41 1 Ph. D Scholar (e mail: bushelekang@gmail.com), 2 Senior Scientist (email:msnain@hotmail.com), 3 Principal Scientist (e mail: rashmi_iari@yahoo.com), Division of Agricultural Extension, 4 Joint Director Extension, IARI (e mail: jd_extn@iari. res.in), 5 Principal Scientist, (e mail: drsingh@iari.res.in), Division of Agricultural Economics. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 87 (3): 325–36, March 2017/Article Factors inluencing the utility of experiential learning programme of Indian Council of Agricultural Research BUSHE LEKANG 1 , M S NAIN 2 , RASHMI SINGH 3 , J P SHARMA 4 and D R SINGH 5 ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012 Received: 7 April 2016; Accepted: 5 October 2016 ABSTRACT Indian council of agricultural research introduced a programme in 2006 named Experiential Learning Programme aimed at equipping undergraduates with entrepreneurial skills. Since, its inception factors inluencing the utility have not been studied, hence this study is aimed at inding those factors. An explanatory study aimed at inding out among students and teachers which institutional and curriculum related factors have inluenced the utility of the programme. The indings revealed that the respondents perceive technical factors to have inluenced the utility of programme, while administrative factors were perceived by teachers only. Signiicant differences and no signiicant differences were found for perceived factors inluencing utility of experiential learning programme by students and teachers, respectively in relation to discipline. The use of most teaching methods was perceived to have been often by students and rare by teachers. Signiicant differences were noted on perceived utility by students for all the teaching methods except for project method, and for some methods as perceived by teachers. Extra-curricular activities were perceived to have been rarely used by both respondents while signiicant differences were noted on perceived use of some extra-curricular activities by students. No support provided to graduates who venture into self-employment by institutions. Efforts need to be made to improve on institutional factors in general and include extra-curriculum activities in particular. Key words: Administrative factors, Curriculum related factors, Financial factors, Motivational and personal development, Stakeholder involvement, Technical factors The outcomes of an entrepreneurial education program are shaped by its characteristics, perspective as well as moderating factors for the participants (Valerio, Parton and Robb 2014). Azizi et al. (2010) found economic, social, technical, managerial and regulatory factors to have inluenced entrepreneurship education in Iran, while Alberta and Libecap (2000) reported that curriculum and related extra-curricular activities played an important role in the success of an entrepreneurship program. The effectiveness of youth entrepreneurship promotion programmes could largely be attributed to clear objective, commercial orientation, adequate funding, well-trained and properly supported staff, lexible and adaptable operation style, reliance on local business specialists, and collaboration with stakeholders as well as independent choice of enterprise activities by students (Chigunta 2002). Entrepreneurial skills development involves building human capacities through formal and or informal training imparting basic entrepreneurial skills such as inancial, technical, creative, managerial, intellectual, marketing, communication and technological skills (Anho 2011). Provision of more practical, appropriate and discovery-based learning experiences to students was necessary to help graduates to optimally acquire the desired learning outcomes which enable them to become entrepreneurial (Sasidhar and Reddy 2012). Business plans; business startups for students; consultation with practicing entrepreneurs; computer and behavioral simulations; environmental scans; case studies; ield trips, video and ilms were reported to be useful learning tools in the Entrepreneurship Education (Liyan 2006). Effective teaching particularly in higher education takes into consideration speciic characteristics of the discipline which allows the use of appropriate methods or discipline- speciic pedagogies (Berthiaume 2009). Implementation of entrepreneurship education can be enhanced through meaningful, well designed and established partnerships with different partners in and outside the educational sector (Seikkula-Leino 2011). Such collaborations according to Ondigi (2012) and Isaacs et al. (2007) help to take advantage and make use of stakeholders’ strengths, reduce duplication of efforts and facilitate optimal utilization of