AAU ranks fourth in innovations

Vadodara/ Anand: Anand Agricultural University (AAU) has grabbed a spot among top five institutes in the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA)-2020.
The agricultural university has secured the fourth position in the category of government and government-aided universities in ARIIA-2020. A total of 674 institutes/ universities from across the country had participated in six different categories for this ranking.
The ranking was announced through an e-award ceremony that was organized by the Union ministry of education in presence of vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ and MOS for education Sanjay Dhotre among others.
AAU is the only one from Gujarat and the second agricultural university in the country to find a place in top five in the category of government and government-aided universities. Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University has been ranked third.
Launched last year by the ministry of human resource development (now ministry of education), ARIIA is an initiative through which all major higher educational institutions and universities are ranked based on indicators related to promotion and support of “innovation and entrepreneurship development” among students and faculties.
AAU has secured the position based on its strength in academic and innovation programmes connected to entrepreneurship development.
“Recently, we (AAU) was also recognised as a national centre for student startup and innovation policy (SSIP) and start-up India in the area of agriculture and food processing for Gujarat,” said Vyas, adding that the university has also bagged RAFTAAR Agri-business Incubator project funded by union ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare.