PUBLIC EXTENSION SERVICE

PROVIDERS
• The importance of agricultural extension in transferring relevant knowledge and information
to farmers as well as in translating policy directions into action is well known.
• India has a long tradition of agricultural extension. Agricultural extension in the post-
Independence era was largely the function of State DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE.
• Some voluntary organizations were also involved in agricultural development activities in
different parts of the country, but with limited outreach.
• The INDIAN COUNCIL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH (ICAR) began its participation in
agricultural extension through National Demonstrations in 1964.
• A major change in public sector extension came with the implementation of the World Bank
sponsored TRAINING AND VISIT SYSTEM (T&V) IN 1970
• T&V system during the 1980s, and this improved the financial and human resource capacity
of the extension system.
• The 1970s also witnessed the launch of KRISHI VIGYAN KENDRAS (KVKS) or FARM SCIENCE
CENTRES, Lab-to-Land programmes, and Operational Research Programmes by the ICAR
• He government introduced the AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
(ATMA). The ATMA model was pilot-tested from 1998 to 2005 in 28 districts, and later
extended to all 548 rural districts in the country.
• STATE AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITIES (SAUS) AND CENTRAL AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITIES
(CAU) 56 under ICAR institutes, 100 under Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), 35 under
State Governments, three under various Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs)

• The note is based on secondary information collected from various sources including the
PLANNING COMMISSION, THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CO-OPERATION,
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, THE CENTRAL GROUNDWATER BOARD,
AND THE NATIONAL SAMPLE SURVEY OFFICE (NSSO)
 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare (formerly Ministry of Agriculture), a

branch of the Gvernment of India, is the apex body for formulation and administration of the
rules and regulations and laws related to agriculture in India. The three broad areas of scope
for the Ministry are agriculture, food processing and co-operation. The agriculture ministry is
headed by Minister of Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar. Abhishek Singh Chauhan, Krishna
Raj and Parsottambhai Rupala are the Ministers of State.
• Agriculture is the principal source of livelihood for more than half population of India
• The Ministry of Agriculture was renamed as the Ministry for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare
on August 15, 2015 with a view to take care of farming community needs.
 Co-operation in this context
refers largely to promote farmer
co-operative movements
o replicate the agricultural e-
governance projects being
Department of carried in different states at a
Agriculture, Co- national level and through a
operation and Farmers variety of media.
Welfare.

MoA

Department of
Agriculture Research and
Education Basic and operation research,
technology development,
(DARE) improving linkages between
various organisations and state
governments across the country.
In addition, this Department
manages the Indian Council of
Agricultural Research.

DARE and ICAR – Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra

 Department of agriculture
• Ministry of Agriculture , GOI is the agency at national level which oversees all agricultural
activities taking place in the country
• Directorate of extension in the ministry is nodal agency which assists and encourages the
state departments in organizing, maintaining and operating professional extension services.
• The role of Directorate of extension is essentially collaborative, providing , guiding ,technical
support , exchange of information and coordination.
• As agriculture is a state subject , the main extension agency is the state department of
agriculture . States employ 1,10,000 extension staff.all states have separate DoA .
• Most of states have different wing under DoA for horticulture, soil, animal husbandry, fishery
, watershed development. Among various line departments DoA has maximum no. of field
staff for extension
• DoA staff perform a very narrow extension role limited to technology dissemination for
increasing agricultural productivity.all most all services are free.
• The DAC is organized into 28 Divisions and has five attached offices and twenty-one
subordinate offices which are spread across the country for coordination with state level
agencies and implementation of Central Sector Schemes in their respective fields
Sulaiman ( 2003) on functioning of
state departments of agriculture