Dr. K. Jhansi Rani
Dean of Agriculture
Dr. K. Jhansi Rani is currently serving as the Dean of Agriculture at Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University. She holds a Ph.D. in Genetics and Plant Breeding and has over 25 years of experience in research, teaching, and administration. Her career began as a Scientist (Plant Breeding) at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Jagtial, from 2000 to 2006, followed by her service as a Scientist (Plant Breeding) at the Maize Research Centre, Rajendranagar, from 2006 to 2009.
She later worked as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor in the Department of Seed Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar (2009–2020), where she taught undergraduate, postgraduate, and Ph.D. courses. During this period, she played an important role in revising curriculam and developing course content for several academic programs.
As Head of the Department and University Head of the Department, she was instrumental in initiating the Ph.D. programme in the Department of Seed Science and Technology at the College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar. She also contributed to the restructuring of technical programmes within the department, introducing a new orientation based on academia–industry interaction meetings and feedback.
As a Co-Investigator in externally funded projects, Dr. Jhansi Rani worked toward strengthening laboratories and basic infrastructure in the Department of Seed Science and Technology. Her research primarily focused on seed production and storage. During her tenure as Professor and Head of the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding and as Officer-in-Charge of Postgraduate Academic Matters at the Agricultural College, Jagtial (2020–2024), she contributed significantly to the development of postgraduate research programmes in a multidisciplinary framework.
She has guided sixteen M.Sc. and two Ph.D. students as chairperson, published 56 research articles, one book, and four book chapters. Her dedicated efforts and notable contributions led to the development and release of two sesame varieties (Hima and Telangana Til 1) and two maize hybrids (DHM 117 and BPCH 6).
Dr. Jhansi Rani has received several recognitions, including the University Award of Research Scientist conferred by Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University in 2011 and the “State Best Teacher Award (2024)” presented by the Department of Higher Education, Government of Telangana.