Fundamentals of Agricultural Extension: As per 5th Deans’ Committee Recommendations

Contents: 1. Introduction to extension education. 2. Extension programme planning. 3. Development programmes of pre and post independence era. 4. Agricultural development programmes. 5. Transfer of technology programmes of ICAR. 6. New trends in agricultural extension. 7. Rural development programmes. 8. Community development programme. 9. Extension administration and management. 10. Panchayat raj system (PRS). 11. Planning, monitoring and evaluation. 12. Reorganized extension system (T and V system). 13. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) techniques. 14. Capacity building, training and training methods. 15. History of extension education in India. 16. Communication process and diffusion and adoption of agricultural innovations. 17. Extension teaching methods. 18. Audio-visual aids.

Agricultural Extension is the basis of the transfer of agricultural technologies to farmers and to persuade farmers to adopt those agricultural techniques. The results showed that agricultural extension workers are playing a major role in the transfer of agricultural technologies to farmers to bring about desired changes in the behaviour of farmers. The improvement in socio-economic conditions of farmers mainly depends on increase in production, productivity and income of farmers. The function of extension to improve the quality of extension contact, building farmers’ confidence through improved communication.

Many students think that agricultural extension is a vast subject and theory oriented, they have to read several books to cover entire syllabus. In view of the above facts, I have step forward to contribute in the form of book which is the compilation of various books written by various well experienced scientists in India as well as in abroad. This book tries to explain basic concepts, principles of extension education, programme planning, Community Development and National Extension Service, E-Extension, Information Communication Technologies, Rural and Agricultural Development Programmes implemented in India, PRA Techniques, Communication and Diffusion of Innovation and Extension Teaching Methods and audio-visual aids used in extension work as per V Deans Committee recommendation of ICAR.