Agricultural College, Palem
Name of the College : Agricultural College, Palem, Nagarkurnool (Dist.)
Name of the Associate Dean : Dr. V. Hemalatha
Year of Establishment of College : 2015
Courses Offered : B. Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture
College Address and Mail id : Agricultural College, Palem, Nagarkurnool (Dist.) , Pin Code – 509 215, Telangana state, adplm@pjtau.edu.in
Phone :08540-228646
Mobile Number : +91 8332970375
About College
The Agricultural College, Palem is one of the constituent College of Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU) which is established on August 14, 2015 at Palem (V), Bijinepally (M), Nagakurnool (Dt.) offers B.Sc.(Hons.) Agriculture, a four-year undergraduate course. The College has begun with an initial strength of 4 permanent Teaching staff and 2 Non-Teaching staff with an intake of 60 students. Since then, it has experienced steady growth and currently comprises 15 permanent teaching staff with student intake capacity progressively increased to 171 during the Academic Year 2025-26 to meet the growing demand for quality education.
The College has well-structured Academic and Research Blocks in an area of 45.6 acres comprising state of art infrastructure facilities to equip students with scientific knowledge, problem-solving skills and field-based experience. Featuring with advanced well-equipped laboratories, instructional farms and committed faculty the students will have hands-on experience on latest developments in Crop Production, Protection, Soil Management and Allied Sciences. Furthermore, smart boards, LCD projectors and other modern teaching aids are in use to enhance teaching and learning for the overall effective academic experience.The college campus is enriched with lush greenery, creating a serene and eco-friendly environment that enhances the overall learning experience. The presence of well-maintained blocks for agricultural and horticultural crops which contributes to both aesthetic appeal and environmental sustainability.
The College provides scholarship opportunities to students from various categories, including Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled tribes (ST), Backward Classes (BC), Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and National Talent Scholarship (NTS), Minorities for those affiliated with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
The College offers comfortable hostel accommodations for boys and girls separately, with well-maintained mess with modern amenities, including a fully-equipped gymnasium and hot water facility. Additionally, the hostels have facility for clean drinking water (RO Plant), hygienic sanitation, and 24/7 security services ensuring a conducive living environment for the students.
The College boasts excellent sports facilities, including a spacious ground (4 acres) that supports sports such as cricket, football, volley boll, badminton, table tennis and other games, promoting physical fitness and extracurricular engagement among students. Additionally, the college operates two active NSS units that undertake a wide range of service oriented social initiatives focused on community development, with special attention to the farming community. Students are also given the opportunity to participate in Chenukaburlu, a program designed to deliver extension activities to farmers, which in turn helps students enhance their communication and interpersonal skills.
In addition, the college maintains a model orchard with all major fruit, medicinal and aromatic crop plants, a separate mango varietal black and an amla orchard providing students with hands-on experience in horticultural practices. The college is also actively engaged in a village adoption program aimed at promoting sustainable agricultural practices. This initiative focuses on key areas such as crop production, crop protection, and crop improvement, with the objective of enhancing farmers’ knowledge, increasing awareness of modern farming techniques, and ultimately improving agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods.
Students of Agricultural College, Palem benefit from unique experiential learning opportunities beyond the classroom through access to the on-campus Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) and Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK). The Research Station offers hands-on exposure to field experiments, crop improvement trials, soil testing, and farm mechanization practices,soil health, pest and disease management and sustainable farming systems enabling students to understand real-world agricultural challenges and explore practical solutions. At the KVK, students actively engage in on-farm demonstrations, farmer training programs, diagnostic field visits, and technology transfer activities. This dual exposure not only equips them with practical skills and research orientation but also fosters meaningful interaction with scientists, farming communities, effectively preparing them to become competent and future-ready agricultural professionals.
This involvement not only sharpens the students’ research aptitude but also connects them with the latest innovations developed under the guidance of PJTAU and allied research organizations. It further enables them to develop strong communication skills, understand the needs of farmers, and gain hands-on experience in technology dissemination, effectively bridging the gap between scientific research and practical application.
