Agricultural extension plays an important role in boosting agricultural productivity, increasing food security, improving rural livelihoods and promoting agriculture as an engine of pro-poor economic growth. Over the time, it has also mended itself as a crucial system that provides support services to rural producers meeting the new challenges confronting agriculture like climate change, marketing and other associated attributes. The very genesis of agricultural extension, followed by its transformation for the upliftment of farming community needs a systematic deliberation to understand the multifarious role played by this discipline. Accordingly, this book has incorporated almost all the changes taken place over a period of time for bringing visible changes in agriculture, animal husbandry and fishery in a systemic manner for the students and professionals associated with agriculture and rural development activities. This book has also highlighted the areas like women empowerment, agribusiness development for the rural youths and other significant arena closely linked with the dream of Atmanirbhar Bharat. Various strategies have also been suggested to make agriculture extension as the driver of agriculture development with the use of advanced ICT tools that may go a long way towards achieving the goal of self-reliant India through agriculture and allied sectors
S.K. Roy, Ph.D., ARS (ICAR), topped in M.Sc. (Agronomy) with first class first from Visva Bharati University. He started his career as Scientist in Indian Council of Agricultural Research in July 1993. Completed 27 years in research, teaching and extension. Presently working as Principal Scientist and Director (Acting) in ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application and Research Institute, Kolkata. Earlier worked as a Scientist in Central Potato Research Station, Jalandhar, Punjab and developed agrotechniques for potato. Awarded IPI, Switzerland & FAI-New Delhi 2000 Award for research on potassium use in crops. Also, worked on strengthening the programme of agricultural extension through Krishi Vigyan Kendras of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Andaman and Nicobar Islands for last 20 years. The author is also member of several important committees in the state. The author is having more than 120 publications in his credit and 15 book chapters with total publication of more than 150.
P.P. Pal, M.sc., Ph.D., Fellow of Indian Society of Extension Education, completed his graduation and post-graduation in Agricultural Sciences with specialization in Agricultural Extension from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal with the distinction of securing First Class First position in Master's Degree. He obtained his Ph.D. degree from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut as an inservice scholar. He joined the prestigious Agricultural Research Service as Agricultural Scientist in the year 1991 and served North Eastern Hill Region for 14 years. While working in ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya, he was involved in nine intra and interdisciplinary research projects as well as two World Bank funded projects. In the course of his career, he has published 40 research papers in national and international journals, followed by 16 book chapters, 5 edited books and presentation of research papers in more than 25 national and international seminars. His contribution in the field of agricultural extension has been recognized by a number of state agricultural and central universities as well as professional bodies of various societies in the form of research guide, external examiner, question setter, referee, reviewer, etc.
P.K. Ghosh, Ph.D. topped in M.Sc. and Ph.D., with First Class First (90%) & Gold Medal in GBPUA&T, Pantnagar, completed 28 years’ service and presently working as Founder Director and Vice Chancellor, ICAR-National Institute of Biotic Stress Management (NIBSM)-Deem to be University, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. Earlier he demonstrated leadership as National Coordinator, National Agricultural Higher Education Project-World Bank Aided Project, ICAR, New Delhi (2017-20), Director, Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi (2012-17) and Head, Crop Production Division, Indian Institute of Pulses Research (2009-2012). His pioneering works on climate change, carbon sequestration, Resource use efficiency, conservation agriculture, crop diversification, soil water conservation, Integrated Farming System (IFS) and coordination of higher education in 14 agricultural universities in India to bring excellence in quality of PG education program have been considered as outstanding contributions benefitting large numbers of farming community, scientists and students across the globe, as a result he has been identified in November 2020 as one of the two per cent of agricultural scientists at global level, based on the database analysed by Standford University, USA. He has implemented National initiative on Fodder Technology demonstration throughout the country through 100 KVKs, established Adarh Charagram and Grassland in 6 states in 657- acre area and promoted 17 Goushala in UP and Rajasthan for ensuring fodder security and livestock productivity. He is recipient of 19 national awards including M.S. Randhawa Memorial Award for best Administration, Excellence in Science Award and Sardar Patel Outstanding–Best ICAR Institute Award for leadership and also Fellow of National Academy of Sciences, India and National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS). He showed scientific leadership as a Chairman by organizing 23rd International Grassland Congress (IGC) held first time in India with 450 international delegates and still acting as executive member of IGC continuing committee representing South-East Asia. Dr. Ghosh holds many important positions nationally and internationally, few of them are Sectional President, Agricultural section in the centenary year (2013) of Indian Science Congress, Member, DST taskforce on Climate change on forestry, Chairman, National fodder planning committee, member, Editor-in-Chief, National Academy of Science, India, Facilitator, National Conference on Doubling Farmer Income (DFI) and Chairman/Coordinator/Convener of many national seminar/workshop/conference/brainstorming, Member, Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology, , Board of Management /Academic Council/PG faculty of 9 Universities including Country expert/coordinator of many international projects, funded by CGIAR/FAO/World Bank. He also About the Editors / vi About the Editors / vii formulated four policy papers for the country and delivered 33 lead/ Keynote Lectures in National and International conferences. He published 20 books and 167 research papers in the high impact factor journals with the totalcitation of8125, h-index of 40 and i-10 index of 89 and total publication of 289.
