SRINAGAR: Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) has secured the fourth rank nationally in the Agriculture and Horticulture University category in the International Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) University Rankings 2026.
The university was ranked behind the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, placing it among the country’s leading institutions in agricultural education and research.
The IIRF rankings assessed more than 2,500 institutions across the country on parameters including academic reputation, student diversity, research output, innovation, infrastructure, community engagement and international outlook.
According to the university, SKUAST-K performed strongly across indicators such as academic excellence, research, innovation, inclusivity, infrastructure and global outreach. It currently offers 14 undergraduate programmes, the highest among state agricultural universities in the country, with nearly 30 per cent of its students coming from outside Jammu and Kashmir.
The university said it holds 123 intellectual property rights, including 117 secured in the last four years, has an H-index of 115 and is implementing more than 200 extramural research projects. It also highlighted its Student Rural Exploration Programme, which covers 400 villages and involves around 4,000 students, alongside expanding collaborations with national and international institutions and industries.
Vice Chancellor Nazir Ahmad Ganai said the ranking reflects the sustained efforts of the university’s faculty, scientists, students and staff. He said the institution remains committed to strengthening research, promoting innovation and supporting farming communities through education, technology transfer and community engagement.
Ganai said the university shifted its strategic focus from local to national in 2022 and from national to global in 2026, with the objective of emerging as a globally recognised institution in transdisciplinary sciences.
The ranking further strengthens SKUAST-K’s position as one of India’s leading agricultural universities and reflects its growing academic and research profile.
