Role of Emerging Technology and Extension Programme in Sustainable Agricultural Development

The population of India has already crossed 1.21 billion and still increasing, putting a great pressure on the food production of India. It is an acceptable fact that India achieved a marvelous success in increasing food production from 51 million ton in 1951-52 to 259 million ton food grains but still India continues in the "Alarming" category of countries by severity of hunger. This poses a great challenge.1 Even today, Agriculture continues to hold main key to country's GDP, food security, employment and income generation. Over a period of time, agriculture is undergoing a change towards high value crops, seed varieties, use of chemical inputs and cultivation practices.These external inputs have substituted natural processes and resources, rendering them less effective. The main challenge towards achieving sustainable agriculture is to make optimum use of internal resources. Science, Technology and Extension can play a vital role in achieving technological empowerment and sustainable livelihood at the grass root level, which is very much essential for nation's development. Advances in instructional and educational technology have transformed educational system as a whole and agriculture is not an exception. The Extension programmes help to expand or extend the work of universities beyond campuses and into neighboring communities. American Congress created the extension system nearly a century ago to address exclusively rural agricultural issues.With the use of innovative educational methodology of case studies, project work and self-education aids, teaching and learning process has become interesting and inspiring. Thus, process of teaching and learning is undergoing a sea change with increased use of ICT's. With Globalization, it is need to transform Indian Agriculture into a profitable enterprise, with increasing productivity per unit of land area, increase farm efficiency, optimizing use of resources, and maintain sustainability and consistency in production. ICAR and Agricultural Universities are playing a catalytic role in spreading Agri-education in the country.