1. ABOUT ICAR NICHE
The new programme on Niche areas of Excellence was started by the ICAR with the objective
of building excellence in specific strategic areas in education and research. This new
programme provides support in one or at the maximum two niche areas of excellence in each
AU for sustaining and augmenting the regional, national and global advantage. The element
of niche areas of excellence include improving quality of human resource, developing
adequate infrastructure, creating facilities for access to information, addressing attitude and
commitment of faculty, staff, students, recognition and interaction with best of peer groups
in India and abroad, shared vision and well developed education technology system.
Accordingly, the strategy for excellence building includes niche area identification i.e.
strategic strength, brand equity management of facilities and faculty, limiting inbreeding,
input generation, and establishing linkages and partnerships.
Presently 29 Niche Areas of Excellence have been established by the ICAR functioning in 29
Agricultural Universities in the country to augment strategic strength of AUs in specific areas
including those in new and emerging cutting-edge technologies. Significant achievements
have been made in the areas covered viz. use of inland saline/sodic soils for aquaculture,
temperate fruits, arsenic toxicity management, biofuels, production of (fin-) fishes, functional
fermented dairy products with synbiotics (probiotics + perbiotics), medicinal and aromatic
plants/products, acid soil management, resource conservation technologies, management of
acidic soils, organic agriculture, integrated pest management hi-tech horticulture, genetic
engineering for drought resistance, immuno-diagnostics, buffalo genomics, protected
floriculture, nectraceuticals, improving water productivity, production of bioagents etc.
Following criteria was employed for identification of a niche area of excellence in research
and human resource development:
1. Availability of quality of human resource
2. Existence of adequate infrastructure, access to information
3. Attitude and commitment of faculty, staff and students
4. Recognition by and interaction with best of the peer groups in India and abroad
5. Shared vision (institutional, regional, national and international)
6. Well developed educational technology system
For building excellence in specific strategic areas in education and research, support is
provided to Aus for sustaining the regional, national and global advantage attained by them in
one or at the maximum two niche areas of excellence. The niche areas of excellence
programme aims at: (i) to achieve educational excellence in teaching, research, consultancy &

2. other services, and (ii) such excellence should be capable of updating itself in accordance with
best of global experience & trends & of being responsive to regional & national & social &
economic needs.
The assistance is available for expenditure on state of art equipments, specialized items of
works, modernization of existing laboratories/class rooms and other teaching/learning
facilities and contingencies. Each project will have a Principle Investigator who would be
responsible for formulating the proposal and its implementation. The Agricultural Universities
are asked to develop elaborate proposal with action plans and cost estimates for the
consideration of the Council. The strategy suggested for building excellence may include: (i)
niche area identification – brand equity, (ii) management of facilities and faculty, (iii) limit
inbreeding, (iv) inputs-public and self generated, and (v) linkages – interfacing and
collaborating. Various elements of niche areas of excellence suggested to be kept in view
while formulating the project document include (i) quality of human resource, (ii) adequate
infrastructure, access to information, (iii) attitude and commitment of faculty, staff, students,
(iv) recognition and interaction with best of peer groups in India and abroad, (v) shared vision,
and (vi) well developed educational technology system.
Niche area excellence – 2012 to 2016
Title of the programme: Improved and expanded vaccines and Immunological understanding
of Avian Viruses
Objectives:
1 Development of genotype specific and cell culture based vaccines for Newcastle
Disease, Infectious Bronchitis and Chicken Anaemia Viruses
2 Molecular mapping and development of sensitive and specific diagnostic assays for
Infectious Bursal Disease, Infectious Bronchitis, Marek’s Disease , Newcastle Disease
and Duck Plaque Viruses
3 Characterisation of dsRNA sensing systems between Ducks and Chickens
4 Development of a rapid multianalyte test to detect major respiratory pathogens of
poultry
5 Establishing a national facility for pathotyping of Newcastle Disease Virus and
genotyping of Infectious Bronchitis Virus
Technical Programme (2012-2016)
1 Development of genotype specific and cell culture based vaccine for Newcastle
Disease (ND) Virus
2 Development of genotype specific and cell culture based vaccine for Infectious
Bronchitis (IB) Virus
3 Development of safe, potent vaccine for Chicken Anaemia Virus
4 Molecular mapping and development of sensitive and specific diagnostic assays for
Infectious Bursal Disease
5 Molecular mapping and development of sensitive and specific diagnostic assays for

3. Infectious Bronchitis and Marek’s Disease Viruses
6 Vaccine formulation to limit viral shedding of Newcastle Disease Virus based on the
antigenic differences determined with the molecular epidemiological data generated
7 Development of sensitive and specific diagnostic assay for DPV using recombinant
antigen.
8 Characterisation of dsRNA sensing systems between Ducks and Chickens
9 Development of a rapid multianalyte test to detect major respiratory pathogens of
poultry
10 Establishing a national facility for pathotyping of Newcastle Disease Virus and
genotyping of Infectious Bronchitis Virus
Monitorable targets (2012-2016)
1 Improved, safe and potent vaccines for Newcastle Disease, Infectious Bronchitis and
Chicken Anaemia
2 Development of sensitive and specific diagnostics for Infectious Bursal Disease,
Infectious Bronchitis, Marek’s Disease, Newcastle Disease and Duck Plaque Viruses
3 Assessment of susceptibility of chicken and resistance of ducks to Avian Influenza
Virus
4 Rapid detection of respiratory pathogens of chicken by using single sample
5 Status of NDV and IB in the country
Year Grant Received (Rs in lakhs)
Molecular Diagnostics for Emerging Avian Viral Diseases
and their Immunopathogenesis
2005-06 154.00
2006-07 46.00
2007-08 48.00
2008-09 54.36116
2009-10 28.72906
2010-11 30.00
2011-12 10.00
Improved and expanded vaccines and Immunological
understanding of Avian Viruses
2012-16 Total Budget Outlay -250.91

4. 2012-13 132.488
Sequence information
Papers published
Papers published
Technology generated
Technology generated
Infrastructure developed
Infrastructure developed
Capacity building
Capacity building
Linkages established
Linkages established
Awards
Awards
Investigators
Dr. K. Kumanan, M.V.Sc., Ph.D., BNA., Post Doc (USA) : Principal Investigator
Dr. G. Dhinakar Raj, M.V.Sc., Ph.D. (UK) Post Doc (USA) : Co-Investigator
Dr. K.Vijayarani, B.V.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., Post Doc (USA) : Co-Investigator
Dr. M. Parthiban, B.V.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., : Co-Investigator
Dr. A. Raja, B.V.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., Post Doc (USA) : Co-Investigator
Dr. T.M.A. Senthilkumar, M.V.Sc., Ph.D., Post Doc (USA) : Co-Investigator
Dr. S. Manoharan, M.V.Sc., Ph.D. Post Doc (USA) : Co-Investigator
Dr.K.G. Tirumurugaan, M.V.Sc., Ph.D., Post Doc (USA) : Co-Investigator