National Consultative Workshop on Transforming Agricultural Extension Education and Advisory Service System in North-East India Concludes at CPGSAS, Umiam

8 March 2026, Umiam, Meghalaya

The two-day National Consultative Workshop on ‘Transforming Agricultural Extension Education and Advisory Service System in North-East India: Policy Perspectives for Viksit Bharat 2047 (T-AEAS-NEI 2047)’ concluded successfully today at the College of Post Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences (CPGSAS), Umiam, under the Central Agricultural University, Imphal.

The workshop was organised under the guidance of Dr Anupam Mishra, Vice-Chancellor, CAU, Imphal, and brought together policymakers, agricultural scientists, extension experts, academicians and development practitioners from across the country to deliberate on strengthening agricultural extension education and advisory services in the North Eastern region.

During the second day, theme-based group discussions and presentations were conducted. Experts deliberated on key issues including market-oriented extension, value chain development, governance reforms, institutional convergence and policy innovations in extension systems. The participants critically examined the current status of agricultural extension services in the region and proposed practical policy recommendations aimed at strengthening farmer-centric extension systems aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Addressing the valedictory session as the Chief Guest, Dr Rajbir Singh, Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension), ICAR, emphasized the need to modernize agricultural extension systems through digital technologies, artificial intelligence and collaborative institutional frameworks to address emerging challenges in agriculture. He highlighted the growing importance of digital agriculture platforms in improving farmers’ welfare and strengthening the extension ecosystem.

Dr Singh noted that national initiatives such as AgriStack and Bharat Vistaar aim to develop an integrated digital ecosystem for farmers across the country. He also suggested establishing a national farmers’ platform to enable farmers to share experiences, innovations and best practices. Further, he proposed the formation of a Farmer Youth Forum, expected to be launched on 12 March, to actively engage rural youth in agriculture and agri-entrepreneurship.

He stressed the urgent need for capacity building in digital agriculture for farmers, extension professionals and stakeholders. He suggested that IITs and research institutions could develop suitable training modules to enhance digital literacy. Highlighting the role of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), agricultural universities, progressive farmers, innovators and farm ambassadors, he emphasized promoting digital extension models that integrate both physical and virtual approaches. He also reiterated the vision of “One Nation, One Agriculture, One Team,” stating that insights from the workshop could contribute to a national perspective plan for agricultural extension.

In his presidential remarks, Dr Anupam Mishra, Vice-Chancellor, CAU, Imphal, emphasized the need for a futuristic agricultural extension strategy to support India’s vision of becoming a USD 30 trillion economy by 2047. He noted that earlier agricultural progress relied largely on interpersonal communication and traditional extension methods, whereas modern technologies such as remote sensing, satellite imagery, artificial intelligence, digital analytics and language translation tools offer new opportunities to strengthen extension services.

Dr Mishra highlighted the potential of satellite-based crop monitoring, yield estimation and market planning, while emphasizing the need to enhance digital literacy and human resource capacity among farmers and extension professionals. He also stressed strengthening extension strategies in allied sectors such as fisheries, animal husbandry and horticulture, developing sector-specific demonstration models, and learning from innovative private sector approaches to build an effective and future-ready agricultural extension system.

A key session of the day featured an invited lecture by Prof. Sanasam Ranbir Singh, Professor and Associate Dean, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Guwahati, on “Strategizing Agriculture through AI Ecosystems: Architecting Viksit Bharat 2047.” He highlighted the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, digital agriculture platforms and data-driven advisory services in enhancing agricultural productivity, market access and climate resilience.

The session was also addressed by several distinguished experts including Dr M. M. Adhikary, Former Vice-Chancellor, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV), West Bengal; Dr J. P. Sharma, Former Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu; Dr V. V. Sadamate, Former Adviser (Agriculture), Planning Commission; Dr K. D. Kokate, Former Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension), ICAR; Dr P. Das, Former Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension), ICAR; and Prof. D. Basu, Vice-Chancellor, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya (UBKV), West Bengal, who shared their perspectives on strengthening extension education and policy frameworks for the North Eastern region.

(Source: Agricultural Extension Division, ICAR)