SKUAST-K ‘first’ university in India to launch B.Tech in AI in Agriculture

Srinagar, Aug 08: SKUAST Kashmir on Thursday conducted the orientation program for the first batch of students of the B.Tech Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture, becoming the first agriculture university in India to offer such a programme.
This programne, exclusively offered at the university, is a pioneering initiative designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge to tackle agricultural challenges using cutting-edge technologies. The degree is offered by SKUAST Kashmir in collaboration with IIT Mandi and is the first-ever degree program in India specific to AI in agriculture.
The orientation program was held at the university under the chairmanship of Vice Chancellor, SKUAST Kashmir, with Ambassador Chinthapally Rajasekhar (IFS) as guest of honour. The officers of the university present at the occasion included Prof Nelofar Banday (Dean, Students Welfare), Prof S.A. Gangoo (Dean, Faculty of Forestry), Prof Feroz Bhat, Dean Faculty of Fisheries, Prof Azmat Alam Khan (OSD to Vice Chancellor), and Prof Rohitashav Kumar (Associate Dean, COAET).
Prof Rohitashav Kumar delivered the welcome address and gave a detailed presentation about the dire need for this degree program and briefed the audience about the curriculum and course structure that has been meticulously designed.
Mr Manu Mehta from Fore Solutions, NVIDIA Partner, Mr Rohit Agarwal from Partex Solutions and Mr Moorty Kanagraj from Enthutech Solutions also spoke on the occasion. They praised the university for starting the much-needed program and encouraged the students to pursue the degree with dedication and zeal. They also offered all support to the university for the successful execution of the programme.
Dr Tushar Jain, Dean of Students and Expert Climate Controlled Agriculture, Dr Shyam Masakapalli, Associate Professor, Smart Agriculture and Plant Biology, and Dr Radhe Shyam, Expert, AI and Robotics, represented IIT Mandi on the occasion. They highlighted the importance of B.Tech AI in Agriculture and informed the audience about the crucial role of IIT Mandi in preparing the students to become future-ready.
“The course has been designed in such a way that students would complete the last two years of their degree in IIT Mandi,” they added.
Prof Nazir A Ganai welcomed the new students to SKUAST-K and encouraged them to make their mark in society by becoming torchbearers of new technologies in agriculture as well as job providers of the future. He emphasized the importance of cutting-edge areas of AI and ML in agriculture and praised the Associate Dean and his team for their initiative.
He also distributed starter kits among the students, which included Lenovo tablets, microcontroller kits, and important information about the university as well as curriculum. The tablets were sponsored by Fore Solutions, NVIDIA Partner, and microcontroller kits by Enthu Technology Solutions Coimbatore.
Ambassador Chinthapally Rajasekhar expressed his pleasure at SKUAST Kashmir’s initiative and also praised the varsity’s numerous initiatives for internationalisation of education for which he offered further support as well.