Students of the agriculture college under Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (KSNUAHS) in Shivamogga staged a protest on July 15, opposing the move by Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) to allow students of a private university and engineering graduates to apply for the posts of Agriculture Officer (AO) and Assistant Agriculture Officer (AAO).

The KEA had invited applications for AOs and AAOs. In its notification, the authority allowed students who had obtained a B.Sc. (Agriculture) degree from Rai Technology University, a private university, and those with a B.E. degree in biotechnology to apply for the posts.

The protesting students maintained that the KEA should allow only those candidates who had obtained a degree from institutions recognised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). They said allowing students of private universities and engineering graduates to compete for the posts would take away opportunities from students who studied in agriculture colleges affiliated with State universities offering a degree in agriculture and horticulture.

They argued that the posts of AO and AAO demand knowledge of crop management, soil health maintenance, and pest control, among other agriculture-related subjects, which engineering graduates had not studied as part of their courses.

They demanded that the KEA withdraw the notification, and allow only graduates of agricultural universities to apply for the posts. They warned of an indefinite protest if their demand was not met.

The students of under-graduate and post-graduate studies took part in the protest. They submitted a memorandum to H.K. Veeranna, Dean (Agriculture).

Published - July 16, 2026 12:45 pm IST