ICAR–Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), Mumbai, has opened its Skill Development Training Programme calendar for November and December 2026 — and there are 14 fisheries courses on it, from shrimp farming and biofloc to DNA barcoding and data analytics. The headline act starts in six days: a five-day course on better management practices for shrimp farming at CIFE’s Kakinada centre, 16–20 November 2026. If you farm shrimp, study fisheries, or work in aquaculture, this is a rare chance to learn directly from ICAR scientists — and for most of these programmes, no special qualification is needed to attend.
CIFE November–December 2026 courses at a glance
All 14 programmes below are taken from CIFE’s official Skill Development Training Programme Calendar 2026–27, published by its Training & Capacity Building Cell. Dates are as listed in the calendar. Two November programmes (2–6 November) have already finished; the aquarium internship that began on 2 November is still running.
| Course | Dates | Venue | Status on 10 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced molecular diagnostic tools | 2–6 Nov 2026 | CIFE, Rohtak | Completed |
| Internship: Best aquarium management practices and advance aquascaping | 2–17 Nov 2026 | CIFE, Mumbai | Running now |
| Intellectual property rights database in fisheries and aquaculture | 2–6 Nov 2026 | CIFE, Mumbai | Completed |
| Best management practices for carp and giant freshwater prawn polyculture | 16–18 Nov 2026 | CIFE, Balabhadrapuram | Starts 16 Nov |
| Better management practices for shrimp farming | 16–20 Nov 2026 | CIFE, Kakinada | Starts 16 Nov |
| Application of DNA barcoding technology for species authentication | 16–18 Nov 2026 | CIFE, Mumbai | Starts 16 Nov |
| Farm made feed formulation and on-farm feeding management | 25 Nov–1 Dec 2026 | CIFE, Kolkata | Starts 25 Nov |
| Water & soil quality testing and management | 1–10 Dec 2026 | CIFE, Powarkheda | Starts 1 Dec |
| Hands-on training: package of practices for biochar application in sustainable aquaculture | 7–11 Dec 2026 | CIFE, Mumbai | Starts 7 Dec |
| Hands-on training: analytical techniques in seafood quality evaluation | 7–12 Dec 2026 | CIFE, Mumbai | Starts 7 Dec |
| Advances in fish reproductive physiology and biochemistry | 14–16 Dec 2026 | CIFE, Mumbai | Starts 14 Dec |
| Genetic management in modern aquaculture hatcheries | 14–18 Dec 2026 | CIFE, Mumbai | Starts 14 Dec |
| Biofloc systems for shrimp nursery management | 16–18 Dec 2026 | CIFE, Kakinada | Starts 16 Dec |
| Data Analytics in Fisheries (Online) | 17–19 Dec 2026 | Online | Starts 17 Dec |
Spotlight: better management practices for shrimp farming, Kakinada
The course to circle first runs 16–20 November 2026 at ICAR-CIFE, Kakinada, coordinated by Dr. Muralidhar P. Ande and Dr. Karthireddy Syamala (email: murali@cife.edu.in, phone: 7396182492). Five full days, at the institute’s centre in coastal Andhra Pradesh — right in the heart of India’s shrimp farming belt.
Why does this one matter so much? Shrimp farming rewards good management and punishes sloppy management faster than almost any other aquaculture. Better management practices — the BMPs in the course title — are the day-to-day disciplines that decide whether a crop survives: pond preparation and water quality, seed selection, feed management, disease watch, and harvest handling. A single disease outbreak or a week of poor water quality can wipe out a crop, so the difference between a trained farmer and an untrained one often shows up directly in survival rates and profit. That is exactly what five days with CIFE scientists is designed to teach.
The calendar lists the course title, dates, venue and coordinators — it does not publish a day-wise syllabus, a seat count, or a fee. Contact the coordinators directly for the detailed schedule and to confirm whether seats are still open before you travel.
December highlights: biofloc, hatchery genetics and an online course
December is the stronger month for students and working professionals, because three courses solve the two usual problems — distance and time.
- Biofloc systems for shrimp nursery management, Kakinada, 16–18 December 2026. Biofloc is one of the most talked-about nursery technologies in Indian shrimp farming right now, and this three-day course is run by the same coordinators as the November shrimp course (Dr. Muralidhar P. Ande and Dr. Karthireddy Syamala, murali@cife.edu.in, 7396182492). Pair it with the November BMP course and you cover both grow-out and nursery stages.
- Data Analytics in Fisheries (Online), 17–19 December 2026. The only fully online programme in the calendar — no travel needed. Coordinated by Dr. Prasenjit Pal (prasenjitstat@cife.edu.in, 8730855108). Useful for students, researchers and fisheries officers who want data skills without leaving home.
