Icar Emeritus Professor

ICAR Emeritus Professor is a scheme of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) that lets superannuated teachers and scientists of the ICAR-AU system stay connected with academia after retirement. It pays a monthly honorarium and a yearly contingency grant for teaching, student guidance and preparation of study material.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research has revised the guidelines of this scheme on 11 June 2026 after approval by the Governing Body in its 265th meeting held on 28 February 2026. New guidelines supersede all previous ones, so eligible retired teachers and scientists can look at the updated rules before applying.

Icar Emeritus Professor - Introduction

ICAR Emeritus Professor helps retired teachers and scientists from universities, colleges and institutions under the ICAR-AU system remain active in their professional field after superannuation. The scheme uses the experience of experts from the National Agricultural Research and Education System (NARES).

Retired professionals can guide students, teach agricultural courses and prepare textbooks or e-learning material. They can also help on important national policy issues, so their knowledge continues to benefit the agriculture sector. The scheme also helps balance the availability of faculty, mainly in regions where it is needed the most.

Example: If Dr. Sharma is a 64 year old teacher set to retire in six months with a strong research record, he can apply to continue teaching and guiding student research under this scheme.

Key Information

Revised Guidelines 2026

ICAR has brought out revised guidelines for the Emeritus Professor scheme dated 11 June 2026. These guidelines were approved by the Governing Body in its 265th meeting held on 28 February 2026 and they replace all earlier guidelines of the scheme. Retired and about to retire teachers and scientists should follow the new rules while applying.

The application form, proforma and the revised guidelines are available on the official ICAR website. Applications are invited through the concerned institutions, so eligible candidates should contact their parent university or institute to forward the application.

Benefits

Financial support under the scheme is given through a monthly honorarium and a yearly contingency grant. The details are shown below.

The contingency grant is meant for secretarial support, domestic travel for assignments, stationary and books. Any books or journals bought from this grant remain the property of the university or college. No separate grant for TA and DA is given, so travel expenses are to be managed from the contingency fund.

An Emeritus Professor is expected to give full time to the approved programme and should not take up any other regular or part time paid work during tenure. University privileges such as medical facilities are available in the same way as for regular faculty.

Eligibility

To qualify for the ICAR Emeritus Professor scheme, an applicant needs to be an outstanding superannuated teacher or scientist with at least 5 years of teaching or training experience and a strong record of published work. A person preparing for retirement within the next 12 months is also eligible to apply.

Maximum age for applying is 65 years. The scheme allows a person to work up to 70 years of age or complete a 3 year tenure, whichever comes earlier.

Application Process

Applications for the ICAR Emeritus Professor scheme are invited through the official ICAR website and are routed through the parent institution. The steps to apply are given below.

STEP 1 - Get the revised guidelines and application proforma from the official ICAR page at Applications for the ICAR Emeritus Professor Scheme.

STEP 2 - Fill in all required basic and scheme specific details in the application proforma as per the revised guidelines.

STEP 3 - Take the print of the filled application and get the required signatures from the applicant and the relevant higher authority.

STEP 4 - Attach the No Objection Certificate (NOC) if the applicant is still in service.

STEP 5 - Submit the signed application to the parent university or institute so it can be forwarded to ICAR within the set time.

Documents

The following documents are needed while preparing the application. Full list of required papers is given in the revised guidelines.

• Academic qualification certificates and employment record documents.
• Proof of research experience and details of teaching experience with courses taught.
• Copies of awards, recognitions and certificates of fellowships from national or international academics.
• Duly signed No Objection Certificate (NOC), which is required if the applicant is currently in service.
• The completed application form as per the latest proforma.

References

For further reading, the following official links can be used.

• Revised Guidelines 11 June 2026
• Application Proforma
• Official Applications Page

Also read about the related ICAR Emeritus Scientist Scheme 2026.

FAQ's

Where to apply online?

Applications are invited through the official ICAR website and are routed through the parent institution. See the applications page at https://icar.org.in/en/applications-icar-emeritus-professor-scheme.

Are the guidelines revised for 2026?

Yes, ICAR released revised guidelines dated 11 June 2026, approved by the Governing Body in its 265th meeting. These supersede all earlier guidelines.

Who is eligible?

Superannuated teachers or scientists with at least 5 years of teaching or training experience and a good publication record. Those retiring within the next 12 months can also apply, up to 65 years of age.