Agricultural Research Information System (ARIS)

The project "Agricultural Research Information System (ARIS)" is being implemented to bring information management culture to National Agricultural Research System (NARS) so that agricultural scientist can carry out research more effectively by having systematic access to research information available in India as well as in other countries, better project management of agricultural research, and modernization of the office tools. The basic infrastructure required required for linking all ICAR institutes has already been created. The E-mail connectivity has been established to 72 out of 86 ICAR institutes by linking through dial-up including six institutes with VSAT connectivity using NICNET and ERNET services.

ARIS has four information modules namely Agricultural Research Personnel Information System (ARPIS); Agricultural Research Financial Information System (ARFIS); Agricultural Research Library Information System (ARLIS) and Agricultural Research Management Information System (ARMIS).

The ICAR is also running an Agricultural Research Information Centre (ARIC) as the Central source of information on all research projects and schemes financed by the ICAR. Databases on A.P. Cess Fund Schemes, Deputation reports and research projects of institutions were computerized and updating of the databases is taken up. The ARIC is the national input centre for the AGRIS and CARIS agricultural databases of the FAO, which is the largest information system of its kind in the world. The ARIC is also the national focal point for the SAARC Agricultural Information Centre (SAIC). It has published several directories in addition to a half-yearly Directory of conferences, seminars, symposia and workshops in agriculture. It is being upgraded to provide on line uplinking and downlinking facilities to the ICAR system, and to the agricultural information system of the entire world.

Status Report of Agricultural Information Network (AINET)

The Agricultural Research Information System (ARIS) also known as AINET at the univesity level, aims at making all the departments/ laboratories/ offices share various resources (database) which are either located physically within the same building or located anywhere at remote location.
OBJECTIVE : The objective of the AINET is "To generate database at the University level and exchange technology and information between ICAR, ICAR institutions and SAU's." It was inaugurated on 29th March'97 at the auspecious hands of Dr. R.S.Paroda, Secretary DARE and Director General, ICAR New Delhi.

1. Existing Programmes running on computers
Available Hardware :
110 computers of 486 DX-II and above grade, 68 Dot Matrix Printers, 17 Ink Jet Printers, 17 Laser Jet Printer and 46 UPS.
Available Software :
Supplied by the ICAR : MS Office 2000, MS Office 97, Preloaded Windows 98, Windows 95, Windows 3.11, MS Office 4.32, Visual C++, Novel Netware 4.10. These entire software programs are supplied by ICAR under Agricultural Research Information System (ARIS) programme.
Purchased by the University : Windows 2000, MS Office 2000, Visual Studio 6.0 (Visual C++, Visual Basic, Visual Foxpro, Visual Java), Autocad 12.0, Windows NT Back Office, Shree Lipi Marathi Font Software etc.
C. Local Area Network(LAN)/Wide Area Network(WAN) :
University has established LAN and WANS at main campus Rahuri, Pune, Dhule, Kolhapur and Shirval. Total LAN nodes available at Rahur campus are 100, Pune 30, Dhule 30 and at Kolhapur are 30.

INTERNET and Email facility :
Nationla Informatic Centre, New Delhi has provided INTERNET and E-mail connectivity through satellite via VSAT to this University at main campus Rahuri. INTERNET and Email connectivity is availabe on LAN.

Future Programmes

1. To organize regular computer courses for staff to upgrade operating knowledge of computer
2. To strengthen LAN/WAN by providing at least one computer at each LAN node with INTERNET and Email facility
3. To create kiosk based portal of the University and timely replying to the queries of farmers by forming panel of Experts from the University.
4. Computerisation of University library, library of Agricultural College, Pune, Dhule, Kolhapur and Shirval.
5. To computerize all financial and administrative activities of the University
6. To creat database of past and ongoing research and then to connect all the colleges and research centers with each other by Virtual Networking and thereby exchanging the information. The same information could be accessed by any other Institute which will be member of the Virtual Network Group.