BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PROGRAMME
The Department of Tea Husbandry & Technology at Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Jorhat, holds the unique distinction of being the first institute in the world to offer formal university education dedicated entirely to tea. Established in 1968 through a joint collaboration with the Government of Assam, the Tea Board of India, and various Tea Producers’ Associations, the department introduced a highly specialized, multi-disciplinary curriculum.
Situated in the heart of major tea-producing landscapes, the programme was mandated to maintain a steady flow of technically qualified, professionally competent managers and scientists for the global tea industry and allied sectors, while creating a robust academic framework for basic and applied plantation research.
Reflecting its international reputation, the department has attracted students from major tea-growing nations, including Iran, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Lesotho. Till now, 733 students obtained B.Sc. Agri (degree) with specialization in Tea Husbandry & Technology. The specialized subject of study has proved to be very successful as more than 60 per cent of the students have been gainfully employed in the tea industry of India and abroad.
Since the late eighties of the last century, the department initiated and popularized the concept of tea cultivation in small scale in Assam. Presently there are around 1, 20,000 small tea growers in the state. The Assam Agricultural University is credited with the popularization of tea as a farmers’ crop and subsequent development in the small tea sector in Assam in particular and the entire north eastern region in general.
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TEA SCIENCE
The Assam Agricultural College was initially affiliated with Gauhati University. The visionary Vice-Chancellor, Pandit K. K. Handique, believed the college could make significant contributions to the surrounding tea industry. To strengthen this contribution, he proposed the introduction of a crash course in ‘Tea Culture and Manufacture’. In 1958, Pandit Handique formed a high-powered committee to assess the feasibility of introducing an academic programme on ‘Tea Culture’.
The committee’s report was submitted to the Tea Board of India for consideration and financial support. Initially, little progress was made. However, with the determined efforts of Shri B. P. Chaliha, the then Chief Minister of Assam, supported by Late P. C. Barooah, Ex-Member of Parliament and a renowned tea planter, the scheme gained momentum. The Tea Board of India eventually approved it, agreeing to share the funding with the Government of Assam on a 50:50 basis. The programme commenced in the 1968–69 session, leading to the establishment of the ‘Department of Tea Science’.
This department aimed to create a skilled workforce of tea scientists, specialists, and management executives to serve the tea industry and its allied sectors across the country. The introduction of such a specialised course was landmark advancement in science and technology, and its relevance to the sprawling tea industry was immense.
After completing his Ph.D. at the University of London, Dr. Prafulla Chandra Bora was appointed on 26 October 1968 to lead the newly formed Department of Tea Science at the Assam Agricultural University as Professor and Head. He was entrusted with the sole responsibility of envisioning, planning, and implementing the academic programme of the new department, while also ensuring that it was equipped with all necessary facilities.
On 1 April 1969, the Assam Agricultural University was officially established under an Act of the State Legislature. To seek feedback from senior tea industry figures regarding the development of the Department of Tea Science, Dr. Bora organised a meeting and the meeting was attended by representatives of various organisations related to tea industry. Later the Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations (CCPA) convened a meeting with its members to discuss support for the newly formed department. Dr. Bora presented the proposal for establishing the Department of Tea Science. All members present agreed to collaborate with the Assam Agricultural University on the following aspects:
The name of the department was changed from ‘Tea Science and Technology’ to ‘Tea Husbandry and Technology’ after the introduction of the postgraduate course. During a visit by Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, Director-General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, he suggested replacing the word ‘Science’ with ‘Husbandry’ to better reflect the agricultural nature of the discipline. Thus, the department became known as the ‘Department of Tea Husbandry & Technology’. The University also purchased about 21 hectares of tea plantation adjacent to the campus from the Tocklai Experimental Station for practical classes.
INSTITUTIONAL MILESTONES
· 1968 Department established; launches world’s first formal university programme in Tea Husbandry.
· 1972 Masters’ degree programme officially introduced.
· 1988 Formation of Tea Advisory Cell for small tea growers.
· 1991 Establishment of the Small Tea Growers Advisory Programme.
