ICAR JRF 2023: Application Form, Notification, Exam Date

ICAR JRF 2023: Application Form, Notification, Exam Date

ByNikhil Verma  |  Updated on: May 24, 2023
ICAR JRF 2023 application window is now open on the official website. Candidates can check their eligibility and learn more about the ICAR JRF 2023 exam cycle here.

ICAR JRF 2023: The authorities opened the application portal for the JRF/SRF programs on 22 May 2023. This means that the aspirants who wish to appear for the exam can now apply online. The official notification will be released by the National Testing Agency and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research soon. Hence, the candidates who intend to apply for the upcoming cycle must start their preparation right away and apply a strategic preparation approach.

This is a remarkable opportunity and prestigious position for candidates who are interested in research in agriculture. They must check the eligibility and syllabus of the exam before starting their preparation. The candidates who qualify for the ICAR Junior and Senior Research Fellowship exam will be eligible to apply for a Ph.D. in top universities across India. Check all the essential details like the ICAR JRF 2023 exam date, application form process, eligibility, books, preparation tips, and more.

ICAR JRF 2023

ICAR JRF Exam is conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA) for the Junior Research Fellowship on behalf of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Candidates who wish to make a promising career in the field of agriculture must check out all the essential information related to ICAR JRF 2023, such as eligibility criteria, syllabus, exam pattern, the scope of Ph.D. in the agriculture field, and other important information related to the examination.

ICAR JRF exam is conducted for 600 marks and consists of 3 sections with 50 questions in each section. The exam is held across the country in 88 cities to ensure participation in doctoral degree programs in Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Veterinary, Animal Sciences, and Agri. Engineering, Community Science (formerly Home Science), Fisheries, Dairy Science, and other allied sciences. ICAR JRF 2023 Exam Date will be revealed soon on the portal.

ICAR JRF 2023 Latest Updates

All the latest developments regarding ICAR JRF 2023 will be shared here for the reference of aspirants. We will keep adding any news and updates regarding the upcoming cycle as the authorities publish them on the official portal. So, keep an eye out for the latest information and start preparing effectively for the exam.

  • 22 May 2023: The application window to apply online for JRF/SRF programs is now active till 18 June 2023.

ICAR JRF Notification 2023

National Testing Agency will release the ICAR JRF 2023 Notification PDF on the official website soon. The notification contains all the information required for the exam cycle, i.e., eligibility, exam pattern, exam dates, syllabus, and more. Candidates must go through the notification to have proper knowledge about the exam. The information given in the advertisement is binding to both students and authorities. You can also download the previous year's ICAR JRF notification PDF from the link provided below.

We will update the latest notification PDF as soon as it is released by the authorities. It is critical for candidates to check the notification PDF to understand the selection process and get to know all the important details for the ICAR JRF exam cycle.

ICAR JRF Recruitment

Candidates who clear the ICAR JRF Exam will have to appear for the counseling process. In the counseling process, the seats will be allotted on a merit basis as per the marks obtained by the candidates. Counseling includes various steps which are listed below:

  • Registration for ICAR JRF counseling
  • Reporting for counseling and document verification
  • Choices for college to take admission 
  • Seat allotment 
  • Confirmation by the candidates through submitting a token amount.

Candidates need to submit the following documents during the counseling process

  • ICAR JRF Admit Card
  • ICAR JRF Score Card
  • Marksheet from class 10th to post-graduation
  • Transfer and Migration certificate from the university from which candidate have completed their latest educational qualification.

ICAR JRF 2023 Overview

The essential information related to ICAR JRF Exam is presented in the table below, providing candidates with a comprehensive understanding of the exam and its parameters.

ICAR JRF Exam Highlights

ICAR JRF 2023

Name of Exam

ICAR JRF Exam

Posts Available

ICAR Junior Research Fellowship

ICAR JRF Full Form

Indian Council of Agricultural Research Junior Research Fellowship

Frequency of Exam

Annually

Selection Process

ICAR JRF Exam

Counseling Process

Mode of Exam

Online

Language of Exam

English and Hindi

Job Location

Anywhere in India

Official Website

icar.nta.nic.in

ICAR JRF 2023 Exam Date

ICAR JRF 2023 Exam Date will be announced officially on the National Testing Agency website. Candidates preparing for the exam must acquaint themselves with the latest dates for the exam. It is beneficial for the candidates to look at the tentative dates for the ICAR JRF 2023 below.

