Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University

Overview

Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University (RLBCAU) is a rapidly growing higher education institution headquartered in Jhansi. It aims to provide a strong base to agricultural and forest activities in the Bundelkhand region of India, comprising several districts in Northern Madhya Pradesh and Western Uttar Pradesh. Academic and research activities at RLBCAU are divided into four Colleges: Agriculture, Horticulture & Forestry, Veterinary & Animal Sciences, and Forestry; through these, the University offers UG, PG, and Certificate courses. Over time, the University has worked to find solutions to the main problem for which it was founded: to mentor the farmers of the Bundelkhand region to increase crop productivity and move away from subsistence agriculture.

The Counseling and Placement Cell of RLBCAU works with UG and PG students for corporate placements and entrance examination training. It also organizes soft skills and personality development sessions to enhance their employability. UG graduates in particular enjoy high salaries, with the average CTC exceeding INR 7 LPA; however, the placement rate is relatively low. The Cell also organizes interactive sessions with distinguished alumni and industry experts, while providing mentorship to budding entrepreneurs and assisting students who wish to appear for competitive examinations.

With over 300 Acres of allotted space and a relatively low student population (fewer than 400 UG + PG candidates), RLBCAU has an enviable faculty-student ratio and ensures that students can pursue their studies in a serene atmosphere. Extracurricular activities are organized on a regular basis, with the National Sports Day celebrations being a highlight of the University social calendar.

Highlights

Fees

The academic fees for students of Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University have multiple components e.g. tuition fees, examination charges, registration fees, and caution deposits. The fee structure is as follows:

• One Time Fees:
  • Enrollment Fee (only for PG and research students): INR 850.
  • Identity Card Charges: INR 250.
  • Information Bulletin Fee: INR 350.
  • Comprehensive Examination Fee: INR 2,600 (PG), INR 5,200 (PhD).
  • Convocation Fee: INR 1,200.
  • Alumni Cell Membership Fee: INR 1,800.
• Caution Deposits:
  • College, Library, and Laboratory Security Deposit: INR 600 (UG), INR 10,500 (PG). This will be refunded at the time of graduation, provided that no harm is caused to University property.
  • Electricity security deposit: INR 1,800 to INR 3,500.
• Recurring Fees:
  • Tuition Fee:
    • UG: INR 4,000 per semester.
    • PG and Research: INR 10,350 to INR 10,500 per semester.
  • Examination Fee: INR 1,080 to INR 1,750 per semester.
  • Academic Registration Fee: INR 250 per semester.
  • Admission Fee: INR 865 to INR 900 per semester.
  • Students’ Welfare Fund (covering compassionate payments, magazine fund, and common room charges): INR 865 to INR 2,400 per semester.
  • Semester Report Fee: INR 75 to INR 100 per semester.
  • Library Fee: INR 220 to INR 550 per semester.

The hostel fee has multiple components:

• Hostel Rent: INR 3,000 to INR 3,500 per semester.
• Hostel admission and depreciation charges: INR 650 to INR 900 per semester.
• Maintenance Charges: INR 750 per semester.
• Electricity Charges: INR 2,700 per semester.
• Water Charges: INR 145 to INR 550 per semester.
• Student Counseling Membership: Up to INR 400 per semester.

The hostel caution deposit is INR 1,800; this amount is refundable. The mess charge is approximately INR 2,700 per semester; small variations among hostels is to be expected. The amount is adjusted against the mess advance (security deposit) of INR 5,200 for PG students, and INR 3,600 for UG candidates.

Admissions

The eligibility criteria for admission to Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University are as follows:

• PG programs:
  • Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree of minimum 3 years’ duration in a field of study related to that of the College of RLBCAU to which they wish to apply.
  • The entrance examination score required differs according to the program e.g. MSc courses in Biotechnology and Agriculture require students to have a valid GAT-B score.
• UG programs:
  • Applicants must have a 10+2 pass certificate issued by any recognized Board of Higher Secondary Education.
  • Students must have a valid ICAR CUET UG (or ICAR-UG) entrance test score. All the RLBCAU BSc seats are filled through this route.

