Brief report on Digital Training Programme by EEI

Due to the present covid-19 pandemic scenario in India, it is not possible to organize conventional on and off campus training programmes at EEI. So as an alternate to the conventional method of trainings,EEI has proposed Digital on and off campus training programmes for the year 2020-21 after the oral approval from GoI.

In this regard TCSion (Software officials) was contacted who is already providing digital classroom platform to our university PJTSAU to design the online training template for EEI. The faculty and computer staff of the EEI were trained by the TCSion officials in conducting  online training programmes to the extension officials of client states in southern India. Hence in this connection an online training programme was planned on  Strategies for Market Led Extension amid COVID- Pandemic in Agriculture from 8^th – 11^th June, 2020 to the Officers of Department of Agriculture and Extension Scientists of PJTSAU, Telangana State by consulting commissioners of Agriculture and Director of Extension, PJTSAU to nominate the officials to the model training programme. Later to all nominated officials links were sent, to their mail ids to login to the TCSion site during the online training programme. And finally 28 officials were registered for the digital training programme of EEI through the online registration forms.

 A training schedule was prepared with the following objectives and course content:

Objectives: At the end of the Training the Participants will be able to

• To analyze the challenges and changing roles for Market Led Extension amid Covid-19 pandemic.
• To understand and reorient different stake holders of Supply/Value chain in present crisis situation.
• Be able to use Market intelligence, Strengthened Market Linkages.
• To get acquainted with Developmental programmes of Agriculture marketing by State and Central Governments.
• To develop and apply extension strategies for effective Market Led Extension in agriculture in Telangana State.

Course Content

Theory                                                                                                     

• Importance of Market Led Extension during Covid Pandemic
• Market Intelligence, Role of e-NAM
• Strengthening Market Linkages G-COT
• FPOs – Scope and opportunity for Market Led Extension
• Changing Role of Supply Chain amid COVID-19 Pandemic and its Management
• IT Enabled Marketing for Effective Market Led Extension (Agri Market, Future Market, Online Market, e- Procurement and its Challenges)
• Developmental Programmes of Agriculture Marketing by State and Central Government
• Alternative Crops to Rice for Market Led Extension in Telangana
• Nutrition Sensitive Agriculture as Market Led Extension Strategy

Practical

• Sharing of success of FPOs, stake holders of supply chain, e-Markets, Market linkages etc., in digital mode.
• Preparation and presentation of action plans by the participants

Methodology: followed for the training programme was all the presentations were planned by eminent speakers/experts with interactive sessions with the participants through digital platform and also planned interim group discussions along with individual assignments.

A day before the training programme digital platform links were sent to all the nominated participants to their mail ids to create username and passwords for logging into the TCSion site. Appropriate guest speakers were identified to the selected course content of the training programme by the course coordinators to convey their sessions digitally.

On the 1^st day of the training programme all the participants who logged into the site were given all the instructions regarding the training programme through digital platform and the registration and pre-evaluation formats were sent to them for submission through digital platform. After the completion of the registration process, an inaugural session was conducted through digital platform in which, The Director EEI along with the staff  interacted with the partcipants by giving suitable suggestions and also cleared their doubts regarding the digital training programme which was followed by training sessions according to the training schedule enclosed.

Training sessions were started after the lunch break, some of the speakers visited EEI to deliver the lectures where the complete setup of digital platform was made available to them and some of the speakers delivered their lectures virtually (online) directly to the trainees according to their convenience. Total 28 Extension officials had been participated in the training programme. And the training sessions for all the four days went well according to the planned training schedule with the interactive sessions between the speakers and participants. All the post evaluation forms were sent online to the participants and were  submitted by them through digital platform.

On the last day of the training programme a valedictory session was conducted by the course coordinators. The Director, EEI along with course coordinators participated in the valedictory session and took feedback regarding the first digital training programme organised at EEI by interacting with participants and the e-certificates were distributed to the participants who had 100% attendance to the digital training programme through digital platform. As the first   Digital training programme was successful it is decided by the EEI to conduct all the on and off campus training programmes through Digital platform until the end of this pandemic situation in our country.

Evaluation: Pre and Post Course evaluation and Training Need Assessment schedules of  the participants were  assessed  for the gain in knowledge and skill of the participants through digital training programme to assess the  effectiveness of the training and needs respectively. Hence in this regard Course coordinators report will be sent.