KVK Khordha Honoured with NAAS-Dhanuka Award for Excellence in Agricultural Extension

5 June 2025, New Delhi

ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Khordha, under ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Kolkata, has been conferred the prestigious Best Zonal KVK Award 2025 (Zone V) by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS), New Delhi today. The award was presented during NAAS’s Foundation Day celebrations in recognition of the KVK’s exceptional achievements in agricultural extension and rural transformation.

The ceremony was attended by leading agricultural scientists and dignitaries, including Dr. Himanshu Pathak, President, NAAS and Director General, ICRISAT, and Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Principal Advisor to NTEP and Former Chief Scientist, WHO.

Dr. Pradip Dey, Director, ICAR-ATARI, Kolkata, stated that the NAAS Zonal KVK Award inspires healthy competition among KVKs nationwide, encouraging innovation, excellence, and technology-driven agriculture. KVK Khordha’s recognition is a reflection of its visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to farmer-centric development, he added.

KVK Khordha earned this national-level honour for its exemplary efforts in enhancing farm productivity, promoting sustainable agricultural practices, and driving inclusive rural development, especially in tribal and marginalized regions of Odisha.

A standout achievement has been the KVK’s pioneering work in scientific aquaculture, which has significantly benefited farmers, including Padma Shri awardee Mr. Batakrushna Sahoo. The KVK has also emerged as a centre of excellence in entrepreneurship development, youth skill training, and resource mobilization, making effective use of revolving funds to expand its outreach.

KVK Khordha’s integrated approach includes promoting farmer collectives, facilitating group-based knowledge dissemination, and producing high-quality extension literature, thereby strengthening the last-mile delivery of agricultural technologies. Strategic collaborations with government departments, NGOs, SHGs, and FPOs have further amplified its impact across the region.

The award not only acknowledges KVK Khordha’s impactful interventions but also establishes it as a model for replication, reaffirming its role as a key driver of agricultural innovation and rural prosperity in eastern India.

(Source: ICAR- Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Kolkata)