- Genetic management in modern aquaculture hatcheries, Mumbai, 14–18 December 2026 (Dr. Sunil Kumar Nayak, sknayak@cife.edu.in, 9820287939) and water and soil quality testing and management, Powarkheda, 1–10 December 2026 (Dr. Shashi Bhushan, shashi@cife.edu.in, 9167420379) — the two longest, most hands-on courses of the month.
Two more November courses deserve a mention for students: DNA barcoding for species authentication, Mumbai, 16–18 November (Dr. Mukunda Goswami, mukunda@cife.edu.in, 9082976774) — a laboratory skill that is increasingly asked for in fisheries research jobs — and farm made feed formulation, Kolkata, 25 November–1 December (Dr. T. K. Ghoshal, tkghoshal@cife.edu.in, 9434567129), which tackles the single biggest running cost in fish farming: feed.
Who can attend? Almost anyone interested in fisheries
CIFE states on its training page that no special qualifications or prior knowledge are usually required to attend its skill development programmes, and that anyone with an interest to learn is eligible for most of them. These are short, practical courses — not degree programmes — so a fish farmer, a fisheries student, an entrepreneur, or a researcher can all apply for the same course. That said, individual programmes may suit particular groups (farmers, students, researchers), so confirm with the coordinator that a course fits your background.
How to apply: 5 steps
- Pick your programme from the table above and note its dates, venue and coordinator.
- Contact the coordinator directly by phone or email during office hours (9:30 am to 5:30 pm on working days). Coordinators confirm the programme status, the detailed schedule, and whether seats are available. The calendar does not list an online application form for these programmes — the coordinator is the route in.
- Ask three questions before you commit: (1) Is there a training fee for this programme, and how much? (2) Is there a last date to register? (3) Is a certificate issued on completion? The calendar publishes none of these details, so do not assume them.
- Pay only through official channels. CIFE’s instructions say to pay the training fee — only for paid programmes — online through the CIFE payment gateway or ICAR-CIFE accounts, and to check with the coordinator about the programme status before paying. Do not pay anyone claiming to sell seats through other means.
- For general queries about online applications, write to training@cife.edu.in or shivaji@cife.edu.in.
Fees: what we know — and what we don’t
Honesty matters here, because fees decide whether a farmer can attend. The CIFE calendar has no fee column and no fee amount for any programme. Some CIFE skill development programmes are free and some are paid — the calendar does not say which is which. Do not trust any fee figure you see on a third-party site; the only reliable answer is the one the coordinator gives you. The same applies to deadlines: the calendar lists course dates, not registration last dates, so ask the coordinator when you must register by.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a fisheries degree to attend?
No — CIFE says no special qualifications or prior knowledge are usually required for most of its skill development programmes.
Is there an online course?
Yes — one. Data Analytics in Fisheries, 17–19 December 2026, is marked online in the calendar. The other 13 programmes are in person at CIFE centres in Mumbai, Kakinada, Kolkata, Rohtak, Balabhadrapuram and Powarkheda.
Can I attend more than one course?
The dates allow it. For example, the Kakinada shrimp course (16–20 November) and the Kolkata feed formulation course (25 November–1 December) do not overlap. Check with each coordinator separately.
Where is the official calendar?
On CIFE’s training page at cife.edu.in/training — look for “Training Calendar – 2026”, the Skill Development Training Programme Calendar 2026–27. Always confirm dates with the coordinator before booking travel, as schedules can change.
Related reading on Fisheries India
- CMFRI Opens 3 Courses: Fish Seed to Zooplankton — three more ICAR training courses running into December 2026.
- Diglipur’s 3-Day Shrimp + Cage Training Starts Nov 2 — ICAR-CIBA’s brackish water aquaculture training in the Andamans.
- Bihar Trains 9,685 Fish Farmers FREE — 332 Batches! — free fisheries training running through 2026–27 in Bihar.
- Shrimp Farming in India: 20 MCQs Every Aspirant Must Try — test yourself on shrimp farming before the Kakinada course.
Sources checked 10 November 2026: ICAR-CIFE, “Final ICAR-CIFE SDP Calendar – 2026-27” (Training & Capacity Building Cell, ICAR-CIFE, Mumbai) via the Training Calendar link on cife.edu.in/training — all 14 programme titles, dates, venues and coordinator contacts; CIFE Training page — eligibility note (“no special qualifications or prior knowledge is usually required”) and how-to-apply instructions (contact coordinator, pay only via CIFE payment gate/ICAR-CIFE accounts, queries to training@cife.edu.in). No fee or seat figure is published in the calendar, and none is claimed here.