Directorate of Extension EducationNauni,Solan(HP)

With the inception of Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry at Nauni in 1985, the Directorate of Extension Education emerged as the pivotal unit. Its primary function is to serve as the central hub for planning, organizing, and monitoring all extension activities carried out by the University.
Working closely with the various departments of both colleges situated on the university's main campus; College of Horticulture & Forestry in Neri, Hamirpur, and the College of Horticulture & Forestry in Thunag, Mandi, the Directorate collaborates with Directorates of Agriculture and Horticulture, Agricultural Technology Management Agency, ICAR, and other extension education agencies. Additionally, the Directorate directly administers five Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) located in Chamba, Shimla, Solan, Kinnaur, and Lahaul & Spiti-II at Tabo. These KVKs offer training and technology transfer to farmers, rural youth, and field functionaries from line departments.
The Directorate actively engages in transferring the latest technologies derived from the university's research laboratories to the fields of farmers. Furthermore, it consistently gathers feedback from farmers and other stakeholders to shape its future strategies and effectively implement demand-driven research for the benefit of all involved stakeholders.

Mandate

Initiating, planning, organizing, coordinating and conducting extension education programmes.
Initiating and organizing seminars, training etc., for farmers to transfer improved technologies in consultation with other stakeholders.
Providing farm advisory services and technical know-how through publications, diagnostic visits to the stakeholders.

Strengths

The Directorate provides diagnostic services to farmers, assisting them in identifying and addressing agricultural issues.
It distributes publications and seeds to farmers, facilitating access to valuable information and resources.
The University's museum in the Directorate offers an overview of various activities, research, and technology development work conducted at the institution.
The Dr. Parmar Exhibition hall in the Directorate presents the life history of Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar through pictorial presentations, promoting knowledge and inspiration.
The Directorate handles farmers' queries through the university's native helpline and the Kisan Call Centre (1800-180-1551) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.

Dr Inder Dev
Director of Extension Education

From Director's Desk

The Directorate of Extension Education is dedicated to empowering farmers by providing them with training, raising awareness, and building their capacity. Its primary goal is to equip farmers with essential agricultural knowledge and modern practices, promoting sustainable growth within the farming community and other stakeholders. The Directorate actively works towards cultivating prosperity and resilience among the farming community, aiming to ensure a prosperous and thriving future by facilitating the transfer of technology and agricultural information.

Extension Services

The Directorate is supported by a team of accomplished scientists situated at the main campus, serving as a valuable knowledge resource, and actively assisting in resolving farmer's issues. To cater to the varying requirements of stakeholders, the Directorate offers well-maintained facilities such as a museum, Agricultural Technology Information Centre (ATIC), advanced printing press, and fully equipped air-conditioned seminar and lecture halls. Furthermore, the Directorate provides convenient accommodation options, including the Farmers' Hostel and Officers' Hostel, ensuring comfortable stays for trainees participating in its programs.

A. State Level Officers’ Workshops:

The Directorate organises State Level Officers’ Workshops on Horticultural, Vegetable and Forestry Crops for recommendation and adoption of improved technologies. The techniques are proposed after rigorous evaluation at the state level and are discussed threadbare in these workshops before adoption.

B. National Level Training Programmes/Seminars:

The Directorate organizes several national level training programmes for scientists and other extension functionaries sponsored by Ministry of Agriculture and other government agencies. Apart from this, the Directorate also organizes seminars, conferences, and symposia from time to time.

C. Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) and Mukhya Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (MMAGY)

This Directorate is acting as a nodal agency for the implementation of PMAGY and MMAGY schemes of the government and provides technological backup on agro-technology related issues of the scheme.

The Directorate organizes several training programmes every year for the benefit of farmers, extension functionaries, rural youth, and women. Broad subject lines of some of these programmes being undertaken at the Directorate are listed below:

Natural Farming
Horticulture and forestry crop cultivation
Protected cultivation of horticultural crops
Medicinal and aromatic plants
Mushroom cultivation
Plant protection
Bee keeping
Dairy farming
Watershed management
Natural resource management etc.

Apart from trainings, the Directorate also addresses farmers’ issues through various modes to ensure inclusive development of farmers.

Farmers’ telephone helpline facility on phone no. 01792-252426
Diagnostic field visits
On-farm trials
Method and technology demonstrations
Kisan Melas, Field days, Kisan Divas
Field trips
Front line demonstrations
Natural resource management etc.

Package of Practices for Forestry Crops
Package of Practices for Horticulture and Floriculture Crops
Manual on Forest Entomology
Museum of the university depicting research and technology development activities.
Provides information to farmers through Radio talks on AIR, TV talks and Live Phone-in Service on Door Darshan
Farmers’ problem redressal through information exchange in collaboration with All India Radio.
Farmers’ query handling through university’s native helpline and Kisan Call Centre (1800-180-1551) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India

The Directorate has prepared:

Package of Practices for Forestry Crops
Package of Practices for Horticulture and Floriculture Crops
Manual on Forest Entomology
Museum of the university depicting research and technology development activities.
Provides information to farmers through Radio talks on AIR, TV talks and Live Phone-in Service on Door Darshan
Farmers’ problem redressal through information exchange in collaboration with All India Radio.
Farmers’ query handling through university’s native helpline and Kisan Call Centre (1800-180-1551) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India

