The Banaras Hindu University (BHU) was founded in Varanasi by Pt Madan Mohan Malviya in 1916 as a symbol of national revival. One of the premier central universities of the country, BHU has grown into a centre of learning in a vast range of subjects from agriculture to zoology, archaeology to biotechnology and engineering to medicine. At present, the university comprises 14 faculties, 124 departments, four multidisciplinary schools and three institutes.

BHU’s Institute of Agricultural Sciences has a wide range of modern equipment as well as a research farm of 120 acres inside the main campus and a series of research farms at Barkachha, Mirzapur. The institute maintains active links with national and international organisations related to agricultural research and development. It offers training to scientists, administrators and advanced know-how to farmers in crop-cultivation technologies, seed production, tissue culture, bio-fertiliser production and farm machinery use and maintenance. A series of Malaviya varieties of crops, such as wheat, rice, pigeon pea, green gram and rajma, developed by the institute has revolutionised agriculture in this part of the country. The alumni have made very significant contributions to the development of Indian agriculture. The institute offers BSc (agriculture), MSc (agriculture) and PhD courses in all major areas of agriculture.

The notifications come out in all leading papers in January and the sale of application forms begins from the second week of February. Students can either pick them up from the institute’s office or send a request to the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005.

The completed form can be sent in the envelope supplied with it to the Office of the Controller of Examinations, Banaras Hindu University, by the second week of March. Applicants must enclose a demand draft of Rs 400 for the test fee as well as a self-attested copy of his or her high school certificate as age proof with the completed application form. The draft must be drawn in favour of the Controller of Examinations, Banaras Hindu University and be payable at Varanasi.

Eligibility

nCandidates should have passed their Plus Two exam with at least 50 per cent marks and have physics, chemistry and mathematics or biology as subjects. He or she should not be more than 22 years of age as on July 1 of the year of admission.

Entrance exam

Admission to all the courses is through an all-India entrance test held at Varanasi, Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai and Hyderabad. You should give your choice for three test centres according to your preference.

Pattern of exam

The 300-mark entrance test has 200 objective-type questions on physics, chemistry, biology, general mental ability as well as some questions on agriculture. The questions are based on the Plus Two syllabus. All candidates have to answer the first and second sections of the exam but can choose to answer only one from sections three, four and five.

How to prepare

It is important that students have all their science concepts very clear. Candidates could leaf through Physics by Kumar Mittal, Chemistry by O.P. Tandon, Botany by Kaushik and Zoology by Ramesh Gupta. They can also consult the intermediate science books by HM Publications. For agriculture, candidates should go through the first and second parts of Krishi Vigyan by Bharat Bharti Prakashan. To brush up general mental ability, students could read books by Edgar Thorpe and R.S. Agarwal.