Regional Workshop on Training Need Assessment of Clientele States.

A Two-Day Regional Workshop was organized on 9 and 10 December 2024 at EEI, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. The workshop began with the lighting of the lamp by the dignitaries. Dr. S. Chandrashekar, Professor, EEI, welcomed the dignitaries and delegates attending the regional workshop both online and offline. He outlined the workshop’s purpose of conducting a Training Need Assessment (TNA) for client states to prepare the Annual Training Calendar for 2025-26 of EEI, Hyderabad.

Dr. B. Jamuna Rani, Director of Extension, PJTAU, was the Chief Guest, while Shri N. Selvam, Joint Director (Extension), GoI, and Dr. Kailaimannan, Joint Director (Farm Information), GoI, were the Guests of Honor.
The workshop was attended by distinguished guests, including Dr. M. Kishan Kumar, Director of Extension, PVNRTVU, Dr. Y. Sona, Principal Scientist, NAARM, Dr. A. Srinivasacharayulu, Director (Knowledge Management), MANAGE, Dr. A. Srinivas, Scientist, IIMR, Dr. V. Swapna, Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Animal Husbandry, Telangana, and others, as well as 12 delegates from various sectors.

Dr. M. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Director, EEI, Hyderabad, presented the training programmes and other activities conducted by EEI during 2023-24. Delegates from various agri and allied departments, central and state institutes, NGOs, and FPOs offered remarks following the presentation.

In the valediction, Shri N. Selvam, Joint Director (Extension), DoE, MoA&FW, GoI, New Delhi, praised the efforts EEI, Hyderabad in organizing the workshop. He emphasized the need for the training extension functionaries on Digital Extension, Natural Farming, and Sustainable Development Goals. He also recommended to add all extension officers in EEI’s jurisdiction to the “AGRI GOI” WhatsApp group to stay updated on daily activities of the Government of India.

Dr. Kailaimannan, Joint Director (FI), GoI, appreciated the workshop and suggested organizing programs in collaboration with State and ICAR institutes on topics like Governance for Sustainability of Farmer Producer Companies and  certification of Organic Products for remunerative markets through the “i-Echo” platform, benefiting middle-level extension functionaries in the Southern Region.

Workshop on Content Development for the Training Programmes of the Annual Training Calendar of  2025-26.

Extension Education Institute, Hyderabad organized a Content Development Workshop for the training programmes of the Annual Training Calendar for the year 2025-26 on 11 February 2025 th at EEI, Hyderabad. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. M. Yakadri, Director of Extension, PJTAU, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, emphasized the importance of addressing contemporary issues such as climate change, application of artificial intelligence, digital interventions, achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, and enhancing profitability in the agriculture and allied sectors while designing the content for EEI training programmes.

Dr. M. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Director, EEI, Hyderabad, highlighted that the central government is primarily focusing on initiatives such as the creation of robust digital public infrastructure, Agri Stack, promotion of natural farming, alternate energy sources, Dhan-Dhanya Krishi Yojana, Atmanirbhar Bharat in pulses, Credit Guarantee Fund for MSMEs and Startups, Fund of Funds for Startups, and the PM Gati Shakti portal. He further explained that these initiatives provide access to relevant data, maps, and tools to facilitate public-private partnerships, assist the private sector in project planning, and support capacity building under Mission Karmayogi, among other objectives. He suggested that the philosophy and goals of these interventions should be carefully considered while developing content for the training programmes. The workshop was coordinated by Dr. S. Chandrashekar, Professor, EEI, Hyderabad, who welcomed the delegates and participants to the session.

During the workshop, the discussions were primarily focused on the inclusion of several contemporary and relevant topics for the training programmes. These included Biochar, a charcoal-like material produced from biomass such as wood, plant waste, or manure, and its applications in improving soil health, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and remediating polluted soils; Bio-CNG; the role of APEDA in maintaining quality standards and promoting exports; AgriStack; cold storage facilities; Custom Hiring Centers; the Agri Infrastructure Fund; and buy-back agreements through Cooperatives.
Other key areas discussed were the roles of NAFED and NCDEX, the application of drones for land use pattern analysis, carbon credits and net-zero agriculture, and the impact of NICRA in climate change programmes. Innovative financial and technological interventions like FinTech, InsurTech, smart and ATM-based business models, design thinking, natural and automated playhouses, and participatory behaviour were also included.

The workshop emphasized revising certain training titles, such as renaming a module to “Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation of Agricultural Programmes and Projects”, and incorporating models such as Attitude, Perception, and Thinking (APT), AGMARKNET, FPO federation, friction and competition, market intelligence, and governance related to FPOs. Additional topics included seed banks, quality planting material, NABL accreditation in seed programmes, Attitude and Inner Engineering, AI-based models and online tools in communication and documentation, procedures in patenting, GI indicators documentation, budget maintenance mechanisms like PFMS and SPARSH, gap identification, e-office, re-queening, the National Bee Board, AGMARK certification for bee products, promotion of fuel crops, photovoltaic energy sources, and a webinar on innovative production technologies and value addition in turmeric crop.

