Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

Context:

Government of India plant to improve Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)

Key Highlights:

• Technical staff of the KVKs are regularly trained on latest agricultural technologies for upgrading their knowledge and skill.
• Management Development Programme is organized for the newly recruited heads of the KVKs for better management of KVKs.
• KVK Portal has been developed to integrate all the KVKs of the country for online monitoring and management of KVKs and to disseminate useful knowledge and technologies to farmers
• The KVKs are provided with different demonstration units, farm machineries and vehicles. 
• As per requirement, large number of KVKs have been strengthened with other infrastructure facilities like, Pulses seed hubs, soil testing kits, micro-irrigation systems, etc. during last five years.
• Collaboration with different Departments have been made for different activities like establishment of District Agro-Met Units in KVKs in convergence with India Meteorological Department; and organization of Frontline Demonstrations on oilseeds and pulses and Skill Development Training Programmes in convergence with Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare.

About Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)

1. Krishi Vigyan Kendras are the centres for agriculture extensions created by Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and its affiliated institutions at the district level. 
2. KVKs are an integral part of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) and serve as the link between the NARS and the farmers.
3. The KVK centre provides various types of farm support to the agricultural sector and creates awareness about the improved agricultural technologies.
4. The first KVK was established during 1974 (Pondichery) 
5. The KVK scheme is 100% financed by Govt. of India and the KVKs are sanctioned to Agricultural Universities, ICAR institutes, related Government Departments and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) working in Agriculture.

History of KVKs

• The Education Commission (1964-66) recommended that a vigorous effort be made to establish specialized institutions to provide vocational education in agriculture and allied fields at the pre and post matriculate levels to cater the training needs of a large number of boys and girls coming from rural areas.
• The Commission, further, suggested that such institutions be named as ‘Agricultural Polytechnics’.
• The recommendation of the Commission was thoroughly discussed: during 1966-72 by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Planning Commission, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and other allied institutions.
• Finally, the ICAR mooted the idea of establishing Krishi Vigyan Kendras (Agricultural Science Centres) as innovative institutions for imparting vocational training to the practicing farmers, school dropouts and field level extension functionaries.
• The ICAR Standing Committee on Agricultural Education, in its meeting held in August, 1973, observed that since the establishment of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) was of national importance which would help in accelerating the agricultural production as also in improving the socio-economic conditions of the farming community, the assistance of all related institutions should be taken in implementing this scheme.
• The ICAR, therefore, constituted a committee in 1973 headed by Dr. Mohan Singh Mehta of Seva Mandir, Udaipur (Rajasthan), for working out a detailed plan for implementing this scheme. The Committee submitted its report in 1974.
• The first KVK, on a pilot basis, was established in 1974 at Puducherry (Pondicherry) under the administrative control of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore.
• At present there are 721 KVKs, out of which 498 are under State Agricultural Universities (SAU) and Central Agricultural University (CAU), 66 under ICAR Institutes, 104 under NGOs, 38 under State Governments, and the remaining under other educational institutions.

Mandate of KVK

The mandate of KVK is Technology Assessment and Demonstration for its Application and Capacity Development. To implement the mandate effectively, the following activities are envisaged for each KVK.

• On-farm testing to assess the location specificity of agricultural technologies under various farming systems.
• Frontline demonstrations to establish production potential of technologies on the farmers’ fields
• Capacity development of farmers and extension personnel to update their knowledge and skills on modern agricultural technologies
• To work as Knowledge and Resource Centre of agricultural technologies for supporting initiatives of public, private and voluntary sectors in improving the agricultural economy of the district.
• Provide farm advisories using ICT and other media means on varied subjects of interest to farmers.

In addition, KVK would produce quality technological products (seed, planting material, bio-agents, livestock) and make it available to farmers, organize frontline extension activities, identify and document selected farm innovations and converge with ongoing schemes and programmes within the mandate of KVK.

Aims:

• Assessment of location-specific technology modules in agriculture and allied enterprises, through technology assessment, refinement and demonstrations. 
• To organize on and off-campus training programmes for farmers, rural women, youth, and officers of the Department of Agriculture to make them aware of the latest technologies in agriculture.
• To organize short and long term vocational training courses on vegetable, floriculture, beekeeping, dairying, mushroom, organic farming and protective cultivation etc. for rural youth for self-employment.
• To arrange front-line demonstrations and on-farm trials at farmer’s fields on improved technologies and refinement of existing technology so as to suit the need of the farmers.

Krishi Vigyan Kendra Features

1. Creation of valuable resources in terms of technical manpower and assets
2. Confirmation of technologies to suit local specificity
3. Showcasing the frontier technologies
4. Capacity-building among stakeholders
5. Front runner in technological application, information and inputs
6. Participatory approaches in planning, implementing, executing and evaluation

KVK – Aims & Objectives 

1. Krishi Vigyan Kendra plays a vital role in conducting on-farm testing to demonstrate location-specific agricultural technologies.
2. It aims at assessment of location-specific technology modules in agriculture and allied enterprises, through technology assessment, refinement and demonstrations. It also aims to apply agricultural research in a practical, localized setting.
3. Krishi Vigyan Kendras have been functioning as Knowledge and Resource Centre of agricultural technology supporting initiatives of public, private and voluntary sector for improving the agricultural economy of the district.

Source: PIB

You can find many articles on AGRICULTURE (part of GS III) in our website. Go through these articles share with your friends and post your views in comment section.