Timeline

Kumaraguru Institute of Agriculture

Our Journey & Milestones

A timeline celebrating the establishment, growth, achievements and academic milestones of KIA from 2014 to 2024.

KIA | Milestones and History
2014

Establishment of KIA

  • Kumaraguru Institute of Agriculture (KIA) was established at Sakthinagar, Erode District, and began functioning on 8 September 2014 with 60 students (23 boys and 37 girls). Classes for the 2014–15 first-year batch commenced on the same day.
  • Initially, KIA functioned from the second floor of the Sakthi Polytechnic College (SPC) building at Sakthinagar.
  • Dr. P. Sivasubramanian, retired Director of Agri Business Development, TNAU, Coimbatore, joined as KIA’s first Executive Officer on 30 August 2014.
  • Dr. P. Venkatachalam, Professor (Bio-Energy), TNAU, joined as the first Dean on 8 September 2014 and served until 14 October 2014.
  • Dr. T. R. Shanmugam, Professor (Agricultural Economics), TNAU, joined as Dean on 13 November 2014.
  • Two regular scientists joined during 2014: Dr. P. Baskar, Assistant Professor (Agronomy), and Mr. T. Kamalakannan, Assistant Professor (Horticulture).
2015

Early campus and student milestones

  • KIA students participated in Talentia at AC&RI, Madurai, on 6 February 2015. V. Vasanth of I B.Sc. (Ag.) won second prize in English poetry writing.
  • The first College Day, Sports Day and Annual Day were held on 13 May 2015. Thiru T. Stalin Gunasekaran, Managing Director, Makkal Sinthanai Peravai, Erode, was Chief Guest.
  • An orchard with a range of fruit-tree seedlings was established at North Farm in June 2015.
  • The Automatic Weather Station was shifted to North Farm and installed inside the Meteorological Observatory on 10 October 2015.
  • A dairy unit was established with three cows and a calf on 15 October 2015.
  • The KIA Rotaract Club was inaugurated on 29 December 2015. By the end of the year, 13 scientists from different disciplines were employed at KIA.
2016

Academic infrastructure expands

  • Thiru A. Balasubramaniam, R&D Manager, Sakthi Sugars Ltd., joined as Executive Officer in-charge on 18 January 2016, succeeding Dr. P. Sivasubramanian.
  • Bhoomi pooja for Phase I of the 25,000 sq. ft. Academic Building was held on 2 May 2016.
  • The KIA website, www.kia.ac.in, was launched on 5 May 2016.
  • The first NSS Special Camp was held at Oricheri village from 23–31 May for the 2014–15 batch’s second-year students.
  • Dr. N. Asoka Raja, Professor (Agronomy), TNAU, joined as Dean on 6 July 2016, succeeding Dr. T. R. Shanmugam.
  • Orientation Day for the 2016–17 first-year batch was held on 4 August. Chief Guests were Thiru V. K. Subburaj, IAS (Retd.), and Dr. M. Manickam, Executive Chairman, Sakthi Group of Companies.
  • Three acres at South Farm were converted into wetland, where third-year students raised a rice crop for their Crop Production course.
  • The Tissue Culture Lab was opened by Dr. M. Manickam on 27 September 2016.
  • Mushroom, poultry and vermicompost units, along with a goat shed, were established in November 2016.
  • The first Students’ Club was inaugurated on 27 December 2016 by Dr. P. Pandiyarajan, Dean, ADAC&RI, Trichy. KIA employed 22 scientists by the end of the year.
2017

