Agriculture Economics

P. S. Badal
Professor & Head

Introduction

The department of Agricultural Economics is a world-class department of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. Since 1945, there was only a section of Agricultural Economics in the college of agriculture engaged in teaching to the undergraduate students only.

The department started imparting Post Graduate teaching and research in 1951 as a section of Agricultural Economics. It was elevated to the full department of Agricultural Economics in 1969. On the recommendations of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the department was switched over to the credit course system of teaching in undergraduate and postgraduate classes from July 1974. Further, for improving Ph. D. research at par with other agricultural universities in India, the credit course system for advance courses has been introduced in the institute as well as in the department of Agricultural Economics in the year 1984. Since then, the department is engaged in teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate (M. Sc. and Ph. D.) levels and managing self funded research projects besides the supervision of thesis research work. In 2007, new self finance programme i.e. Masters of Agri-Business Management was introduced in the department. Thrust Areas of Research: