About Vice-Chancellor

Dr. Abhay Kumar Vyas


        He was born on 1st January, 1962 at Gwalior (MP) and completed his school education from Jobner (Distt. Jaipur). He did B.Sc.(Ag.) from SKN College of Agriculture, Jobner with University Merit Gold Medal in 1983. He was also General Captain and Best All Round Student of the College. He obtained both M.Sc. and Ph.D degrees in Agronomy from Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi with highest Grade Points (1983-88). Also obtained Diploma in Management from IGNOU, New Delhi in 1996 with first Division. He had throughout meritorious academic record.

        He started his career as Asstt. Development Officer (Technical), NABARD in July, 1988 and soon decided to pursue academics as Assistant Professor in RAU, Bikaner and joined the services at ARS, Borkheda, Kota on 1st November, 1989. He served at ARS, Kota for 04 months before his transfer to Rajasthan College of Agriculture (RCA), Udaipur. He was selected as Associate Professor in May, 1996 with posting at RCA, Udaipur. He joined ICAR services as Principal Scientist in October, 2000 at NRC for Soybean, Indore. He also served as Head, Division of Agronomy, IARI, New Delhi during February, 2010 to March, 2014. Later, he was selected as Assistant Director General (Human Resource Management), ICAR, New Delhi in March, 2014 and served up to 11th October, 2022 before his joining as fourth Vice Chancellor of Agriculture University, Kota (Rajasthan) on 12th October, 2022. He was first incumbent of the post of ADG (HRM) in ICAR where he effectively established training management system for all ICAR employees including Scientific, Technical, Administrative including Finance and Skilled Support Staff. He held various positions throughout his career on selection.

        His field of specialization is soybean agronomy and nutrient management in cropping systems. He developed/refined 26 technologies for enhancing crop productivity, profitability and sustainability as well as developed new concept for better use of low grade rock phosphate. As Principal Investigator of AICRP on Soybean (Agronomy), developed Technical Programmes and coordinated agronomical trials of 20 Centres throughout the country during 2005-10. Also recommended 10 agro-techniques for various zones of the country which were included in the package of practices of respective states. As major guide, he guided 06 M.Sc. and 06 Ph.D. students. He significantly contributed in the dissemination of improved agro-techniques through 12 TV & 24 Radio Talks; 06 Extension Folders; 05 Bulletins; 24 Popular Articles. Besides, organized 09 Kisan Mela/Exhibitions/Field days wherein about 22,000 farmers benefitted.

      As first ADG (HRM) of ICAR, he established and made fully functional Human Resource Management Unit at ICAR HQs; developed Institutionalized System of Training in ICAR; formulated and implemented “ICAR HRM Policy: Training and Capacity Building” for all the categories of employees. For the first time in ICAR, he initiated and coordinated many strategic HR decisions like implementation of Systematic Approach to Training through Training Needs Analysis (TNA); Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation, and Impact Assessment of Trainings. Ever first, Executive Development Programmes for 65 Senior Officers of ICAR were organized with international exposure visits of multidisciplinary Scientific and Administrative staff together.

        His effective overall coordination, implementation and monitoring of training in ICAR during 2014-22 resulted in training of more than 23,000 employees of all categories as per need through more than 3200 training programmes. He coordinated the organization of about 546 new specialized programmes in which 8067 employees of all categories were trained, out of which 79% participants either got first-time opportunity to attend any training programme after joining ICAR service or a particular type of role. He efficiently coordinated the design, development and publication of need based 100 New Training Modules for all categories of employees; Cadre Training Plan (CTP) based mandatory 47 New Training Modules for Technical Staff of various Divisions of ICAR and; CTP based mandatory 09 New Training Modules for Administrative Staff including Finance, Official Language and Legal Staff of ICAR. The HRM initiatives and accomplishments of ICAR during his tenure are not only recognised by ICAR but also by DoPT, GoI and some of them are being implemented in various Central Government Ministries/Departments after taking lesson from ICAR since 2018.

     He served The Indian Society of Agronomy, New Delhi in various capacities as Councillor- Rajasthan, 1999 & 2000; Councillor – M.P., 2003 & 2004; Joint Secretary, 2007 & 2008, Vice President, 2013-16 and President, 2017-2020. He also served other professional societies as Vice President, Society for Soybean Research and Development, Indore for 2003 and Indian Society of Agricultural Science (ISAS), New Delhi, 2016-2022; Secretary, ISAS, 2011 & 2012; Joint Secretary, ISAS, 2009-12 and Editor-in-Chief, Annals of Agricultural Research, ISAS, New Delhi for 2013-2015. He was admitted as Fellow of ISA – 2007.

       He organised 03 International Agronomy Congress, 02 International Educational Programmes and 07 Training Programmes with International component.

      He has 211 publications to his credit including 100 research papers in reputed international and national journals, 04 books, 12 book chapters, 06 manuals, 03 training modules, 07 bulletins.  He visited China, Malaysia, Thailand and Afghanistan and represented India in the SAARC Regional Conference at Kabul.