FIRST LINE EXTENSION PROGRAMMES OF ICAR
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The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is the apex body in India, which is entrusted with the responsibility of providing guidance and leadership in agricultural research, education and extension. The mandate includes promotion of transfer of technology programmes. A post of Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension) is created at ICAR who is responsible for assessment, refinement and transfer of agricultural technologies, which includes crop, livestock and fisheries.
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The involvement of ICAR in extension started with the formulation and implementation of several front line extension programmes such as National Demonstration (1966), Operational Research Project (1972), Krishi Vigyan Kendra (1974), Lab to Land Programme (1979), Frontline Demonstrations and Technology Assessment and Refinement (TAR) - Institution Village Linkage Programme (IVLP). National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP), Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) and Horticultural Mission. The frontline extension programmes of ICAR were designed to organize the demonstrations by scientists to show the production potentiality of modern agricultural technologies to identify its location specificity in the farmers’ field.
National Demonstration Project (NDP)
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National Demonstration Project (NDP) was implemented during the year 1965 to demonstrate the production potentialities of technology package on major crops to fully exploit these demonstrations for the purpose of training the farmers’ and extension workers. Further, it provided the scientists feedback of the problems faced by the farmers with respect to adoption of new technologies.
Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK)
The ICAR has established KVKs in the country in the year 1976 - 77 with an objective of imparting learning through work experience. It also aims at imparting training to extension workers who are already employed and to practicing farmers and fishermen who wish to be self-employed. For a detailed discussion see Lesson No. 28.
Trainers’ Training Centres (TTC)
Frontline Demonstrations (FLD)
Operational Research Project (ORP)
Lab to Land programme (LLP)
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Lab to Land programme (LLP) was implemented in 1979, by ICAR as a part of its Golden Jubilee celebrations. The aim of the programme is to assist the selected farm families for improving their farming systems and thereby generating more employment and income. The basic idea is to bring the scientists and farmers into a common forum and to introduce appropriate technologies facilitating the diversification of labour-use and creating supplementary sources of income in the fields of agriculture and allied enterprises.
Directorate of Research on Women in Agriculture
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Realizing the role of women in agriculture and allied activities the ICAR has established a Directorate of Research for Women in Agriculture in 1996. The important Objectives of this centre are:
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acting as a repository of information relevant to women in agriculture,
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strengthening the use of gender analysis in research and technology development to ensure that women’s as well as men’s agricultural enterprises and operations are fully considered for defining research programmes and setting priorities,
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collaborating in women’s specific research, education and technology assessment and refinement with relevant national and international organizations,
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conducting training and developing training modules and manuals for sensitizing gender related issues in research/ programme/policy developments,
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developing and testing women - specific models and manuals for technology transfer
Technology Assessment and Refinement (TAR)- Institution Village Linkage Programme (IVLP).
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In 1995, the ICAR launched this innovative programme and the objectives are to:
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introduce technological interventions with emphasis on stability and sustainability along with productivity of small-farm production systems;
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introduce and integrate the appropriate technologies to sustain technological interventions and their integration to maintain productivity and profitability taking environmental issues into consideration in a comparatively well defined farm production system;
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introduce and integrate the appropriate technologies to increase the agricultural productivity with marketable surplus in commercial on and off farm production system;
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facilitate adoption of appropriate post harvest technologies for conservation and on-farm value addition of agricultural products, by-products and waste for greater economic dividend and national priorities;
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facilitate adoption of appropriate technologies for removal of drudgery, increased efficiency and higher income of farm women;
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monitor socio-economic impact of the technological intervention for different farm production systems;
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identify extrapolation domains for new technology/technology modules based on environmental characterization at meso and mega level.
National Agricultural Technology Project: (NATP)
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The National Agricultural Technology Project was launched by the “Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on June 30, 1998, with the support of the World Bank, to strengthen and complement the existing resources and to augment the output of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS). The NATP implemented its objectives through Strategies for Organization and Management Reforms and Research. The Research comprised various modes of objective-based funding, namely, Teams of Excellence (ToE), Mission Mode (MM), Production Systems Research (PSR), Institution Village Linking Programme (IVLP) and Competitive Grants Programme (CGP). Another important component which was funded under NATP was Innovations in Technology Disseminations (ITD). Projects under ITD were executed by the Department of Agriculture and Co-operation (DAC), Government of India, and the ICAR. Production Systems Research (PSR) mode of funding divided Agro-ecological-Zones into five sub-modes, namely, Rain fed, Irrigated, Arid, Coastal, and Hill & Mountain. All five sub-modes were recognized as respective Agro-ecosystem Directorates and were empowered to source funds and administer & monitor the progress of the projects.
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NATP Glimpses: NATP was the world's biggest World Bank assisted agriculture project worth Rs. 992 crores developed and executed by NARS. NATP lifespan was seven years, from 1998 to 2005. NATP was the first project in NARS to shift the focus from discipline oriented research to production system research. NATP was the first project in NARS to involve competitive funding, & have pluralistic approach to involve and fund partners from outside NARS. NATP successfully completed a whopping total of 852 projects
National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP)
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The National Agricultural Innovation Project was launched in the year 2007 by ICAR. The overall objective of NAIP is to facilitate the accelerated and sustainable transformation of Indian agriculture in support of poverty alleviation and income generation through collaborative development and application of agricultural innovations by the public organizations in partnership with farmers groups, the private sector and other stakeholders. The specific objectives are to:
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build the critical capacity of the ICAR as a catalyzing agent for management of change of the Indian NARS,
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promote production to consumption systems research in priority areas/themes to enhance productivity, nutrition, profitability, income and employment,
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improve livelihood security of rural people living in selected disadvantaged regions through innovation systems led by technology and encompassing the wider process of social and economic change covering all stakeholders , and
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build capacity and undertake basic and strategic research in strategic areas to meet technology development challenges in the immediate and predictable future.
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