The academic curriculum in Agricultural Engineering, around the world, are focused to training competent graduates ready to apply knowledge and skills in design, development, operation and management of engineering systems and structures related to agricultural mechanization, agricultural processing, food engineering, land and water management. rural energy and rural infrastructure. Some universities have restructured their Agricultural Engineering curriculum into Bio-Resources Engineering by incorporating recent developments and emphasis on bio-processing, biotechnology and energy management,which is again a derivative of Agricultural Engineering.

Agricultural Engineering are expected to server in the aeas of land development, irrigation and agricultural drainage words, farm machinery development and promotion, soil conservation and watershed management. processing and storage f food products, rural infrastructure development, rural energy and agribusiness. A number of graduates are employed in agro-based industries dealing with production and marketing of farm machinery and food products.

Reason for Starting Agricultural Enginerring Course at Purwanchal Campus:

The initiative of starting Agricultural Engineering course at Purwanchal campus, Dharan stems from Strategy of Institute of Engineering drafted in February, 2000 that identifies role of IOE in adressing such critical needs of country as poverty alleviation and rural development. Institutes of Engineering realized the need of initiating instruction and research in Agricultural Engineering considering the role that this field of engineering and technology can play in transforming subsistence agriculture into market oriented high value production system. This conviction at Institute of Engineering developed out of ongoing polocie, programs and emphasis of the gorvenment on intrgrated agricultural and rural development approach that identify key role of technology and technical manpower. Institutes of Engineering also realized established demand of Agricultural Engineering graduates in different government and non-gorvenment organizations and in private sector and that in the abscence of Agricultural Engineering training within the country, students' has to go to other countries for Bachelor and Postgraduate courses. Institute of Engineering envisions to developing Purwanchal Campus, Dharan as centre of learning in Rural Engineering and Technology.

Institute of Engineering initiated the first Bachelor course in Agricultural Engineering in the country beginning academic year of 2000-2001. The first batch of 23 students that are admitted to the course are expected to graduate in November, 2004. A total of 83 students are currently pursuing their studies at different levels.

Academic Curriculum and Emphasis:

The focus of academic curriculum in Agricultural Engineering currently underway at Institute of Engineering, Purwanchal Campus is on training competent graduates with adequate theoretical knowledge , analyatical capacity and hands-on skill in design, development, operation and management of engineering systems and structures pertaining to Agricultural Mechanization, Irrigation and Drainage , Soil conservation and Watershed Management Processing and Post-Harvest Engineering, Rural Infrastructures and Rural Energy. The courses are designed to offer over 8 semesters in four academic years. In the final year of the program package of elective courses have been included to provide speacialized and in-depth trainging in one of the specializing streams of Agricultural Engineering opted to students. Project work and field/industrial training have been included as integral part of the curricula to provide the students exposure to real life problems in Agricultural Engineering.

Syllabus of B.E.(Agriculture Engineering):

Course Title

Elective Course package

1) Farm Power and Machinery Stream
- Farm Machinery Design.
- Testing and evaluation of Agricultural Machine and Equipment.
- Ergonomics Principle and Practices.
- Farm Machinery production and Management
- Implements and Machines for hill Agricultural system
- Tillage and Traction engineering
2) Agricultural Processing Stream
- food products and process technology
- food processing equipment and plant design
- post harvest handling and storage of agricultural products
- seed technology and processing
- dairy technology
- food industry management
3) Water management stream
- on farm water management
- design of irrigation and drainage structure
- pressurized and micro irrigaton systems
- command area development
- land and water resources planning
- small dams and reservoir
4) Soil conservation and watershed management stream
- water shed management and planning
- remote sensing and geographic information sysem
- bio engineering technology
- design of soil and water conservation structures

5)  Rural Energy stream
- micro hydro system
-- bio energy
- solar photo voltaic system

Physical Facilities and Infrastructures

The physical resources at Purwanchal Campus, Dharan are developed in 35 Bighhas of land that includes instructional and administrative buildings, workshops, laborataries, library, students' hostel, housing for faculty and staff and other amenities like roads. electricity and drinking water. The physical faciliteis were developed primarily to meet the requirments of Diploma level instruction. The Campus administrations has initiated the process to develop additional instructional facilities for Bachelor course in Agricultural Engineering. The Campus library has collection of more than thousand books and references. Efforts are being made to expand the existing spaces and add relevant textbooks, references and technical journals in the library.

The capacity of boys' hostel is for 80 students and of girl’s hostel is for 40 students. There are 48 units of residential quarters for faculty and staff. Te physical facility development plan of the campus envisions to a fully residential campus that is imperative to quality instruction in engineering and technology.

Faculty Strength:

There are total of 93 teaching faculty and 67 administrative staff to support instruction and teaching responsibilites at Purwanchal Campus, Dharan. Specific to the areas of Agricultural Engineering there are currently eight faculty to support instruction in different areas. Institutes of Engineering, Purwanchal Campus is trying to recruit additional faculty members in specializing streams of Agricultural Engineering. Attempt is being made to develop institutional linkage with universities/ institutions in India that have long years of experience and expertise with instruction, research and technology transfer in Agricultural Engineering, to bring in expert professors from these institutions to support the instructional needs until the point of time that Purwanchal Campus, Dharan develops its own faculty strength.

PROCEDURE OF STUDENTS’ INTAKE AND FEES

Annual intake of students in B.E ( Agriculture Engineering) program is 24. Candidate who have passed(minimum percentage –50%) Proficiency Certificate level in science or 10 + 2 course in science or those who have completed Diploma in Engineering course from Institute of Engineering or from any other institution recognized by Tribhuwan University are eligible for entrance test.

Entrance test generally conducted in April, May in pulchok campus, pulchok, Kathmandu

For Further information ,contact pulchok campus, pulchok, Kathmandu

Students ranking high on the merit are eligible for admission on regular fee while those lower on the merit may seek admission on full fee. A total of 10 percent seats are reserved for female applicants provided they meet the selection criteria.

The students’ fees include semester fee payable at the beginning of each semester and one time refundable deposit and contribution to campus development fund payable at the time of admission.

The structure of fees for regular and full fee paying students are as under: