Krishi Jagran was the media partner for the The 1st International Extension Congress 2018 organized at ICAR - Central Institute for Women in Agriculture, Bhubaneswar from 1-3 February, 2018 with a vision of “Incessantly evolving and developing Extension Education – the Art and Science for meeting challenges and harnessing opportunities” and with a mission of “Providing platform to evolve and develop the subject based on the objective-oriented Research related to identified theme areas and interaction among the Extension Professionals”. The Inaugural programme was held on 2nd February 2018 in which Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary, DARE and DG, ICAR graced the occasion as Chief Guest and Dr. A. K. Singh, DDG (Agril. Extension), Prof. S. Pasupalak, Hon'ble Vice Chancellor, OUAT and Sri Saurabh Garg, IAS Principal Secretary (Agriculture), Govt. of Odisha as Guests of Honour. During the chief guest address, Dr. Mohapatra informed that extension is not technology transfer and it is beyond that of working on other domains like marketing and facilitating agricultural development in all ways and means. He also informed that extension has to be the base for research which will be the key to agricultural development in the country.
The congress comprised of 10 technical sessions in which emerging challenges and innovative approaches in Extension, advancements and futuristic assessment of core areas of extension, envisioning extension in changing the context of agriculture and society, professionalism, and ethics in extension to several other themes were discussed through interactive presentations and panel discussions. The concluding technical session was based upon interface among all stakeholders. Besides, the programme was graced by several delegates in the field of Agriculture and allied disciplines from within and outside India. The congress was attended by several Professionals including Scientists, Policymakers, Extension Personnel and students from the country as well as abroad. On the eve of Congress, 15 nos. of exhibition stalls were arranged to display the newly emerging extension technologies of ICAR/SAUs. The valedictory session of the congress was chaired by Dr. Prof. (Dr) A.K. Srivastava, Chairman, ASRB, ICAR, New Delhi and presided by Dr. A. K. Singh, DDG (Agril. Extension), ICAR, New Delhi in the presence of Dr. D. P. Ray, Former VC of OUAT and others. Dr. Srivastava addressed the audience by conversing about the significance of Extension in achieving the green revolution in India and also informed some of the key messages that extension has to do for the promotion of dairy and livestock sector. Dr. G.A.K.Kumar, Secretary of the Congress presented the recommendations of Congress. The occasion was also graced by Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Director, NRRI and Dr. Srivastava, Director, ICAR-CIWA, the host of the Congress. The congress also distributed the best poster awards. Krishi Jagran displayed its magazines during the exhibition dedicated to the Congress.