Anupam Mishra, Ph.D., Present Vice Chancellor, Central Agricultural University, Imphal, Manipur and Ex-Director ICAR-ATARI, Jabalpur. He is a member of ICAR Governing Body, ICAR General Body, Member, State Planning Commission, Govt. of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh. As a distinguished social scientist with over three decades diversified academic and administrative experience at different levels of governance, developed excellent understanding to build high performance knowledge about institutions/universities. Also, has experiences of working in seven North Eastern States vis-à-vis institutional planning and execution for implementing the various programmes as Principal Scientist in the region. As a Director ATARI, Zone-9, lead 100 KVKs across three States-MP, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. FAO applauds these KVKs achievements. This reflects the ability in guiding and facilitating nearly 10 states of India, getting opportunity of working with 700 dynamic and young scientific staff in diverse geo-agrarian situations to promote profitable and sustainable agricultural productivity through grass-root planning, execution and monitoring. Worked as a member of National level mission mode Project of ICAR on “Collection, Documentation and Validation of Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK)’ under NAIP. The team published seven documents with inventory of 4880 ITKs in 23 thematic areas. Developed a mechanism for documentation, patenting, valuation, commercialization and licensing procedure of Technologies of the ICAR-NEH Region. Documentation of Institute’s IP assets, total 147 technologies were identified and documented. He has more than 100 publications in his credit.
1. Agricultural Extension at the New Age of Change for Accelerating Inclusive Growth ....................... 1 R.K. Samanta
2. Pluralistic Extension: Concept, Context, Learning and Challenges.......................................... 15 Swagata Ghoshal and Debabrata Basu
3. Gap Analysis for Low Adoption of Technology........................ 45 Souvik Ghosh and Darshan N.P.
4. Dimensions of Social Science Research for Self-Reliant Agriculture: Aligning Extension Research to Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan ............................. 77 Bharat S. Sontakki, R. Venkattakumar and Partha Pratim Pal
5. Strengthening Fisheries Extension - The Aquaculture Field School Way ........................ 95 H.K. De and G.S. Saha
6. Role of Extension Workers in Raising Income of Small and Marginal Farmers in Changing Agricultural Perspectives in India ...................................111 Prabhat Kumar Pal
7. Institutional Extension Mechanism for Dissemination of Farm Technologies: A Case of Potato in Hills and Plain Situations in India ............................123 S.K. Dubey, Uma Sah, N.K. Pandey, R.R. Burman and Atar Singh
8. Technology Dissemination Using Social Networks: Learning of Farmer-to-Farmer Approach ................................141 Uma Sah, S.K. Singh and S.K. Dubey
9. Skill Development and Capacity Building of Rural Youth: An Effective Tool to Rebuilding the Nation .................159 Aparna Roy
10. Extension Service for Enhancing the Income of Smallholders: An Overview ........................................................173 Shamna A. and Archana Raghavan Sathyan
11. Eco-friendly Technology to Assess Jute Product for Self-Reliant Jute Industry .............................................................189 B. Saha
12. Changing Scenario of Extension System and New Trends in Advisory Services: An Overview .............................201 Madhumita Jena, S.K. Roy, J. Udgata and P.P. Pal
13. Harnessing Multimedia based ICTs for Disseminating Need-based Technologies to Farming Community .................219 R. Roy Burman, Girijesh Singh Mahra, Sonali Mallick and Sushmita Saini
14. Biofortification - A Sustainable Agricultural Strategy for Self-sufficiency in Micro-nutrient Malnutrition Management 231 Kasturi Majumder, Rambilash Mallick and P.K. Ghosh
15. Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture: A Brief Note for the Beginners ....................................................245 Poulami Sen, Sanchayeeta Misra, Suvangini Das, Pingala Paul, Satabdi Saha and Rupak Goswami
16. Re-focusing on the Upsurging Need for Skill Development and Capacity Building of Rural Youth in Agriculture and Allied Sector ....................................267 Kausik Pradhan and Biman Maity
17. Divulging the Potentiality of Dairy Extension for Achieving Rural Prosperity: An ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India) Perspective ....................................................293 Asif Mohammad
18. Krishi Vigyan Kendra - A Prime Mover for ATMANIRBHAR in Agriculture Sector of India ....................315 Singh, S.S. and Ananth, P.N.
