Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth is an agricultural university in Akola, Maharashtra, established in 1969.
Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola was established on 20th October, 1969, with its head-quarter at Akola. It is an agricultural university under the University Act 1983 of the Government of Maharashtra. The university is entrusted with agricultural education, research and extension education, along with breeder and foundation seed programmes. It is named after Dr. Panjabrao (alias Bhausaheb) Deshmukh, who was the Minister for Agriculture, Government of India.
The instructional programmes at the main campus are spread over five colleges: College of Agriculture, College of Agricultural Engineering & Technology, College of Forestry, College of Horticulture, and Post Graduate Institute. Degree programmes at the main campus include B.Sc. (Agri.), B.Sc. (Hort.), B.Sc. (Forestry) and B.Tech. (Ag. Engg.) Master's programmes M.Sc. (Agri.) and M.Tech. (Agri. Engg.), along with doctoral programmes in agriculture and agricultural engineering, are also offered. The university has a sub-campus at Nagpur with the constituent College of Agriculture, which offers B.Sc. (Agri.) and M.Sc. (Agri.) programmes.
The university has its main campus at Akola. A botanic garden is maintained on 22 hectares with a green house for research workers. A Central Research Station at the main campus supports research on the region's principal crops: cotton, sorghum, oilseeds and pulses. Facilities listed include university boys and girls hostels at the main campus, a university library (Central Library and Information Centre), and guest houses.
The Post Graduate Institute and the College of Agricultural Engineering & Technology were established in 1970. The Horticulture Degree Programme was established in 1984, and the Forestry Degree Programme in 1985. The Vasantrao Naik Agri Biotechnology College was established at Yavatmal in 2013. The university had 2 affiliated grant-in-aid colleges and 14 private non-grant-in-aid colleges under its umbrella.
Postgraduate admission is through PG-CET and MCAER, which covers four agricultural universities. Doctoral admission is through Ph.D.-CET. Other routes include a merit-based Post Graduate Diploma in Organic Management System and Certification, and central online admission for the Diploma in Agriculture Technology and Agriculture Polytechnic. Management quota seats in unaided colleges are offered to state merit list candidates.