Students who wish to apply to Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University must follow these steps:

• Filling up the application form for the relevant entrance test. For example, applicants to the MSc Agriculture (Molecular Biology and Biotechnology) program must appear for the GAT-B test.
• Submitting contact details, personal information and academic history data.
• Attaching soft copies of documents related to the data submitted e.g. detailed academic transcripts (original versions must be produced at RLBCAU during the academic registration process).
• Shortlisted candidates are invited to take part in the counseling for their chosen entrance test.
• The online counseling method assigns seats to students who choose RLBCAU at the time of application, provided that their entrance test score exceeds the cut-off for their course and Institute combination.
• Students who wish to join RLBCAU must pay the first installment of the tuition fees to accept their admission offers.

Placements

As one of the top Universities in India, the placement highlights of Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University are as follows: 

• The Counseling and Placement cell handles all recruitment activities for UG and PG students of RLBCAU. Its main goals are:
  • To establish career counseling sessions for students from the date of their entry to the University.
  • To connect graduating students with jobs in the public and private sector, while providing mentorship related to higher studies applications.
  • Organizing coaching classes for students to enhance their functional and soft skills.
  • Bridging the gap between industry and academic by accurately understanding the requirements of recruiters.
  • Spreading knowledge about entrance tests to be taken (for final year students).
  • Providing logistical support for interviews to achieve the highest possible placement rate.
• The average (median) placement salaries over the past three years offered to students of different program types are:
  • UG 4 year programs: INR 7 LPA (down slightly from INR 7.2 LPA two years previously).
  • PG 2 year programs: INR 3 LPA (up by 71% from INR 1.75 LPA the previous year).
• The ratio of students receiving at least one job offer during the final placement season to the total number of graduating students varies by program type. It is very low for both UG and PG students:
  • UG 4 year programs: 4 students successfully placed out of 103 registered for placements (4%).
  • PG 2 year programs: 1 student successfully placed out of 24 (4%).
• The Cell organizes 11 types of Career Development Programs, including group discussion training, mock interview sessions, entrepreneurship development initiatives (specifically in agriculture), interactive sessions with industry experts, and competitive examination training for public sector organization selection.

Cut-Offs

Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University does not release cut-offs before the academic seat allocation process. After the counseling process ends, there are ICAR UG and GAT-B cut-offs for the courses which use these entrance tests to select students. There is no minimum cut-off for UG applicants based on the Standard XII Board Examination aggregate; however, a pass certificate is necessary.

Faculty & Alumni

Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University is home to 108 full time Faculty members. Of these, 24 (22%) are Assistant Professors, 4 (4%) are Associate Professors, and the remaining 80 (74%) are full Professors or other tiers of Faculty. Most Faculty members (106 out of 108, or 98%) hold PhD degrees. This is a testament to the high level of expertise, with multiple Professors having more than 20 years of experience either in industry or academia, or both.

Given the relatively young age of RLBCAU (fewer than 10 batches of students have graduated), there is no active Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University Alumni Cell yet. However, there are multiple informal groups of social media that allow alumni of RLBCAU to connect with each other for professional networking. In addition, the Faculty members and Placement Cell work closely with distinguished alumni to ensure that the academic curriculum is aligned with industry expectations, and that multiple domain-specific companies participate in the hiring process for students of all four Colleges.

Scholarships

As in other top Universities in India, there are multiple financial aid options available to students of Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University. The scholarship schemes with the highest numbers of applicants are:

1. ICAR PG Scholarship: Up to 9 students are awarded this highly selective ICAR scholarship every year. Selection is based purely on academic merit in the AIEEA PG entrance test; the top 9 students who wish to apply are automatically selected. If they satisfy all the eligibility criteria, they can receive the scholarship for up to two years, and cover part of the costs of academic fees and a living stipend.

