Bhagalpur: With a Grade ‘A’ certification from National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bihar Agricultural University (BAU) witnessed an increase in the turnout of candidates in its entrance examination for postgraduate (PG) courses and PhD, held on Sunday. Last year, the turnout was 82.5%, which increased to 95.5% this time. Crediting their recent success in achieving NAAC Grade ‘A’ accreditation as the reason for the increase in the turnout, vice-chancellor (VC) D R Singh on Monday said that they have also been witnessing a sharp rise in inquiries from students as well as parents, more so women, from across the country for different undergraduate and PG courses, besides research (PhD), at the BAU. There are also inquiries about hostels and mess facilities. The VC added that in addition to academic distinctions, the BAU continues to gain recognition for its innovation ecosystem, especially through its incubation centre SABAGRIs, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, field-driven research programmes and partnerships with leading institutions at national and international levels.