RAJENDRA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY, PUSA, SAMASTIPUR , BIHAR

Bihar ranks among the first 10 states of India in milk production. Dairying had attained a status of growing industry in the early 80’s thanks to the impetus rendered by the Operation Floods I and II and was in a great need of technical personnel to procure, process and market the increased quantity of milk available to it, Therefore, Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Dairy Technology (SGIDT) was established in 1982 with following objectives.

To train personnel in Dairy Technology and Dairy Husbandry in order to handle dairy development programme in the state of Bihar.
To provide short-term training to dairy farmers. Dairy entrepreneurs and dairy technicians as and when required.
To impart training in Dairy Technology and Dairy Science to the students of other faculties of Rajendra Agricultural University.
To conduct post graduate programme in the selected area of Dairy Science as per requirement of state.
To carry out research in collaboration with related disciplines on various aspects of Dairy Science and Technology.
To disseminate the scientific knowledge in relation to milk and milk products through extension programmes.

DEPARTMENTS:

Dairy Technology
Dairy Engineering
Dairy Chemistry
Dairy Microbiology
Dairy Economics, Statistics and Management
Dairy Cattle Breeding and Production
Dairy Cattle Nutrition and Forage production
Reproduction and Physiology
Dairy Extension

ACADEMICS

One of the main objectives of SGIDT is to provide training in the professional skills needed for employment in Dairy and Food industry. The institute offers a Bachelor’s Degree. B.Tech. (Dairy Technology) as its major activities. The programme is of 4 years duration with intake capacity of 50 students. The students for this course are selected at 10+2 level from Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics stream through Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination (BCECE) conducted by Govt. of Bihar. The 15% of the students are selected through an All India Entrance Examination conducted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi. So far 312 students have passed from this institute and presently 82 students are on roll.

The course is run as per the “Deans Committed Syllabus” accepted by the leading Dairy Educational Institutions in the country. During the first seven semesters of this programme. Students are taught a wide range of subjects on Dairy Engineering, Chemistry, Microbiology, Economics, Statistics, Management, Computer Application, Quality Assurance, Extension and Dairy Technology itself which is an integration of aforementioned subjects. The last Semester comprises a in-plant training at well equipped dairy plants within and outside the state.

TRAINING

Students are sent for In-Plant Trainees in prestigious Dairy Plant such as M/S Dynami Dairy Industries, Baramati (Maharastra), M/S S.M.C., Foods, Saharanpur (U.P), M/S Hatsuk Agro Product Ltd; Kanchipuram (Tamilnadu), Milk Plant at Banaskantha District Co-opetative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd; Palampur (Gujarat) and Patna Dairy, Patna (Bihar). Students are also sent for training at Model Dairy, N.D.R.I., Karnal (Hariyana), Amul Dairy, Anand ( Gujarat).

LIBRARY

The Institute has an Air Conditioned Library well equipped with a large number of books on Dairy Technology and allied sciences including recent publication.

RESEARCH

At present research is being undertaken in the following areas:

1. Non-conventional rapid methods for the determination of fat content in milk using detergents.

An engineering approach of selecting the optimum Fat SNF ratio to get maximum heat transfer during recombination of liquid milk.
Microbiological analysis of milk produced under village conditions around Patna City.
Heat transfer, pressure drop and fouling characteristics of tubular heat exchanger.
A genetic study on economics of milk production in dairy animals under rural management system.
To study the rheology of Paneer made from the milk of Patna shed area.
Technological studies on the manufacture of chum-chum from cow and buffalo milk.
Economics of milk production in Genetic plants of Bihar.
Marketing of milk in Bihar - A study of organized milk markets.
Effectiveness of Quality Assurance Management in Dairy Processing.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES·

The SGIDT has been extending consultancy services at present to dairy entrepreneurs in the state and has been instrumental in encouraging investment in fresh proposals and in up gradation of existing processing facilitates in the dairy sector. In future, the institute plans to setup a consultancy service cell to render these services on formal basis. The Institute is also providing technical know how and consultancy services to both Govt. and Private Dairies. The important organization which are in regular touch with this Institute are:

1. Comfed, Bihar; 2. Patna Dairy Project, Patna; 3. Tirhut Milk Union, Muzaffarpur; 4. Barauni Dairy; 5. Bhagalpur Diary; 6. Anuj Dairy Pvt. Ltd; Patna; 7. Ganga Dairy Pvt. ltd; Begusarai; 8. Hulsi Dairy Pvt. Ltd; Arrah; 9. Hundroo Milk Food, Jamshedpur; and 10. Jai Maa Chandika Dairy, Munger.

At present the Institute is undertaking extension activities in two adopted villages i.e. Sahalichak near Maner and Persa near Naubatpur. The students and staff of this Institute are providing technical know how for hygienic/sanitary milk production, animal nutrition and other scientific information pertaining to cattle management and improving the milk production.

The Department of Dairy Extension has also been organizing meetings for the benefit of dairy farmers. As a result of these extension activities, the milk production in the above mentioned village has increased considerably and the villagers were encouraged to adopt dairying as an occupation.

A slum area of Phulwarisharif has also been adopted for carrying out NSS programme of the Institute. The students of the Institute have undertaken literacy campaign in slum areas of Phulwarisharif on a massive scale under N.S.S. activities of the Institute. A packet contending books, copies, pencils, pens and other study materials were also distributed amongst the illiterate living in the slum area. Slum dwellers were educated by the students about hygiene, sanitation, family planning and other development programmes of the Government.

A programme of Agri-clinics & Agri-business under 'MANAGE' Programme of National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad has also been undertaken by this institute. Under this programme 34 graduates of Agriculture, Fisheries, M.B.A. and dairy Technology were trained for entrepreneurship development.

STUDENTS WELFARE

The students welfare programme comprises of scholarships, stipends, health-facilities and other extra curricular activities. The institute has a training cell which arranges 6 months In-Plant Training and short term training for the students. There is a student welfare cell which coordinates with Dean, Students welfare, RAU, Pusa for the said purpose. The institute also manages the boys and girls hostels and monitors mess arrangement.

EMPLOYMENTS/PLACEMENT

The Dairy Technology holds a bright and promising future in regional, national and international economics. The graduates of SGIDT have excellent employment prospects. The placement cell of the Institute takes ample initiatives to get them gainful employment as soon as they graduate. They find placement in Dairy and Food processing plants in Cooperative, Private and Govt. sectors. There are also opportunities in Dairy Research Institutes and Colleges. There has been cent percent employment of SGIDT products. Most of our graduates have been employed within the state. Some of them are working in MNC's, besides finding employment in the leading milk producing states viz. Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. A number of graduates have been able to avail overseas assignments.