Scientific Societies play a major role in promoting interest and enhancing quality of research. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi has been operating a scheme for grant of financial assistance to scientific societies and academic institutions engaged in the field of agriculture and allied disciplines for meeting part of expenditure on publication of their journals and for holding international/national seminars/symposia out of Funds of Scheme Societies/ Award/Regional Committee subhead Support to Scientific Societies. There exists a considerable variation in the purpose and quality of conferences and publication of Journals. The criteria for evaluation of these activities of Societies have been evolved during past years. The Rules and Guidelines for the scheme were revised and approved by the Governing Body of ICAR in its 242nd Meeting held on 29th November 2017. In view of the changed economic scenario of the country, a Committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Dr J.C. Katyal, Former Vice-Chancellor, CCSHAU, Hisar to review the existing rules, regulations and guidelines and revise them in the light of past experience to take appropriate and timely decision by the ICAR.

The report of the Committee was presented before the Standing Committee in its 47th Meeting on 24 November 2017 and it was discussed in detail. The recommendations obtained on the report were incorporated and it was put up in GB Meeting on 29th November 2017. The guidelines were got approved and are presented here for ready reference. Based on these guidelines, the criteria for screening of applications by the respective SMDs were developed which are appended for facilitating the process