Associate Dean : Dr. V. Hemalatha
Dr. V. Hemalatha, Associate Dean, Agricultural College, Palem, Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU) has joined the University in the year 2000 and has successfully accomplished 26 years of experience in Research (10) and Teaching (12) academic Administration (4). She has served the University in various capacities, including as the Scientist, RARS, Chintapalle and Palem, Senior Scientist, at RS&RRS, Rudrur, Associate Professor, Professor and Head of the Department (Genetics and Plant Breeding) at College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar. Throughout her career, played a pivotal role in shaping the academic and professional careers of numerous undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students through effective teaching, mentorship and research guidance. As a faculty member in Genetics and Plant Breeding, successfully guided 07 Ph.D. and 20 M.Sc. (Ag.) students and actively contributed to the formulation of research programmes addressing location-specific agricultural challenges and the needs of the farming community in Telangana. She has authored over 70 research publications including research papers in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, seminar publications, book chapters, popular articles and practical manuals. She is an active member of several professional scientific societies. She has played a vital role in disseminating agricultural technologies through radio and television programmes, farmer trainings, Rythu Sadassus, and field advisory services, particularly in rice, castor, and maize. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to teaching, research, and extension, she received the State Best Teacher Award, the Best Poster Presentation Award at a National Seminar, and was elected Fellow of the Indian Society of Oilseeds Research.
As a Principal Investigator, successfully completed two RKVY-funded projects and two State Plan projects, focusing on the development of cold-tolerant, high-yielding rice varieties and production technologies for aerobic rice cultivation. These projects contributed significantly to crop improvement and sustainable agricultural production. As a teacher, effectively taught courses in Seed Technology and Plant Breeding. She has contributed significantly to academic curriculum development, including the finalization of BSMA syllabi for postgraduate and doctoral programmes and the VI Dean’s syllabus for undergraduate education in Genetics and Plant Breeding. Served as an External Examiner for thesis evaluation, thesis viva voce, conducted comprehensive examinations and set undergraduate and postgraduate examination papers for various Universities.
Actively involved in castor improvement programme and involved in 10 projects. As Senior Scientist (Plant Breeding) in Rice scheme, RS & RRS Rudrur, involved in conducting and implementation of 10 research projects. Actively involved in implementation of Participatory Seed Production Programme (PSPP) for the final year students of Seed Technology Polytechnic, RS and RRS Rudrur, which was appreciated by the higher authorities. Involved actively in revising seed technology course material and practical manuals. Involved In Creating Infrastructural Facilities Development and modernization of rice godown, crossing shed for rice breeding. As Seed production in charge to meet the demands of indenters and farming community very affectively produced a genuine, pure and healthy seed of breeder as well as foundation seed in various crops.
In administrative capacities, served as Drawing and Disbursing Officer and played a key role in resolving nearly 300 audit objections out of 334 pending cases. Actively supported the protection of approximately 80 acres of university land valued at nearly ₹80 crores, an achievement that received appreciation from university leadership and senior government officials. Further, as Programme Coordinator of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Rudrur, successfully organized and supervised Front Line Demonstrations, On-Farm Trials, Method Demonstrations, training programmes, farm management activities, and administrative functions, strengthening farmer outreach and technology dissemination. As an NSS Officer, actively engaged students in community development activities, including blood donation camps, Parthenium awareness programmes, Vanamahotsavam, and various social awareness campaigns. Served on various technical committees, faculty boards and scientific bodies, contributing to policy formulation, academic governance and scientific evaluation. Her professional strengths include strategic planning, collaborative leadership, effective communication and a strong commitment to academic excellence, integrity, diversity and institutional development. With a clear vision for educational advancement and research excellence, continue to strive for innovation and quality enhancement while fostering a positive learning environment and nurturing future generations of agricultural professionals.
