Indian Agricultural Extension Systems and Lessons Learnt: A Review
Abstract
The paper examined the Indian Agricultural Extension Systems and its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Various lessons learnt over a period of time have also been documented. Hence, the paper recommends that the extension managers and policy makers should focus on the identified strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats with a view of evolving an effective and sustainable extension system. There is an urgent need of making extension services truly more responsive to local concerns and national policy.
References
Brewer, F (2000). History of Indian Extension. (http://web3.canr.msu.edu/vanburen/India/histupd.htm.
Birner, R. and Anderson, J. (2007). How to make agricultural extension demand-driven? The case of India’s agricultural extension policy. Discussion Paper 00729.Washington D.C., International Food Policy Research Institute.
DARE (2006). Annual Report, New Delhi.
DARE/ICAR (2009-2010). Annual Report, New Delhi. www.icar.org.in/en/node/1107.
India, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (2000). Policy framework for agricultural extension (draft).Extension division, DAC, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, New Delhi.
Meena, M. S., Bhagwat, V. R., Jain, R. K. & Ilyas, S. M. (2003). Self-Help Group: An Effective Instrument for Transfer of Technology. CIPHET Extension Bulletin-1.Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering & Technology, Ludhiana, India.
Meena, M. S., Jain, Dilip and Meena, H. R. (2008). Measurement of Attitudes of Rural Women towards Self-Help Groups, The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 14: 3,217-229.
NSSO (National Sample Survey Organization) (2005). Situation assessment survey of farmers: Access to modern technology for farming, 59th round (January–December 2003). Report No. 499(59/33/2). New Delhi: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
Planning Commission (2008). XIth Five Year Plan (2007–12). Ministry of Finance, Government of India, New Delhi.
Planning Commission (2010). Mid-term Appraisal XI Plan, Planning Commission for Agriculture, Government of India (Accessed on 05.05.2010).
Raabe, K. (2008). Reforming the agricultural extension system in India: What do we know about what works where and why? IFPRI Discussion Paper 00775. Washington, D.C.: International Food Policy Research Institute.
Reddy, M. N., and Swanson, B.E. (2006).Strategy for up-scaling the ATMA model in India. In Proceedings of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education(AIAEE) 22nd Annual Conference, Clearwater Beach, Florida, U.S.A.
Report of working group on agriculture research and education for the eleventh for the five year plan (2007-2012). Government of India, Planning Commission. (http://dare.nic.in)
Singh, J.P., Swanson, B.E. & Singh, K.M. (2006). Developing a decentralized, market-driven extension system in India: The ATMA model. In A.W. van den Ban and R.K. Samanta, eds. changing roles of agricultural extension in Asian nations, pp. 203–223.
Swanson, B.E. (2006). The changing role of agricultural extension in a global economy. Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education 13(3): 5–17.
Swanson, B.E. and Mathur, P. N. (2003). Review of the Agricultural Extension System in India, The World Bank, July 2003.
Working Group on Agricultural Extension (2007). Recommendations of working group on agricultural extension for formulation of eleventh five-year plan (2007–12). New Delhi: Planning Commission.
