The history of agricultural education in Kerala can be traced back to the year 1896 when a scheme was evolved in the erstwhile Travancore State to train a few young men in scientific agriculture at the Demonstration Farm, Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram, presently, the Cropping Systems Research Centre under Kerala Agricultural University. As a result the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) was established on 24th February 1971 by virtue of the Act 33 of 1971 and started functioning on 1st February 1972. Now the University has eight colleges (four Agriculture, one Agricultural Engineering, one Forestry, one Co-operation Banking & Management, one Cimate Change and Environmental Sciences), six RARSs, seven KVKs, 15 Research Stations and 16 Research and Extension Units under the faculties of Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering and Forestry. In addition, one Institute of Agricultural Technology offering Diploma in Agricultural Sciences respectively is also functioning in Kerala Agricultural University.