· 2012 Structured Course-Credit System introduced for the Ph.D. degree programme.
· 2023 Hosted the International Tea Day & Bicentenary of the Assam Tea Industry celebrations.
· 2025 Formulated the institutional \"Participatory Sustainable Regenerative Agriculture and Agroforestry System for Voluntary Carbon Market\" project under RKVY.
· 2026 Faculty and scholars widely recognized with global research awards and high placement rates in prime research and regulatory channels.
TEACHING
Formal Education in Tea Science & Technology is being offered by the Department of Tea Husbandry & Technology both in Undergraduate and Post Graduate levels.
The course curriculum of the department covers three broad areas, viz.,
i) Tea Husbandry & Production Technology
ii) Tea Engineering & Processing Technology
iii) Tea Economics & Management including Legal Matters
Regular visits to commercial tea estates; business houses, tea auction centre and tea growing areas of the country are parts of the academic programme.
Courses in Tea Husbandry & Technology are offered as “Specialized Courses” from the second year of the four-year B.Sc (Agri) Degree Programme along with other general courses of Agriculture.
As a part of the course curriculum, the final year under-graduate students of the department had to undergo off-campus Practical Garden Training programme during the final semester (6 months) of the degree programme. Later on in 1991, mandatory one-semester Rural Agricultural Work Experience Programme (RAWEP) for general agriculture graduates was introduced at the University to integrate the students with the farming community and develop their skills in problem solving, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship. The Rural Agricultural Work Experience Programme was restructured into the Tea Industrial Work Experience Programme (TIWEP) for students of Tea Husbandry & Technology. This was formally approved by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Under TIWEP, students specializing in Tea Husbandry & Technology undergo training in commercial tea estates. They also gain exposure to small tea growers in rural areas and are introduced to the latest research methods in tea research institutions. Additionally, they familiarize themselves with the practical realities of the market through exposure visits to institutions such as the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre, Inland Container Depot, Broker houses, Buyer houses, Warehouses, Tea blenders, and Packeters.
Since 2012, the University has also introduced an ‘Experiential Learning Programme’ (ELP) within the B.Sc. (Agri) degree, spanning one full semester. In this programme, students engage in hands-on work in both tea fields and factories, covering planning, management, and marketing. The Experiential Learning Programme of the department is divided into five modules:
The students of this department are placed in off-campus “Tea Industrial Work Experience Programme” (TIWEP) for one semester (six months). The Tea Industrial Work Experience Programme consists five courses and is equivalent to a semester load of 20 credits.
Intensive practical training in the commercial tea estates under TIWEP, both in field and factory as trainee executives, is one of the important components of the programme, which enables students to develop managerial and administrative capabilities. On completion of this programme, students are required to submit an ‘Academic Report’ in partial fulfillment of the academic programme.
Since its inception, this innovative course has attracted students from many Indian states including Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh — as well as from foreign countries such as Ethiopia, Iran, Uganda and Lesotho.
EVOLUTION OF THE POST-GRADUATE PROGRAMME
To deepen research capability and generate advanced leadership for the sector, the Master’s degree programme was launched in 1972. Opinions were sought from eminent educationists, scientists, and experienced tea planters in formulating what became a uniquely exhaustive single-crop postgraduate course. After assessing its feasibility, ICAR approved the post-graduate programme in January 1972, agreeing to provide budgetary support for laboratory and field activities, academic staff, and other requirements. Later, Ph.D programme was also introduced under traditional system followed by introduction of Ph.D programme with course credit system in 2012.
M.Sc. programme is a 2 year degree focused on application and validation, learning advanced methodologies, testing existing theories in new contexts, and mastering technical execution. The curricula are designed to offer advanced theoretical and practical insights into tea cultivation mechanics, processing chemistry, bio intensive plant protection, processing economics, and global marketing frameworks.
The syllabus undergoes periodic revisions through the Departmental Board of Studies and the University Academic Council chaired by the Vice-Chancellor adopting the ICAR model with tailored modifications to meet regional and commercial tea sector needs.