Agricultural Technology Information Centre (ATIC) is the single window service for the farmers established under the National Agricultural Technology Project at this Directorate with the following objectives:

Building confidence among various stakeholders and to strengthen linkages between the farmers and the university.
Providing diagnostic and advisory services such as soil and water testing, plant health clinic etc.
Selling and distribution of improved products emerging because of research being undertaken at the university such as seeds, planting material and processed products etc.
Providing an overview of improved technologies through published literature, other communication tools as well as audio-visual aids

Krishi Vigyan Kendra

Agroecological Crop Protection Towards International Co-Innovation Dynamics and Evidence of Sustainability (ACROPICS)

ACROPICS, a four-year initiative, collaborates with 18 organizations across 12 Sustainable Agroecological Systems (SAS) in 10 countries. Its main objective is to minimize harmful crop protection inputs, advancing sustainable agricultural practices globally. Managed under the UHF and EU Commission collaboration, it focuses on innovation, research, and stakeholder engagement to promote sustainable food systems.

Total Project Budget: €1,656,000
Funding Agency: European Commission

Gallery

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Achievements

Extension Activities during: 2022-23

S.No.	Activities	No.of Trainings	Numberof Participants
1	Training On Campus	48	1603
2	Training Off Campus	03	348
3	Radio Talk	02	En masse
4	TV Talk	02	En masse
5	Workshop/Seminar	17	--
6	Mobile Advisory	34	En masse
7	Exposure Visits	53	--
8	Exhibitions Organized	01	--
9	Days Celebrated	07	En masse
10	VIP Visits	10	--
11	Others Major Extension ActivitiesUndertaken	07	--

Extension Activities during: 2021-2022

S.No.	Activities	No. of Trainings	Number of Participants
1	Training organized	13	393
2	Radio Talk	03	En masse
3	Mobile Advisory/ Agro advisory	500	En masse
4	Exposure Visits	22	803
5	Days Celebrated	02	En masse

Extension Activities during: 2020-2021

S.No.	Activities	No. of Trainings	Number of Participants
1	Training organized	13	393
2	Radio Talk	03	En masse
3	Mobile Advisory/ Agro advisory	500	En masse
4	Exposure Visits	22	803
5	Days Celebrated	02	En masse

Extension Activities during: 2019-20

S.No.	Activities	No. of Trainings	Number of Participants
1	Training organized	38	943
2	Radio Talk	04	En masse
3	Workshop/Seminar	02	430
4	Mobile Advisory/ Courier services/Samples Diagnosed	337	En masse
5	Exposure Visits	45	1337
6	Exhibitions Organized	02	En masse
7	Days Celebrated	07	En masse

Facilities

Diagnostic services for the farmers
Publications and seed to the farmers
Museum of the university provides an overview of various university activities and research and technology development work being done at the University.
Parmar Exhibition hall providing information on the life history of Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar through pictorial presentation.
Farmers’ query handling through university’s native helpline and Kisan Call Centre (1800-180-1551) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India

Awards/Recognitions

Dr. Inder Dev recognized for the work on "Agroforestry based Parasai-sindh watershed" as one of the Best Water Practices by NITI Aayog in 2019.
Dr. Inder Dev recieved a Best Team Award as a team member (Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers Award for 2018),during 53rd ISAE Annual Convention held during 28-30 January 2019 at BHU, Varanasi.
Dr. Inder Dev recieved a Best Annual Report Award on 94th Foundation Day of ICAR on 16th July, 2019.
Dr. Piyush Mehta awarded with Best oral paper presentation (Second position) at 2^nd National conference Advances in Sustainable agriculture held on September 26-28, 2020, organized by Society of Krishi Vigyan, Kolkata, India.
Dr. Pratima Rana awarded with Best oral paper presentation at national seminar of Smart Technologies to Boost Farm Profitability and Socio-economic Status of Rural India, organized by Royal Association for Science-Led Socio-Cultural Advancement (RASSA), New Delhi at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir on November 19-20, 2018.
Dr. Sree Chandana P, Dr. Anil Sood, M.Sc. Student awarded with Uma Datt Mamgain Memorial Research Award 2020 for her M. Sc. thesis submitted to YSPUHF, Nauni in 2020, Society for Advancement of Human and Nature, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Nauni
Dr. Parminder Kaur Baweja awarded with ‘Pride of Solan-2017’ in Felicitation Function held at Hotel Paragon by Amar Ujala on March 25, 2017.
Dr. Ajay Sharma awarded with First prize for oral presentation for paper entitled “Residue dynamics of combi product Lancergold (Acephate 50% + Imidacloprid 1.8%) on okra and in soil” National Symposium Modern Agro-Technologies for Nutritional Security and Health held at UHF Nauni on 21-23 April,2015.
Dr. Parminder Kaur Baweja awarded with Ist Runner up in International Symposium on NASA-2014 for Oral Presentation of Research Paper entitled, ‘Role of meteorological models for forest fire prediction and management in Shiwalik hills, India’ held at G B Pant, Univ. of Agril. & Tech., Pantnagar, Uttarakhad October 15-18, 2014.