Events

Dates (Tentative)

ICAR JRF Application Form 2023 Date

22 May 2023

Last date to apply for ICAR JRF 2023

18 June 2023

Correction Window

To be notified

ICAR JRF 2023 Admit Card

To be notified

ICAR JRF Exam Date 2023

To be notified

ICAR JRF Answer Key 2023

To be notified

ICAR JRF 2023 Result

To be notified

What is ICAR JRF?

For the post of Junior Research Fellow, an All Indian Competitive Examination is taken by ICAR. At every college under the ICAR AU system, 25% of seats are reserved for ICAR JRF candidates. The Mode of AICE is Computer Based, containing Objective Type questions. Qualified candidates have to appear for the counseling process, where admission is offered at various colleges on merit. Candidates in the Ph.D. program will receive a monthly stipend according to their specialization. Details of the assistance are listed below:

  • Postgraduate under the veterinary program stipends 17500 in the first two years and 18750 in the last year.
  • Postgraduates under any program other than veterinary will receive a stipend of 15000/month and 17500 in the last year.
  • Besides the stipend, candidates receive a yearly amount of 10000 for other facilities like books and other stuff required for their research.

Around 74 Agricultural Universities comprising 63 State Agricultural, Veterinary, 3 Central Agricultural Universities, 4 ICAR-DUs, viz. IARI, IVRI, NDRI, CIFE, 4 Central Universities (CUs), and more participate in the ICAR JRF exam.

About ICAR- Indian Council Agricultural Research

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is a government body responsible for coordinating and promoting education and research in agriculture. ICAR has its headquarters in Delhi, and 75 universities come under the ICAR-AU system. A fixed number of seats under these are reserved for the candidates who have applied for the ICAR JRF Exam conducted by ICAR.

ICAR JRF 2023 Application Form

The ICAR JRF application form for the ICAR AICE Junior Research Fellowship program 2023 is out on the official NTA page of ICAR. Candidates need to follow the given steps to apply for the ICAR JRF 2023:

  • Visit the official NTA page of ICAR.
  • There will be a tab at the bottom of the page with a link to the application form.
  • Click on the link and proceed to fill out the application.
  • Provide your personal information like address, date of birth, and other information, including your educational qualifications.
  • Fill in your details and upload your photograph and signature.
  • Make the payment and download the application form for future reference.

While filling out the application form for ICAR JRF 2023, candidates need to have some documents to be uploaded or some information required from the documents. The following documents are required from the candidates:

  • Marksheet from class 10 to post-graduation
  • Scanned image of the candidates and signature
  • A valid source for payment like a debit/credit card or net banking.

ICAR JRF 2023 Eligibility

The ICAR JRF exam eligibility consists of various parameters like educational qualification, minimum academic marks, and age limit. Check the detailed ICAR JRF eligibility before applying online.

ICAR AICE JRF/SRF Age Limit

Although there is no maximum age limit for the program, the candidates must be at least 20 years of age to apply for the fellowship.

ICAR IACE JRF/SRF Educational Qualification

Indian nationals who have completed a Master's degree program with an overall grade point average (OGPA) of at least 3.0 from a publicly funded/government institution would be eligible. In other circumstances, where simply marks are given instead of grade points, the candidate must have received a minimum percent score as specified in the table below:

  • Candidates applying for ICAR Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) must have completed their post-graduation from an institute under ICAR AU. 
  • Candidates who have not completed their education at a college not affiliated with ICAR are not eligible to give ICAR JRF. 
  • The candidate must complete the postgraduate degree in all areas and meet all degree completion requirements at the time of counseling/admission to the university; otherwise, they will not be considered for admission or the award of the fellowship.
CategoriesOGPAMarks Secured (100)
General/OBC/UPS/EWS6.5/10 Point Scale3.25/5 Point Scale2.6/4 Point Scale60
SC/ST/PwD5.50/10 Point Scale2.75/5 Point Scale2.2/4 Point Scale50

ICAR JRF Exam Pattern

ICAR Junior Research Fellowship entrance examination is a Computer-based test consisting of 150 objective types, which the candidates must attempt in 150 minutes. For every correct answer, candidates will be awarded 4 marks, with a negative marking of 1 mark. There will be 3 sections in the paper which are sections A, B, and C. ICAR JRF 2023 exam pattern is listed below:

Sections

Questions

Total Marks

Duration

Section A (General knowledge related to plant physiology)

50

200

150 minutes

Section B (Core subject chosen by the candidates)

50

200

Section C (topic chosen by the candidates)

50

200

ICAR JRF Syllabus

Candidates preparing for the Junior Research Fellowship program should know the syllabus for the ICAR JRF exam. NTA will ask questions about the topics given below. You can also download the ICAR JRF syllabus from the direct link mentioned below.

