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Transcript

Hello friends. In our last class we discussed about what extension is not about. In this class we will be discussing about the definition and scope of extension. When somebody asks, why extension, as I have already told you.As an extension professionalyou cannot apply yesterday’s techniques today and be in the business of tomorrow. We need to understand the term ‘extension’. We need to understand the concept of extension. How it is being defined by various researchers, with their own experiences and the research background. Let us come to the definition given by Dahama O P. Wherein it is said that extension education is an educational process to provide knowledge to the rural people about improved practices in a convincing manner and to help them to take decisions within their specific local conditions. When you look at this definition, in the first part we said that, basically it is an educational activity. I would like to remind you once again, and again and again in our further discussions that the concept of education and the definition of education, we need to remember.

When we said that education, it is the process of bringing in the desirable changes. But now let us limit ourselves to the issues associated with agriculture. So we need to change the practices related to agriculture. We need to bring the desirable changes in the practices of agriculture. So that is what is we are emphasizing upon. How are we going to do that? By providing the knowledge to the rural people about the improved practices. So that is where we are again emphasizing on the process of transfer of technologies in a convincing manner so that they can change their existing practices. So that is where the entire efforts of extension activities are depending upon. The moment an individual takes the decision of changing his exisiting practices. So that becomes the first point for change. Then as he goes on adopting the innovations. He goes on changing his practices. He will observe the change in his own living standards. Which is what is desirable by the extension profession. And this particular process is going to help them to take the decisions within their specific local conditions. It is not that he has to bring everything from the external sources and adopt something, no. Extension also emphasizes on maximum utilization of the locally available resources. But what is that to be changed, there is, the practice, the techniques, the methods, the innovations which are suitable to that particular locality and extension emphasizes on these practices. This is what Dahama O.P. is trying to say about.

National Commission on Agriculture, a body of Government of India, which defined the concept of extension education as ‘an informal out of school education and services’. These are the two issues that we have already discussed in our previous classes. Extension is a profession and extension is a discipline. And through this discipline it conducts the research. And through this profession it is providing the services. But it is informal in nature. For the members of the farm family and others, directly or indirectly engaged in farm production, to adopt improved practices in crop, livestock, fisheries production, management, conservation and marketing. So apart from the crop husbandry, rest of the enterprises we call them as allied enterprises of agriculture, and they are having a perfect, symbiotic relationship with the crop husbandry, may it be animal husbandry, may it be fisheries, may it be poultry, May it be any of such professions which are having symbiotic relationship with the agriculture. So involving all these things. So when we take up these as a profession. So there are issues associated with the production, management, conservation and marketing. When you bring in certain amount of changes in these practices. Definitely you are going to change your behavior and ultimately it is leading towards the change in your living standards.

Coming to the definition given by Jay Poliligans. Which is very comprehensive in nature. He tries to explain the entire concept of extension in this particular definition. The definition begins with. Extension education is applied science. It has the contents derived from research, accumulated field experiences and the relevant principles derived from the behavioral sciences. The first part of the definition which is emphasizing on the contents of the extension process comes from the research. So when we say that research, again there are 2 components. One, the research leading towards the development of the technology. Second the research leading towards the process of transfer of technology. So both these things put together becomes the content of the concept of extension. And in addition to that the accumulated field experiences of the extension professional, that are going to add value to the extension services. And apart from that, extension inculcates into its profession the relevant principles derived from the behavioral sciences like economics, sociology, psychology so on and so forth. So these are some of the behavioral sciences. So which are relevant for providing extension services and for the benefit of the community that we are going to take them. Then all these contents are synthesized with the useful technology which is aiming at bringing in the change. So that is what is the core of the idea. And both these things are now put together, developed into a body of philosophy. Contents and principles and methods which we are going to discuss in our further classes. Through making use of these concepts we are trying to focus on the problems of the adult and youth.Everybody in the community has a specific information from the concept of extension and we are trying to provide them appropriate solutions.

Now coming to the scope of extension. Which are the areas which extension tries to cover with and wherein extension is very very essential. First and foremost area is enhancing efficiency in production. So this is what we have been doing since its inception in mid 1800’s till date. And with that we have seen sea change in agricultural production process. Not only in Indian context, in the entire world. Enhancing efficiency in marketing, distribution and utilization. So over a period of time we can see good number of changes and modifications in the agricultural marketing as well as distribution as well as utilization of the agricultural produce. It is because of the exploitation of the scope of extension education. Conservation, development and use of the natural resources. And because of this we have conserved water, we have conserved nature, we have conserved many resources for the benefit of agriculture. Management on the farm as well as in the home. We are talking of home science extension as well as the agricultural extension, as well as the allied disciplines of extension education which are emphasizing on the management of the farm as well as the home. The family living because extension has the program for women. Extension has the program for adults, youth, children as well as the farmers. That is how, that is another area extension wherein works upon. Youth development.Now we have good number of program. The latest government program include ARYA( Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture). And as a part of academic curriculum, we have the programs like Student READY( rural entrepreneurship awareness and development yojana). Wherein we are trying to inculcate the concept of entrepreneurship among the youth as a part of academic curriculum, as well as the efforts are being made to develop the entrepreneurship among the people.

Extension is also emphasizing on the leadership development. The concept of leader we are going to discuss again and again in our various discussions.It does not necessarily mean the political leadership. It, concept of leadership is emphasizing on the qualities lying within the individual related to agriculture and allied professions, wherein when he performs it with specialized skill. So he emerges as a leader. May it be cultivation of a crop. May it be rearing of the animals. May it be management or any of these aspects, wherein individual can develop or emerge himself as a leader. Ultimately it is emphasizing on the community development as well as management of the public affairs. So these are all the various areas, wherein the extension is operative. Then coming to the levels of extension. Extension operates at 2 levels. The first level that we are discussing about is the extension education or the centre extension. These extension activities are taken up by the research institutions of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, or any of the research institutions and the State Agricultural Universities. Wherein the area of coverage by these extension educationists or the centre extension is very limited. And the basic purpose with which that they are doing this extension is to get the feedback from the community regarding the technologies that are being developed by these research institutions. And they are acting as the change agents on limited basis, because their primary responsibility is to conduct the research.

Then coming to the extension service or the field extension activities. That is what is the second level. Which is being taken up by the state departments of agriculture, the Krishi Vigyan Kendras and various non-governmental organizations and various development departments of the government at various levels. Line departments like department of agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, sericulture. All these people are part of this extension service or the field extension. With this coming to the conclusion of the discussion on the definition and scope of extension. Translation of the complex research information into the common man’s language is a prime responsibility of extension education, which it is being taken up over a period of time. There are two levels of extension as we have already discussed now, that is extension education or centre extension and extension service or the field extension. Extension service is having the features of non-formal education with some deviations from the features of formal education, which we have been discussing through the help of these definitions as well as its concept also. The definition also emphasize on the service as well as education of the people. It is not only giving them the technology but also educating them about the technology. The scope of extension embraces almost all aspects of life. And it plays a role in development of the communities in general and the stakeholders of agriculture and allied sciences in particular. So this is all about the definition and scope of extension education. In our next class we will be discussing about the philosophy and the functions of extension education.

Thank You.