2. National PG Talent Scholarship: The number of beneficiaries of this scholarship (nationwide) are 33 annually. It is specifically intended for students from other states who study at RLBCAU, and is based on the ICAE All India Entrance Examination score. Selected students receive a fixed amount monthly through which they can pay a portion of their tuition fees and living costs.

3. National UG Talent Scholarship: Up to 400 students will be offered this scholarship across India every year. The selection process is similar to the National PG Talent Scholarship; however, the amount is lower, given that PG programs offered by Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University have tuition fees that are at least 2.5 times those of UG programs.

4. ICAR Junior Research Fellowship: This is awarded to PG and PhD students of RLBCAU based on academic and research excellence. There are different categories for each of the fields of study within the University, including multiple fields of agriculture.

5. University Scholarship for PG students: RLBCAU supports financially needy students through the Students’ Welfare Fund and provides research fellowships to research students who do not receive PhD funding via UGC or non-NET routes.

UG and PG students of RLBCAU from socially disadvantaged backgrounds are also allowed to apply for Post Matric scholarships via the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). If they do not receive scholarships via any Central or State Government scheme or University Fellowship, they can apply to private trusts for financial aid.

Preparation & FAQs

Students who apply to RLBCAU via the entrance test route must understand the ICAR CUET UG exam pattern in detail, and go through previous years’ test papers before preparing the syllabus. Finally, mock tests are recommended to get the right balance of speed and accuracy to gain admission to Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University. Students must also read the course brochure carefully to understand the requirements for their chosen program(s). For example, applicants to the MSc Agriculture program with specializations in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology must prepare for the highly competitive GAT-B entrance examination, through a combination of classroom or virtual training and attempting sample papers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Which is the top University in India?

Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University is one of the best Universities in India. It is ranked #44 among the best Central Universities in India, according to the IIRF 2024 ranking list.

Q. What are the application fees to Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University?

The application fees to Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University vary according to the level of the program to which the student is applying (undergraduate, postgraduate, or PhD). For example, the ICAR AIEEA entrance test application fee for general candidates applying to UG programs is INR 1,200.

Q. What are the expected dates of Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University recruitment 2025?

The expected dates, mode of application, and submission deadlines for all part time and full time roles offered by Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University in 2025 can be found on its website. The vacancies cover both walk-in interview jobs and positions that have recruitment processes running into multiple stages.

Q. What is the pattern of the ICAR CUET examination?

The ICAR CUET UG examinations are held for admission to 100% of UG seats offered by RLBCAU Jhansi. This examination contains several MCQs related to agriculture and specialized subjects, and the full syllabus can be found on the Samarth ICAR CUET website.

Q. What are the conditions for the certificate courses offered by Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University?

RLBCAU offers multiple professional certificate courses in Hindi. These last three months, have an application fee of INR 200, and the total course fee is INR 5,000. Up to 25 seats are available, and there is no age limit, ensuring that senior agricultural professionals can use them to enhance their career profiles.

Q. What is the exam pattern of GAT-B 2025?

GAT-B 2025 (Graduate Aptitude Test of Biotechnology) is expected to have two Sections. Section A will have 60 multiple choice questions related to four subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics, based on the Standard 12 NCERT syllabus. Section B will have 100 MCQs based on undergraduate level science. There will be four topics covered: Basic Biology, Life Sciences, Biotechnology and Allied Sciences. Each question has four options, and correct answers are awarded 3 marks each. Incorrect answers carry one negative mark each, and unattempted questions are not scored.

Q. What is the expected date of GAT-B 2025?

It is expected that the deadline for submitting applications for GAT-B 2025 will be in the first week of March 2025. The examination date is expected to be in the third or fourth week of April 2025.

Q. What is the expected date of ICAR-UG 2025? What is the exam pattern?

ICAR-UG 2025 (and its PG counterpart, AIEEA 2025) is expected to be held in the second or third week of June 2025. Both examinations will feature multiple choice questions designed to test the applicant’s understanding of basic science and applied agricultural topics.