The foundation stone of the Agricultural Research Institute and College was laid by Lord Curzon on 1 April 1905, with the financial assistance of Henry Phipps, Jr., an American philanthropist.

In his speech, the viceroy had expressed his vision that the seed he was planting would soon blossom out, making Pusa the nucleus of agricultural activities, research and education which would not only benefit Bihar and Bengal but the whole of the country and would attract the best of talents from India and abroad.

In a separate meeting with the Bihar Planters Association, he fervently hoped that the institute would be of immense service to them in their grave hour of crisis caused by the German Indigo scientist.

Incidentally, one major issue on which he had not agreed was the architecture of the main building, its wings, vaults, and arches but finally, he gave his consent of course with a stint.

In 1934, after a major earthquake rocked Bihar and which severely damage the main buildings, the Imperial Institute was shifted to the new Pusa campus in New Delhi and that eventually became Indian Agricultural Research Institute.