Vision for M.Sc. Programme
To remain the premier global centre of excellence in Tea Husbandry and Technology by driving transformative research, delivering advanced multidisciplinary education, and pioneering sustainable, value-added technological innovations that bolster the economic vitality, climate resilience, and environmental stewardship of the tea sector.
EVOLUTION OF THE PH.D. PROGRAMME
Aligning with modern academic standards, the Ph.D. programme under the structured course-credit system was officially introduced in the 2012–2013 Academic Session. The post-graduate and doctoral curricula are designed to offer advanced theoretical and practical insights into tea cultivation mechanics, processing chemistry, bio-intensive plant protection, processing economics, and global marketing frameworks. The syllabus undergoes periodic revisions through the Departmental Board of Studies and the University Academic Council chaired by the Vice-Chancellor adopting the ICAR model with tailored modifications to meet regional and commercial tea sector needs.
Vision for Ph.D. Programme
To be the premier global center of doctoral excellence in Tea Husbandry and Technology by fostering transformative, high-impact research and advanced multidisciplinary education; pioneering sustainable, value-added technological innovations that drive the economic vitality, climate resilience, and environmental stewardship of the global tea sector.
CERTIFICATE COURSE
The Department of Tea Husbandry & Technology of the University has been conducting since 2012 a Certificate Course on ‘Tea Production Technology & Management’ for the unemployed youths of Assam. Till date the department has successfully completed 8(eight) batches of this Certificate Course with capacity of 25 (twenty-five) students in each batch. Considering the overwhelming response to the Certificate Course from various categories of applicants, the department upgraded this course to a diploma course of one year duration offered to unemployed graduates of any discipline. Moreover, as tea industry of Assam covers both organized commercial tea estates under the corporate sectors and unorganized plantations of the small tea growers, there often arises the need of skilled manpower who would either offer service to the tea estates or take care of their own plantation in application of technology of tea production, processing and keeping of useful records. In order to meet this requirement of tea industry of Assam, the department also offers one abridged form of the certificate course of 3 (three) months duration entitled “Tea Production & Processing Technology”.
POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA COURSE ON ‘TEA PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY AND SMART MANAGEMENT’
The tea industry of Assam covers both organised commercial tea estates under the corporate sectors and unorganised plantations of the small tea growers, there often arises the need for skilled manpower who would either offer service to the tea estates or take care of their own plantation in application of technology of tea production, processing and keeping of useful records. Considering the need, Department of Tea Husbandry & Technology, Assam Agricultural University has introduced a Post Graduate Diploma course on ‘Tea Production Technology & Smart Management’ of one year duration to be offered to unemployed graduates of any discipline who are interested to offer their skilled service in tea industry.
ODL COURSE
Tea is the backbone of Assam’s agro-economy, with the state producing over half of India’s total tea output. In recent decades, the landscape of tea production has shifted dramatically due to the rapid emergence of Small Tea Growers (STGs). Tens of thousands of young individuals in rural and semi-urban Assam have taken up tea cultivation on small landholdings.
However, many youths enter the field without formal training in agronomy, quality processing, or financial management, leading to yield fluctuations, pest vulnerabilities, low leaf-realization prices, and market inefficiencies.
By leveraging Open and Distance Learning (ODL), an ODL course on ‘Tea Plantation Management’ of 6 months duration is offered by Open & Distance Learning (ODL) Directorate, Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Jorhat. The course is jointly developed by Department of Tea Husbandry & Technology and Department of Agricultural Economics, AAU to cater the need of youth of Assam, aspiring tea entrepreneurs, Small Tea Growers (STGs), and plantation managers.
FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
Besides the University Merit scholarship, From 2009, a prestigious award, named as “Late DharmananadaDas Memorial Silver Trophy” has been instituted by the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre after the name of the founder Chairman of the Auction Centre. The award funded by the family of Late Dharmananda Das consists of a Memorial Silver Trophy and a cash award of Rs.20,000.00 and is awarded every year to the brightest student in Tea Husbandry & Technology, of the B.Sc. (Agri) degree programme.