There are four major organizational streams working for rural development in India: ICAR institutes and universities, Ministry of Agriculture extension systems, Ministry of Rural Development extension systems, and voluntary organizations. ICAR established several programs to strengthen the link between research and extension, including the National Demonstration program, Operational Research Project, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Lab to Land program, Frontline Demonstrations, and Technology Assessment and Refinement programs. These programs aim to test and demonstrate new agricultural technologies to farmers, identify constraints to technology adoption, and improve dissemination of research outputs.

1. Extension system in India

2. In India there are 4 major organizational streams are working for rural
development:
1. ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) institutes and Agriculture &
Veterinary Universities.
2. Extension System of Ministry of Agriculture and State Departments of
Agriculture.
3. Extension System of Ministry of Rural Development and the State Development
Departments.
4. Voluntary organizations, business houses etc.

3. FIRST LINE EXTENSION SYSTEM:
• Realizing the scope and importance of integrated working of interrelationship
between research, education and extension functions, the ICAR established a
section of Extension Education at its headquarters in 1971 which was later on
strengthened and renamed as Division of Agricultural Extension.
• It was intended to enforce this functional relationship down the line in the research
institutes, agricultural and veterinary universities and allied institutions.
• The involvement of ICAR in extension started with the formulation and
implementation of several front-line extension programmes.

4. The programs were as follows:
National Demonstration (1964),
Operational Research Project (1972),
Krishi Vigyan Kendra (1974),
Lab to Land Programme (1979),
Frontline Demonstrations,
Technology Assessment and Refinement (TAR) -Institution
Village Linkage Programme (IVLP),
National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP),
Agricultural Technology Management Agency(ATMA),

5. National Demonstration (ND):
Launched in 1964.
Based on the concept of increasing the productivity per unit area and time by
using proven agricultural technology.
Basic purpose
1. To show the genetic production potentiality of new technology of major crops.
2. To encourage the farmers to adopt and popularize the technologies.

6. National Demonstration

7. Role of National Demonstration:
The main role is to demonstrate.
Production potentiality of a unit area.
The use of implement for different operation.
Use of soil testing labs for use of balanced fertilizer doses.
Demonstration in improved cultivation.
Provide first hand knowledge
Minimise the time lag between the research generated and its application

8. Operational research project (ORP) :
Initiated in 1974-75 to identify technological as well as socio- economic
constraints and to formulate and implement a combination of technology modules
on area/watershed/target group basis.
The performance of the new technology is to be tested on farmers’ fields at
operational level.

9. The role of ORP were:
• Test, adopt and demonstrate the new agricultural technologies in farmer’s field in
a cluster of three to four villages or in a watershed area.
• Calculate profitability of the new technology meant for increasing production and
economic returns substantially.
• Identify socio-economic constraints affecting transfer of new technologies.
• Assess the credit worthiness of the new agricultural practices.

10. Krishi Vigyan Kendra :
• Established in 1974 at Pondicherry under the Tamilnadu Agricultural university
with an objective of imparting through work experience.
• Aimed at imparting training to extension workers, practicing farmers and
fisherman who wish to be self-employed.
• Priority is given to less resources available area.

11. Objectives of KVK:
1. To improve productivity in agriculture and allied enterprises.
2. To empower and utilize the energy of rural youth and farmwomen.
3. To generate employment in farm and non-farm sector.
4. Improve socio-economic condition of rural community.

13. Role of KVK:
• Impart skill of farmers and rural youths through vocational training
• Conduct Frontline Demonstration
• Carry out On-farm Testing to fine tune the technologies based on farming
situations and develop location specific technolog.
• Disseminate technologies in the districts by providing training to the extension
workers of the various line departments
• Production of quality seed, seedling and different bio-agents, inputs and services
to enhance technology adoption.

14. Lab to land program (LLP) :
• Implemented in 1979, by ICAR as a part of its Golden Jubilee celebrations.
• The aim of the programme is to improve the economic condition of the small and
marginal farmers and landless agricultural laborers, particularly scheduled castes
and scheduled tribes, by transfer of improved technology developed by the
agricultural universities, research institutes etc

15. Role of Lab to Land Program:
• Study and understand the background and resource of the selected farmers and
landless agricultural labourers.
• Assist the farmers to develop feasible farm plans.
• Guide and help the farmers in adopting improved technologies.
• Organise training programmes and other extension activities.

16. • Make the farmers aware of the various opportunities and agencies.
• Develop functional relation and linkage with the scientist and institutions for
future guidance, advisory service and help.
• Utilize this project as a feedback mechanism for the agricultural scientist
and extension functionaries.

17. Front Line Demonstration:
• The field demonstrations conducted under the close supervision of scientists of
the National Agriculture Research System are called front-line demonstrations
because the technologies are demonstrated for the first time by the scientists
themselves before being fed into the main extension system of the State
Department of Agriculture.
• “Seeing is believing” is the main principle behind the demonstrations.

18. Front line demonstration

19. Roles of Front-Line Demonstration:
• Demonstrate the newly released production technologies on the farmers’ fields.
• Exploit their maximum potential in a given farming system.
• Prepare technical leadership in the villages by imparting desired training.
• Organize the need-based training programmes for subject matter specialists and
farmers, after identification of problems.
• About 54,000 front line demonstrations were organized to demonstrate the
production potential of newly released production technologies in 2009

20. Technology Assessment and Refinement (TAR):
• In 1995, the ICAR launched this innovative programme.
• Introduce technological interventions with emphasis on stability and
sustainability along with productivity of small-farm production systems;
• 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;

21. • Introduce and integrate the appropriate technologies to increase the agricultural
productivity with marketable surplus in commercial on and off farm
production system;
• 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;

22. • Facilitate adoption of appropriate technologies for removal of drudgery,
increased efficiency and higher income of farm women;
• Monitor socio-economic impact of the technological intervention for
different farm production systems;
• Identify extrapolation domains for new technology/technology modules
based on environmental characterization at meso and mega level.

23. National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP):
• Launched by 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).

24. The major role of this component is:
1) Accelerate the flow of technology form research, and extension to farmer.
2) Improve the dissemination of location specific and sustainability
enhancing technologies
3) Decentralize technical and decision making authority to the district level.
4) Create a more effective and financially sustainable public extension
system.
5) Step up the privatization of certain technology transfer activities

25. Agricultural Technology Management Agency(ATMA) :
The roles of ATMA are:
Strengthen research – extension – farmer linkages.
Provide an effective mechanism for co-ordination and management of activities
of different agencies involved in technology adaption / validation and
dissemination at the district level and below.

26. Increase the quality and type of technologies being disseminated.
Move towards shared ownership of the agricultural technology system by key
shareholders.
Develop new partnerships with the private institutions including NGOs.

27. National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) :
The Basic Role:
Give the agricultural research and technology development system an explicit
development and business perspective through innovative models. In other
words, the agricultural research system should be able to support agriculture as a
business venture and also as a means of security of livelihood of the rural Indian
while maintaining excellence in science.

28. Make the National Agricultural Research System a 'pluralistic' system where
every Organisation having stake in agricultural research: public, private or
civil society, has to play a role.
Working in well defined partnership groups with clear common goals and
understanding on sharing responsibilities and benefits.
Funding through competition so that a wide choice of excellent innovative
ideas come in from the stakeholders themselves.
Work with focus, plan and time frames.