Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Vijay Kolte, vice president of the council, said, "On the lines of other educational institutes, agricultural universities also want to adopt information technology in its routine work. The council has submitted a proposal to the state government and is expected to complete the project in a year."

The process of connecting the four agri-universities is expected to cost Rs five crore, but could be revised after finalising the project, said Kolte.

The council has sought a software which will process the documents from admission to convocation, and will keep updated records of the students, university projects, various programmes and activities. The universities will also upload and share information like news about recent varieties of grain being developed, response to these varieties and other established research.

Kolte said, "The council also wants new agriculture colleges and other allied colleges to open in the state and, this year, the state has granted permission to 12 new colleges to begin their functioning. All the colleges fall under the Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth in Rahuri, Ahmednagar." With this, the total number of agriculture colleges in the state has gone up to 112, with over 7,000 seats in all. It includes both government, government-aided and non-aided colleges, he said.