New campus, research and outreach

  • Dr. M. Manickam inaugurated the Integrated Farming System (IFS) Unit at South Farm on 28 January.
  • A National Science Day exhibition was held on 28 February, visited by students from Sakthi Polytechnic College and Sakthi Higher Secondary School.
  • International Forest Day was observed on 21 March with mass tree planting at North Farm. World Water Day was celebrated on 22 March with Er. S. Sivalingam, Deputy Chief Engineer, PWD, as Chief Guest.
  • Dr. Ravi Kumar Theodore, Professor (Agricultural Extension) and Directorate Coordinator, TRRI, TNAU, joined as Dean on 23 March.
  • Pooja for the new Academic Building and bhoomi pooja for the Girls Hostel were held on 23 April in the presence of Thiru M. Balasubramaniam, MD, Sakthi Group of Companies.
  • Phase I of the KIA Academic Building was completed in May 2017, and the college moved from the Sakthi Polytechnic College building. Phase II began in May: a 35,000 sq. ft. building with ground plus two floors, 12 laboratories and two smart classrooms.
  • Construction of the Girls Hostel began in May. The 25,000 sq. ft. ground-plus-first-floor building has 46 rooms and capacity for 160 students.
  • The NSS Special Camp was held at P. Vellalapalayam village, Gobichettipalayam, from 23–31 May for the 2015–16 batch.
  • A 800 sq. ft. dairy shed for around 10 cows was opened by Dr. A. Abdul Kareem, former Vice-Chancellor, TNAU, on 18 December. A piggery unit with five pigs was also added at South Farm.
  • The Placement Cell was established to support study circles, Nobel Vision sessions, competitive-exam coaching, campus interviews and higher-education counselling.
  • DST, New Delhi, sanctioned KIA’s first externally funded project on biotechnological valorization of molasses distillery spent wash into single-cell oil, with a budget of ₹22.63 lakh. Dr. M. Iniya Kumar was Principal Investigator.
  • Annual Day, Sports Day and Hostel Day were held on 5 July. International Yoga Day was observed on 21 June, and a two-day Book Fair was organized on 30–31 October.
  • The Institutional Funded Research (IFR) programme began to support small-scale, short-term, low-budget research projects.
  • The first Rural Agricultural Work Experience (RAWE) programme ran from 17 August to 14 November. Fifty-seven final-year students were placed in 10 blocks across Erode, Salem and Coimbatore districts.
  • The first ATMA farmers’ training at KIA, on Integrated Crop Management in vegetables, was held on 15 September for 40 farmers with the State Department of Horticulture.
  • The Parthenium Eradication Brigade was started on 31 May, and Wi-Fi was provided in the Academic Building from 24 September.
  • Agri Nova ’17 welcomed the 2017–18 batch on 23 September and announced the college magazine title “Narumugizh”. Study Circles orientation and Nobel Vision lectures also began.
  • Dr. S. Babu, Director, Agri-Centre, VIT, visited on 17 November to discuss research opportunities and funding. World Soil Day was observed on 5 December with Dr. S. Chellamuthu as Chief Guest.
  • The first All India Study Tour for final-year students of the 2014–15 batch ran from 18 November to 5 December, visiting institutions in Hyderabad, New Delhi, Dehradun, Jaipur, Shimla and Haryana. KIA employed 25 scientists during 2017.
2018

Facilities, training and student achievements

  • The new Girls Hostel was completed, and students moved in during January 2018.
  • A one-day Organic Farming training was conducted on 11 January with the State Department of Horticulture and Uyir Organic Farmers Market for around 40 farmers.
  • Selvi P. V. Santhya of II B.Sc. (Ag.) was selected for the TNAU Kho-Kho team and represented the University at the All India Inter-University Athletic Championship in Bengaluru.
  • KIA presented its first exhibition stall at Kongu Nattu Kalnadai Thiruvizha, Samathur, Pollachi, on 8–10 February.
  • A Home Medicinal Garden was established on 18 February across 35 cents.
  • At the SIICA tournament, M. Ashokarajan won first place in boys’ javelin and P. V. Santhya won second place in girls’ javelin. The girls’ Kho-Kho team was runner-up; KIA students also achieved relay, badminton and cricket placements.
  • KIA students participated in SPORAG at Annamalai University (28 February–3 March), PRBANDHAZ at TNAU (23–24 February), and TALENTIA at AC&RI, Madurai (9–10 March), winning prizes at TALENTIA.
  • National Science Day was celebrated on 28 February with Dr. M. V. Ranghaswami, Dean of Agricultural Engineering, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, as Chief Guest.
  • On 14 March, Thiru M. Balasubramanian met KIA scientists, ABTIL staff and Sakthi Sugars representatives to discuss proposed research activities.
  • All laboratories moved to the Academic Block in March after Phase II construction was completed. TCH 1819 cotton was grown at South Farm for the Crop Production course.
  • Integrated Farming System training was conducted for farmers of Chennimalai Block on 27 March and Bhavani Block on 18 April, in association with the State Department of Horticulture.
  • The NSS Special Camp was held at Ammapalayam village, Gobichettipalayam taluk, from 21–27 April for the 2016–17 batch.
  • The Students’ Seminar series began on 7 April, led by 10 third-year students who had attended the Agripreneurship Convention at TNAU. KIA had 27 scientists at the time.
2019