It was also decided to delete the topic on Coaching, Mentoring, and Counseling. The workshop concluded with the
vote of thanks proposed by Dr. D. Shireesha, Assistant Professor, EEI, Hyderabad.

Regional workshops are conducted once in every year for need assessment and  finalization of the training areas. The training programmes of EEI every year are finalized during the month of February by the representatives of all the client states and the concerned officials of Directorate of Extension, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, new Delhi, the Members of Management Committee, EEI and the faculty of EEI  based on the current  needs of the client states. The deliberations lead to the finalization of training areas and calendar for the consecutive year with necessary  suggestions from the delegates  representing client states and departments.

Organization of Regional Workshop on Training Need Assessment

A 2 day Regional Workshop on “Training Need Assessment of Client States” was held at EEI, Hyderabad on 21^st and 22^nd January, 2020. Twenty three (23) Delegates from Southern Indian States took part in the programme.

The main purpose of the workshop is to assess the training needs of development sectors of different states through brain storming and group discussion techniques for finalization of Annual Training Calendar of EEI for the year 2020-21. Programme began with lighting of the lamp followed by a  brief presentation of EEI activities during the year. Dr. V. Sudha Rani, Director, EEI. Director has emphasized the new initiatives, started during the year viz., digital evaluation of   training prgrammes, virtual training sessions during On-Campus programmes and use of digital feedback mechanisms Dr. D. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, Director of Extension, PJTSAU and the Chief guest urged all the members to take part  actively in all the sessions and come up with realistic training needs and the gaps considering the training programmes to be proposed for the year 2020-21 and it would be relevant to the present agriculture  scenario only when actual training needs  are assessed. Dr. M. A. Kareem from Deputy Director, MANAGE suggested a shift in orientation of the training towards Marketing, Value chain, FPO’s rather than simply on communication and management aspects.

A guest lecture by Dr. B. D. Traipathi, Former Director (HRD), MANAGE was held on “Strengthening of SAMETI’s: Issues & Challenges”. A comprehensive note of SAMETI’s functioning, issues & challenges since SAMETI’s inception were presented followed by the need and role of SAMETI’s in present agriculture scenario in the country followed by suggestions to strengthen SAMETI’s. The guest lecture was followed by a brain storming session wherein all the members were asked to give issues and challenges they are facing and recommendations to overcome them by strengthening of SAMETIs.

From the afternoon session the training need assessment was initiated with a guest lecture by Dr. S. Venku Reddy, President, PRDIS on “Capacity building for extension professionals in present scenario” to give the members a broad and comprehensive understanding of present issues and challenges for the doubling the farmers income and making the agriculture remunerative. As a senior extension expert Dr. Venku Reddy felt that there is a need for EEI to expand its client base by having 20 participants from Agri. and allied departments and ten more from other stakeholders of Agril. development viz. FPOs, input agencies agriprenurs, electronic media, agribusiness people and NGO’s etc., He also suggested EEI, Hyderabad to consider the new areas along with its flagship programmes to address Sustainable Agri. Development goals viz. Dynamic agriculture, nutritional sensitive Agri., for chemical free Agri,. organic farming, family farming for small holdings and emotional intelligence. A focused group discussion by forming sector wise groups of members  was held where in participants were asked to  thoroughly deliberate on problems/challenges of their sector, training gaps and delinate training needs by distributing the structured proforma and  members deliberated thoroughly for three hours and arrived at training areas that need to be considered for On and Off-Campus  programmes for next year.  At this  juncture all the members felt that EEI, Hyderabad should conduct “Sector specific On-Campus programmes also so as to build capacities of officers effectively and efficiently”.

During the second day of the workshop the members presented the training areas with tentative months for organising of On & Off-Campus programmes by EEI for their department middle level officers. All the departments expressed that as during their department induction training programmes for their new recruties only administrative and technical aspects are covered. As Managerial / Communication / Extension Management Oriented aspects are not the part of their induction training programmes, the members felt that EEI to come up with a module on these aspects and conduct induction programme for the new recruits in future on consultancy basis.  Dr. I. Sreenivasa Rao, Professor, Univ. Head and Training In-Charge in the afternoon session presented  the overall issues, challenges and training areas to be considered in the forth coming proposal of training calendar 2020-21. During valedictory session Dr. V. Sudha Rani, Director, EEI, congratulated all the delegates for their meticulous and systematic deliberations  and suggestions in delinating not only training needs and areas  but also ways to address certain operational issues and problems in organizing Off-Campus programmes in laggard states and UT’s and also On-Campus training programmes. The programme was concluded with formal vote of thanks proposed by Dr. S. Chandra Shekar, Professor, EEI.