Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV), Rahuri Overview:
Establishment and Location:
- Established on March 29, 1968, and became operational in October 1969.
- Located in Rahuri, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra, India (PIN: 413722).
- The central campus is about 160 km from Pune on the Pune-Delhi highway.
- Ahmednagar city is 40 km to the south, and Shirdi is 50 km to the north.
- Newasa, associated with Saint Dnyaneshwar, is 33 km from Rahuri.
- The campus is 10 km from Rahuri Railway Station and 110 km from Manmad railway junction.
Jurisdiction:
- MPKV's jurisdiction extends over ten districts of Western Maharashtra: Ahmednagar, Dhule, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Nandurbar, Nashik, Pune, Satara, Sangli, and Solapur.
- This covers a total geographical area of 116.67 lakh hectares, which is about 38% of Maharashtra's total area.
Affiliation and Recognition:
- It is a public university recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
- Accredited by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council).
Mission:
- To serve farmers through education, research, and extension education.
- To be a premier agricultural university in Maharashtra.
Constituent Colleges: MPKV has several constituent colleges, including:
- Post Graduate Institute, MPKV Rahuri
- College of Agriculture, Pune
- College of Agriculture, Dhule
- College of Agriculture, Kolhapur
- Dr. A. S. College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Rahuri
- College of Agriculture, Nandurbar
- College of Agriculture, Karad
- College of Agriculture, Muktainagar
- Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar College of Agriculture, Halgaon
- College of Horticulture, Pune
Academics:
- Offers Diploma, Undergraduate (B.Sc., B.Tech.), Postgraduate (M.Sc., M.Tech., MBA), and Doctoral (Ph.D.) programs.
- Courses are available in various fields including Agricultural Science, Agricultural Engineering, Horticulture, Biotechnology, Agri-Business Management, and more.
- The university emphasizes practical learning and field-based research.
- The curriculum is regularly updated as per the recommendations of ICAR and other relevant bodies.
Research and Extension:
- MPKV has research stations across different agro-climatic zones within its jurisdiction, focusing on various agricultural challenges.
- The university actively engages in extension activities to disseminate agricultural technologies and knowledge to farmers through Krishi Vigyan Kendras and other initiatives.
Infrastructure and Facilities:
- The central campus at Rahuri and its constituent colleges have well-equipped classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and hostels.
- Special facilities include a State Level Biotechnology Center, a Hi-Tech Floriculture and Vegetable Project (Pune), and laboratories for Radioisotope, Biotechnology, Post Harvest Management, and Biodiversity (Rahuri).
- Facilities for sports and extracurricular activities are also available.
Student Life:
- Encourages student participation in educational, social, and cultural activities.
- Students have excelled in various competitive examinations and extracurricular events.
Key Highlights:
- A leading agricultural university in Maharashtra with a strong academic reputation.
- Focuses on practical learning and research relevant to the region's agricultural needs.
- Extensive network of constituent and affiliated colleges.
- Named after the great social reformer "Mahatma Jyotiba Phule".
- Bestowed with the "Sardar Patel Outstanding Institute Award – 2002" by ICAR.
- Recognized as an "Institute of Excellence" by the Government of India.