SectionsTopics
Genetics and Plant BreedingEconomics Botany and Plant Breeding Methods, Genome Organization and Cytogenetics of Crop Plants, General Genetics and Plant Breeding, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnological Tools in Plant Breeding, etc.
Seed Science & TechnologySeed Biology, Seed Health, Seed Industry Development and Marketing, Seed Processing, etc
Economic Botany & Plant Genetic ResourcesBiodiversity and Plant Genetic Resources, Biotechnology in Plant Genetic Resource Management, Economic Botany, Exploration and Germplasm Collecting, etc. 
Plant PathologyBacterial and Viral Diseases of Crop Plant, Fungal Diseases of Crop Plants, History and Principles of Plant Pathology, Laboratory and Analytical Techniques, Mycology, Management of Plant diseases, Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology, etc
Agricultural EntomologyBiological Control, Chemical Control and Toxicology, Embryology, Internal Anatomy, and Physiology, Ecology, Host Plant Resistance, Honey Bees and Bee-keeping, Helpful and Useful Insects, etc
SericultureMulberry and Silkworm Breeding, Mulberry Crop Production, Non-Mulberry Sericulture, Silkworm Biology, Silkworm Nutrition, Silkworm Protection, Silk Reeling Technology, etc
Plant PhysiologyAbiotic Stress Responses in Plants, Cell Organelles and Water Relations, Crop Productivity and Modelling, Climate, and Climate Change, Mineral Nutrition, Metabolic Processes, and Growth Regulation, etc
Agricultural BiotechnologyBiomolecules and Metabolism, Cell Structure and Function, Enzymology, Gene Cloning, Gene Expression, Molecular Biology Techniques, Molecular Genetics, Molecular Biology, Molecular Markers, Genomics, etc

ICAR JRF 2023 Preparation Tips

To achieve their desired job profile, candidates must put in dedicated efforts in the right direction. Experts have provided ICAR JRF preparation tips that will help candidates perform exceptionally well and progress further in the selection process.

  • Collect good quality study material from reliable sources like books, online study materials, and ICAR JRF previous year question papers.
  • Create a proper timetable and allot equal time for each subject. Prioritize your weak areas and spend more time on them.
  • Revise the topics that you have studied regularly. This will help you in retaining what you have learned and avoid forgetting important concepts.
  • Keep yourself updated with the latest news and advancements in the field of agriculture.

ICAR JRF 2023 Admit Card

After successfully completing the application process for ICAR JRF 2023, candidates can download the admit card from the official website of ICAR. Candidates need to follow the given instruction to download the admit card:

  • Visit the official website of NTA ICAR.
  • If admit card has been released, a link to download it will be available under the notification section.
  • Click on the link and enter your application number and password.
  • Admit card will appear on the screen in PDF format. 
  • Download the Admit Card for ICAR JRF 2023 and take a printout of it.

ICAR JRF Exam Day Guidelines

After the admit card is released for ICAR JRF 2023, candidates must download it to carry it for the examination day. Candidates need to read the instructions mentioned on the admit card. The candidates should reach the exam center 1 hour before the commencement of the exam. Candidates need to take the given documents on the examination day:

  • ICAR JRF 2023 Admit card
  • A government-issued Identity card like an Aadhar card or PAN card, or Voter ID
  • One passport-size photograph.

ICAR JRF 2023 Answer key

After the commencement of the exam, the first thing the candidates are looking for is the answer key through which they can calculate their score and assume their chances of qualifying for the paper. NTA will release the official ICAR JRF 2023 answer key online. Follow the given steps to download the answer key:

  • Visit the official website of NTA ICAR.
  • There will be a notification mentioning that the answer key has been released with the link to download it. 
  • The answer key for ICAR JRF will be released as a candidate response or a simple pdf file.
  • Candidates have to log in with their application number and password, and the answer key will be available along with the answer marked by the candidate.
  • For PDF, there will be a direct link. Click on the link and download the answer key in PDF format.

