The Institute of Agricultural Sciences (IAS), faculty of agricultural sciences of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA), has been making steady progress after it was established in 2013 with the students getting good opportunities for employment, Prof. Debi Prasad Ray, Chancellor of the Deemed to be University, said on Friday.

“IAS has been growing and is poised to become one of the best institutions of the state,” Prof. Ray said while addressing the inaugural function of ‘Arnna-2023’, the annual fest of the institution.

IAS, he said, is the second institution for imparting education in agricultural sciences to be set up in Odisha after the Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) and the first such college established in the private domain in eastern and north eastern India.

“The student strength of IAS has grown from around 100 in 2013 to more than 1400 today with many from foreign countries studying here,” Prof. Ray, who was former Vice-Chancellor of OUAT, said.

SOA’s Vice-Chancellor and Dean of IAS, Prof. Bijay Kumar Sahoo, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Registrar, Prof. Bibhuti Bhushan Pradhan, Dean (Students’ Welfare) Prof. Jyoti Ranjan Das and Additional Dean Prof. Santosh Kumar Rout also addressed the function which was conducted by Prof. Prabhat Kumar Sarangi.

‘Arnna’, the institute’s literary magazine which contains creative efforts of students and faculty members, was unveiled on the occasion.

Banita Patra, a graduate of the institute, who emerged successful in the Odisha civil service examination recently was felicitated on the occasion. Another student, Jogajanma Sahu, who was the best graduate of the last academic year, was also felicitated in absentia.

On the eve of the annual day program, a farmer-scientist interaction was organised on Thursday which was attended by around 100 cultivators whose querries were answered by professors of the institution. The program was graced by District Chief Agricultural Officer of Khurda district, Mr. Chakradhar Panda while Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, Pro-Vice Chancellor of SOA also addressed the gathering. The Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sahoo, Prof. Saroj Kumar Mohanty and Prof. Bijay Kumar Mishra also spoke to the farmers.