M.Tech. in Soil and Water Conservation is a 2- year postgraduate course, divided into four semesters of six months each. The course essentially explores the concepts and techniques involved in making efficient use of soil and water, with the end aim of improving soil productivity, and preventing and addressing water wastage.
The basic qualification needed to be attained for applying to the course is graduation (B.E/B.Tech.) in a relevant discipline, completed from a recognized university. The course is offered in India at an average annual course fee ranging between INR 2 and 6 Lacs, varying across institutes.
Upon successful completion of the course, students can explore lucrative employment opportunities in both government and private sectors, with an initial average annual salary ranging between INR 3 and 10 Lacs, depending upon the candidate’s expertise.
M.Tech. in Soil and Water Conservation: Course Highlights
Tabulated below are some of the major highlights of the course.
| Course Level | Postgraduate |
| Duration | Two Years |
| Eligibility | B.E/B. Tech degree from a recognized university |
| Admission Process | Counseling after taking entrance test |
| Examination Type | Semester System |
| Course Fee | INR 2 to 6 Lacs |
| Average Starting Salary | INR 3 to 10 Lacs |
| Major Entrance Examinations | GATE, BITSAT, GGSIPU, IIIT, etc. |
M.Tech. in Soil & Water Conservation: What is it About?
The course principally aims to familiarize enrolled students on an advanced level with the application of engineering techniques to various soil and water management problems, such as erosion control, drainage, irrigation, flood control, moisture conservation, water resource development, etc.
The course has been designed to impart to students theoretical and practical training in the subject, to understand the concept of efficient usage of soil and water. The primary objective is to create personnel who can efficiently contribute to improving the fertility and productivity of the Indian rural land, and lessen farmers’ dependency on fertilizers and other chemicals, through innovative and efficient water conservation and management methods.
M.Tech. in Soil and Water Conservation: Who Should opt?
Ideal students of the course would have interest in agriculture and agricultural practices, passion to improve Indian farmers’ farming ways, and subsequently, lives, and interest in contributing to the productivity of the cultivable land of India.
Such candidates possessing an analytical mind, good judgement, and problem solving skills, are ideally suited for the course.
Top Institutes offering M.Tech. in Soil and Water Conservation
Listed below are some of those top institutes providing the course in the country, along with the corresponding locations and the average fee changed by each.
| NAME OF INSTITUTE | CITY | AVERAGE FEES IN INR |
| Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) | Mumbai | 50,000 |
| Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) | Delhi | 59,150 |
| Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) | Guwahati | 51,700 |
| Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) | Kanpur | 33,184 |
| Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) | Chennai | 50,000 |
| Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) | Roorkee | 59,200 |
| Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS) | Pilani | 2,50,000 |
| Indian School of Mines University (ISMU) | Dhanbad | - |
| Indian Institute of Science (IISc) | Bangalore | 21,500 |
| NRI Institute of Technology | Guntur | 28,000 |
| Adarsh College of Engineering | Orissa | 28,000 |
| Aravali Institute of Technical Studies | Rajasthan | 70,000 |
| Babu Banarasidas National Institute of Technology and Management - NITM | Lucknow | 1,40,000 |
| Bharath University | Tamil Nadu | 1,00,000 |
| College of Engineering | Pune | 85,000 |
| GD Goenka University | Delhi NCR | 1,50,000 |
| Government College of Engineering | Maharashtra | 80,000 |
| ITM University | Gurugram | 1,00,000 |
| National Institute of Technology - NIT Rourkela | Orissa | 91,000 |
Eligibility for M. Tech in Soil and Water Conservation
For admission to the course, candidates are required to have completed graduation (B.E/B.Tech.) in Agriculture/Civil Engineering, or another related specialization, with a minimum aggregate score of 60%, completed from a recognized university.
Also, aspiring candidates are advised to have a work experience of a minimum of one year, as most institutes prefer candidates with professional experience.
Candidates appearing in graduation’s final year’s examinations are also eligible to apply for the course on provisional basis.
M.Tech. in Soil and Water Conservation: Admission Process
For admission to most institutes offering the course in the country, eligible candidates are required to pass a relevant entrance examination, conducted at any of university, State, and national levels.
Subsequently, qualifying students are needed to go through final rounds of counseling based on performance in the preceding rounds of Group Discussion and Personal Interview, wherein candidates’ general aptitude for the course is analyzed.
Some of the major such entrance examinations conducted in the country are listed below.
- GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Learning)
- BITSAT for Birla Institute of Science & Technology
- GGSIPU Engineering CET Entrance Examination
- IIIT entrance exam for Indian Institute of Information Technology.
M.Tech. in Soil and Water Conservation: Syllabus and Course Description
A semester-wise breakup of the course’s syllabus is tabulated below.
Semester I |
| Head Water Hydrology |
| On-Farm Irrigation Engineering |
| Elective 1 |
Semester II |
| Elective 2 |
| Elective 3 |
| Head Water Hydrology Lab |
| On Farm Irrigation Engineering Lab |
Semester III |
| Seminar |
| Soil Conservation Structure Design |
| Farm Drainage Systems Design |
| Elective 4 |
| Elective 5 |
Semester IV |
| Elective 6 (HSS/IEM) |
| Soil Conservation Structure Design Lab |
| Seminar |
| Comprehensive Viva Voice |
| Thesis Part 1 |
| Thesis Part 2 |
M. Tech. in Soil and Water Conservation: Career Prospects
As an academic discipline, Soil and Water Conservation is an offshoot of Agriculture Engineering. Some of the popular professional avenues open to such postgraduates are tabulated below, with their corresponding salaries and basic job responsibilities.
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| JOB PROFILE | JOB DESCRIPTION | AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY |
| Hydrologists | To measure the properties of bodies of water, such as volume and stream flow, to collect water and soil samples to test for certain properties, such as the pH or pollution levels, and to analyze data on the environmental impacts of pollution, erosion, drought, and such problems. | INR 3 to 6 Lacs |
| Research Officer | To work with team members to identify project goals, research methods, variables, and other test parameters, and to choose how to collect data and offer recommendations on evaluating the project. | INR 3.5 to 7 Lacs |
| Soil Conservation Officer | To help landowners with issues such as soil, water, air, plants, and animal resource management, and also help in soil, water, and environmental conservation as they relate to agricultural operations and land use measures. | INR 3 to 6 Lacs |
| Lecturer | To teach at undergraduate and graduate level in areas allocated and reviewed from time to time by the Head of Department. | INR 3 to 7 Lacs |
| Senior Scientist- Soil Science | To examine different kinds of soil from a diverse range of terrains and geographical locations in order to study their physical composition and chemical properties, and to assess and evaluate the impact of certain soil types on agricultural enterprises. | INR 4 to 8 Lacs |