Academic and student-life milestones

  • Annual Club Day, Sports Day and Hostel Day were held on 4 June. Dr. K. Venkatasubramanian, Principal Scientist, Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, was Chief Guest.
  • A TNAU Standing Committee visited KIA on 2 May to review academic matters.
  • Dr. P. Venkatachalam, retired Professor (Bioenergy), TNAU, took charge as Principal on 1 June.
  • The 2015 batch farewell was held on 9 June, and a farewell for former Dean Dr. Ravi Kumar Theodore was held on 28 June.
  • International Yoga Day was observed on 21 June. Dr. C. Ramasamy, former Vice-Chancellor, TNAU, visited on 11 July for consultancy on ICAR accreditation. Thiru M. Balasubramaniam visited on 24 July.
  • The 2019–20 batch of 120 first-year students joined on 21 August. Teachers’ Day was celebrated on 5 September.
  • Agri Nova for the new batch was held on 3 October, with Thiru V. Thiruvenkadam, Senior General Manager, Sakthi Sugars Ltd., as guest.
  • A Parents–Teachers Meeting for II B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture students was held on 4 October. The Sexual Harassment Committee met on 15 November.
  • World Soil Day was observed on 5 December under the theme “Stop Soil Erosion; Save Our Future”, with Dr. A. K. Mani as honoured guest.
  • The 2016 batch undertook its All India Study Tour from 3–21 December, and KIA students participated in the TNAU Inter-Collegiate Tournament from 19–24 December.
2020

Campus activities

  • The exhibition of the RAWE programme for the 2016 batch was held on 3 January 2020.
  • Pongal celebrations were held on 11 January.
  • Twenty KIA scientists participated in the Indo-Israel Conference at KCT on 29 January.
  • The Students’ Club was inaugurated on 30 January by Dr. L. Pugalendhi, Dean (Horticulture), TNAU, who inducted the club office-bearers.
  • Rice Field Day was observed on 20 February, and International Women’s Day was celebrated on 6 March 2020.
2021

Graduation and student recognition

  • KIA held its first Graduation Day on 30 October 2021 through virtual mode.
  • Mr. C. Avinash and Mr. S. P. Sharan of the 2017 batch received ICAR-JRF fellowships to pursue master’s programmes in Environmental Sciences and Agricultural Physics at IARI, New Delhi.
  • Agricultural Education Day was observed on 3 December for higher-secondary students at Sakthi Higher Secondary School, Natchimuthupuram, Appakudal, Erode District.
  • COVID-19 vaccination camps were organized at KIA on 30 September, 3 October, 29 October and 1 December to promote vaccination among students and staff.
2022

Innovation and academic development

  • International Women’s Day was celebrated on 8 March under the theme “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow”.
  • A Faculty Induction Programme for newly appointed faculty was held on 15–16 February.
  • Swagatham 2022 welcomed the 2021–22 I B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture batch on 18 April.
  • Agrathon, a national-level agro-based idea presentation contest addressing current agricultural challenges, was conducted on 28 May.
  • World Environment Day was observed on 4 June with a campus vegetable nursery, stem-cutting preparation and the “One Student, One Tree” initiative. The Mahatma Gandhi National Council of Rural Education, Government of India, congratulated the institution and coordinators for their activities.
  • A national seminar, “Soils: Where Food Begins”, was held on 2–3 December with scientists from across India presenting and publishing soil-science research.
2023

Research, outreach and alumni

  • National Science Day was celebrated on 28 February under the theme “Global Science for Global Wellbeing”.
  • The NSS Special Camp was held from 4–10 January at adopted village Oricheriputhur, Bhavani Taluk, with the motto “Not for Me, but for You”.
  • With support from Young Indians, Erode Chapter, KIA organized Agrathon 2023 and a Millet Conclave on 17 May.
  • A Book Exhibition was held on 20 May to mark World Book Day.
  • Swagatham on 14 September welcomed KIA’s 10th batch of B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture students.
  • National Nutrition Week was celebrated from 1–7 September under the theme “Healthy Diet Gawing Affordable for All”.
  • KIA held its inaugural alumni meet on 23 December, bringing together graduates from the 2014–2019 batches.
  • Agriculture Education Day was commemorated on 4 December.
2024

Affiliation and institutional leadership

  • TNAU granted KIA permanent affiliation for four years, from academic year 2023–24 to 2026–27, with approval from the 199th Board of Management of TNAU.
  • On 16 March, 92 meritorious KIA students in curricular and co-curricular activities received Mahatma Gandhi Merit Scholarships for academic year 2022–23.
  • The 13th Board of Studies meeting was held at KIA on 30 April.
  • World Bee Day was celebrated on 20 May at a farmer’s field near Kallipatti, Gobichettipalayam, under the theme “Bee Engaged with Youth”.
  • Dr. S. Hemalatha took charge as Vice Principal on 15 May.
  • World Environment Day was celebrated on 5 June under the theme “Our Land, Our Future”.
  • The 2025 batch joined KIA as the college’s 11th batch.
  • Dr. Ravi Kumar Theodore assumed charge as Principal of KIA on 26 December 2024.
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