ICAR JRF 2023 Result

The result for ICAR Junior Research Fellowship will be released within one month after the commencement of the examination. The result for ICAR JRF will be declared in the form of a scorecard which the candidates have to download by following the given steps:

  • Visit the official website of NTA ICAR JRF.
  • If the ICAR JRF result has been declared, then there will be a notification related to it with the link to download the scorecard
  • Click on the link and provide your application number and password.
  • Download the scorecard for ICAR JRF and take a printout.

ICAR JRF 2023 Cut Off

ICAR JRF cut-off is released every year after the recruitment process is completed. In order to qualify for the Junior Research Fellowship, candidates must clear both the sectional as well as overall cut-off scores. ICAR JRF cut-off marks are the minimum scores that candidates are required to achieve in order to progress to the next stage of the selection process. By analyzing the cut-off trends, candidates can gain insights into the level of competition and prepare accordingly for the ICAR JRF exam.

FAQs on ICAR JRF 2023

  • Indian Council of Agriculture Research conducts the ICAR JRF exam to grant scholarships to eligible candidates who want to pursue a Ph.D. in agriculture. The exam helps candidates who wish to pursue research work in agriculture and need financial assistance.

  • National Test Agency will soon release the Indian Council of Agriculture Research All India Competitive Exam for the Junior Research Fellowship and Senior Research Fellowship notification on the official website. The agency will provide all the essential information in the advertisement, such as important dates, exam dates, eligibility criteria, the application process, selection process, pattern, syllabus, and more.

  • Candidates must visit the official website to complete the ICAR JRF 2023 Application Form. On the page, click on the registration button to register yourself. After registration, fill out the application form for ICAR JRF and upload all the documents. After the successful submission of forms, pay the application fee applies.

  • ICAR JRF 2023 Exam Date has not been released yet by the National Testing Agency. The exam will be conducted in September 2023 tentatively. Check the important dates of the targeted preparation for the exam. We will update the dates as soon as they are available on the website.

  • Candidates with a master's degree in agriculture with 60% or more marks are eligible for the ICAR JRF exam. There is a relaxation of 5% marks for reserved category students. Check the detailed eligibility criteria for ICAR JRF on the page.

  • The ICAR JRF exam syllabus comprises agriculture topics for the exam. The essential topics are genetics and plant breeding, seed science and technology, plant pathology, nematology, sericulture, botany and plant genetic resources, agriculture entomology, etc. Check the syllabus for the ICAR JRF exam in detail before beginning the exam preparation.

  • The age limit of the ICAR JRF exam is 30 years for general candidates. For the reserved category, the age relaxation of 3 and 5 years is applicable per the government of India norms.

  • The experts suggest the best ICAR JRF Books help candidates prepare. It is essential to check the book that is very useful for practice. The important ICAR JRF books are:

    • ICAR JRF/SRF - PG - Dr. B.B. Singh
    • General Agriculture for ICAR - Jain Brothers
  • To prepare well for the ICAR JRF exam, candidates must follow the exam pattern and syllabus. Make a study plan to cover all topics asked in the exam. Attempt questions and mock tests to practice and gain confidence. You can check more ICAR JRF Preparation Tips to boost your score.

  • The application fee for the ICAR JRF is INR 1820/- for the general category, for OBC, it is INR 1800/-, and for SC, ST, PwD, and transgenders, it is INR 900/-. Candidates can pay the application fee online mode only.

  • There is no such limit on the number of attempts in the ICAR JRF Exam. Candidates can attempt the exam till they satisfy the eligibility conditions, which is a necessity.

  • More than 74 Agricultural Universities participate in the ICAR AICE JRF/ SRF exam, which comprises 63 State Agricultural, Veterinary, Horticultural, and Fisheries Universities (SAUs), 4 ICAR-DUs, viz. IARI, IVRI, NDRI, CIFE, 3 Central Agricultural Universities (CAU, Imphal, Dr. RPCAU, Pusa and RLB CAU, Jhansi), etc.

  • The application forms for ICAR JRF 2023 are now out and candidates can apply for the JRF/SRF exam till 18 June 2023. It is crucial to apply online and submit the application along with the application fee to appear for the exam. Hence, aspirants must do it as soon as possible and continue their preparation.

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