Ranchi, April 14: The state's first-ever and India's 17th fisheries technical college will open in rebel hub Gumla this June-July academic session, the move expected to go a long way to promote pisciculture in Jharkhand.

The college will offer a bachelor degree course in fisheries science (BFSc) under Birsa Agricultural University (BAU), Kanke, in Ranchi.

Jharkhand Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (JCECEB) today announced its entrance test inviting applications for BFSc. The entrance test will be held on May 16.

The board asked interested candidates to fill online forms between April 14 and May 5 through its website jceceb.jharkhand.gov.in or jceceb.nic.in. Though there is no cut-off percentage, eligible candidates should have qualified Plus Two/higher secondary/intermediate with physics, chemistry, biology and maths or physics, chemistry and biology as papers and be at least 17 years old as on July 1, 2017.

Calling higher education in pisciculture a long-pending dream for Jharkhand, state fisheries director Rajiv Kumar said it was a discipline with enormous potential and the new college would help prepare experts for the sector.

"Jharkhand has been steadily growing in the fish sector. The sector is currently contributing anywhere between Rs 1,400 crore and Rs 1,600 crore per annum to the state's gross domestic product (GDP). In the recently ended fiscal, we crossed 1.43 lakh metric tonne, a production figure beyond our target. There is a growing demand for experts in the field," he said.

"Job opportunities for trained youths are many. Fish and dairy were also education sectors that could end Naxalism and bring a fast turnaround in rural economy," Kumar said.

The technical college building in Gumla town has been made with funds of over Rs 9 crore on five-acre land owned by the state agriculture department.

The May 16 entrance held by the exam board will be common for aspirants of BTech (dairy), bachelor in horticulture management sciences (BHMS) and BSc (honours) in agriculture and forestry, veterinary science and animal husbandry. All these courses are also under BAU and taught at various places across the state - BTech (dairy) at Hansdiha in Godda, agriculture and forestry in Garhwa, horticulture in Singhbhum and veterinary science at BAU in Kanke.

Thirty students each will be inducted in all the disciplines, said R.P. Singh Ratan, director of extension education of BAU.