UAS-B makes AI and ML programmes mandatory for agricultural science students in Bengaluru campus

With an aim to help students keep up with changing technology and new innovations, the University of Agricultural Sciences-Bangalore (UAS-B) has made Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) programmes mandatory for all agricultural undergraduate and postgraduate (B.Sc and M.Sc Agriculture) students from the academic year 2025-26.

UAS-B has started new AI and ML departments, which includes data mining, in the university campus. In addition, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with Samsung company to teach AI and ML programmes to M.Sc (Agri) students. Samsung will implement these programmes through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund.

Along with this, steps have been taken to integrate AI and ML programmes with ‘Compulsory Non Gradial’ courses B.Sc (Agri) students.

Vice-Chancellor V.S. Suresh told The Hindu, “AI is an integral part of all disciplines, including engineering and medical. Unfortunately, we are lagging behind in adopting these programmes in agriculture. We don’t have expertise in the field of AI and ML, or our course curriculum may not be suitable to teach AI and ML to students. Therefore, we decided to start the AI and ML department from this year. If we delay further, time will be wasted and students will be deprived of technological knowledge.”

“We had a discussion with Samsung. We requested them to conduct AI and ML programmes for our students through CSR fund . We started training from August 30.

“Around 300 post graduate students have registered. It is an 80-hour programme for AI and that will be extended to 300 hours for ML course,” he explained.

Prof. Suresh further said, “For final-year under-graduate students, with the CSR fund from Samsung, they have a programme called ‘Hands-on Training’. We have six different modules for final-year under-graduate students. They can select one module for study. We have included one new module as AI from this academic year, which is compulsory,” he said.

‘Compulsory Non Gradial’ courses

“For agricultural science, the syllabus is the same for all the State agriculture universities. We don’t have the liberty of teaching new courses. At the same time, we have the provision to start ‘Compulsory Non Gradial’ courses. Therefore, we integrated AI and ML programmes in the compulsory non gradial courses from the academic year 2025-26 for B.Sc (Agri) 1^st year students. The word ‘compulsory’ indicates that students have to pass these courses. These are also regular courses, but will not be included in the mark sheet. Instead, the student has to get a satisfactory certificate. We are planning to implement this course for 1^st year B.Sc (Agri) students from the second semester this year,” he added.

Sourcing experts to teach the courses

“We don’t have expert faculties to teach AI and ML in our university. But, we have MoU with three reputed engineering colleges who have already started teaching AI and ML to their students. However, the difference between engineering and agriculture means, engineering students will develop the technology, but we are going to teach our students the application part of the technology — how best I can use it for agricultural production purpose, disease management, water management, post-harvest management, seed borne diseases identification. For example, drones will be developed by engineers, but making use of drone in agricultural operation is our part,” he explained.