agricultural colleges and universities across the country to write quality textbooks for the students studying agriculture and allied sciences. An ICAR circular sent to the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University (PJTSAU), Telangana and Achyara N G Ranga Agricultural University, Andhra Pradesh, said, "The State Agricultural Universities every year admit thousands of students in different streams of agriculture in undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Quality textbooks are always in demand and there is a big gap in demand and supply of standard textbooks," it said. As the onus rested on the National Agricultural Research and Education System to bridge the gap, efforts were being made and titles and contents had been developed for the relevant course books. Against this backdrop, the ICAR wanted to have all the titles published as soon as possible to make available textbooks in English and Hindi languages.

It further said the invitation to write textbooks was open to academicians from all the branches of agriculture and allied sciences, viz. botany, zoology, nanotechnology etc. However, those interested in writing textbooks should do it by keeping in view the Indian context in their writings.

As part of taking this forward, the ICAR has already given a list for the undergraduate and postgraduate titles in which textbooks are needed and asked the authors to check on its website before submitting their proposals. It further added that there is no closing date for the submission of the proposals, and the only limitation is the availability of a title, i.e., it has not already been allotted to some other author, it said.

The course content of the textbooks should be in line with the Deans' Committee recommendations. But, giving additional information in the textbooks are always encouraged. Besides, syllabus of different universities can also be amalgamated before finalising the content page by the authors, it said. Guidelines for the contents, author guidelines and honorarium to the authors and other details for the submissions of the proposals by the individual academicians can be accessed by visiting the ICAR website, it said.