Minimum Educational Qualifications for ARS & Syllabus for ARS & NET Exams

Qualifications for Agricultural Extension

Master’s degree in Agricultural Extension/ Veterinary
Extension/ Dairy Extension/ Fisheries Extension/ Home
Science Extension/ Agriculture Communication / Agricultural
Extension Education / Agricultural Extension and
Communication/ Extension Education/ Veterinary and
Animal Husbandry Extension/ Community Science extension
with specialisation in agriculture

Syllabus for Agricultural Extension

48. AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
    Unit 1: Fundamentals of Extension Educationand Communication
    Extension Education and Advisory Services- concept, principles and approaches. Similarities
    and dissimilarities among extension education, adult education and continuing/distance
    education. . Historical and emerging perspectives of agricultural, veterinary, animal
    husbandry and fisheries extension education in India and other countries. Community
    Development and Integrated Rural Development Programmes-concept, principles and
    objectives. Role of agricultural extension in different sectors of agriculture and rural
    development.
    National Agricultural Extension System and Reforms; Public extension systems – ATMA
    and KVK; National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology; Private extension
    system;, Pluralism in extension;Research-Extension-Farmer Interface- Farming System
    Research & Extension; Agricultural Knowledge and Information system (AKIS); Farmers
    Field School, Participatory approaches, participatory technology development; Technology
    assessment and refinement. Programmes and schemes for agriculture, animal husbandry,
    dairy, fisheries, and Rural Development implemented by Govt. of India; Impact analysis of
    extension programmes.
    Concept, elements and models of communication; Credibility, fidelity, empathy and
    feedback in communication; Problems and barriers in communication; distortion and noise in
    communication. Group and mass communication, Interpersonal and Intrapersonal
    communication , Social networks in communication. Art & Science of Public Speaking
    Human behavioural dimensions in extension education – perception, attitude and emotions.
    Factors affecting attitude change. Theories of personality and motivation.
    Understanding of basic rural institutions, social structure, culture and norms. Social and
    technological change processes, group dynamics, concepts and theories of rural leadership.
    Unit 2: Extension Methods & Agricultural Journalism
    Concepts of Andragogy and pedagogy; Human behavioural dimensions in extension-
    Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism; Factors influencing human behaviour. Types of
    learning; domains of learning-cognitive, affective and psychomotor. Learning theories;
    Experiential learning; Concepts and elements of teaching and learning processes. Principles of
    learning; Edgar Dale’s Cone of Experience. Classification and features of different
    extension methods; Selection, planning and use of Extension methods like demonstration,
    exhibition, farmers fairs, field days, tours, extension literature, etc. Preparation and
    presentation of different projected and non-projected audio-visual aids.
    Basics of agricultural journalism; types of publications-bulletins. folders, leaflets, booklets,
    newsletters, popular and scientific articles; basics of writing, readability- and its indices
    Principles of Visual Design, Fundamentals of layout and design, Preparation of radio/video
    script. Principles of photography and its use in extension, Traditional media for
    communication in development programmes.
    Unit 3: Information Communication Technologies
    Concept of ICT and its role in agriculture and rural development. ICT tools-print and
    electronic media, community/ Internet radio, e-mail, Internet, use of multimedia, use of
    mobile Apps, video and teleconferencing, computer-assisted instructions, touch screens,
    micro-computers, web technologies and information kiosks. Social media- features and applications; Websites, portals, Expert system, Decision Support Systems (DSSs) and Apps
49. related to agriculture, dairy, veterinary, fishery, and marketing, etc. m-Learning, e-learning;
50. e-Learning platforms – MOOCs, OER, etc. Digital agriculture- applications of Artificial
51. Intelligence (AI), IoT, GIS, GPS, Block Chain Technology; Big data analytics in
52. extension.Market Intelligence and Information Systems in Agriculture-
53. Networking system of information and challenges in the use of ICT. Types of network -PAN,
54. LAN, WAN, Human Computer Interactions-Meaning; Theories of multimedia learning –
55. Sweller’s cognitive load theory, Mayer’s cognitive theory of multimedia learning, Schnotz’s
56. integrative model of text and picture comprehension, van Merriënboer’s four-component
57. instructional design model for multimedia learning; Basic Principles of Multimedia Learning.
58. Evaluation, Consumer oriented evaluation, Expertise Oriented Evaluation, Adversary
59. Oriented Evaluation, Naturalistic and Principal oriented evaluation, Goal free evaluation and
60. meta evaluation. Levels of Bennett’s hierarchy. Evaluation models- Logic model,
61. Kirkpatrick’s model, Stufflebeam’s model. Programme management techniques; SWOT
62. analysis, Bar Charts, Programme Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), Critical Path
63. Method (CPM), differences between PERT and CPM, advantages and disadvantages.
64. Defining impact and impact assessment; impact assessment Vs impact evaluation. Social
65. Impact Assessment –stages and approaches; Theories of change; Criteria and indicators.
66. Quantitative and qualitative techniques for impact assessment;
67. Unit 7: Extension Management and Organizational behaviour
68. Concept and principles of administration and management, classical and modern theories,
69. schools of management thought. Functions of management -planning, organizing, staffing,
70. directing and leading, controlling, coordinating, reporting and budgeting. Leadership styles
71. and theories. Decision-making in organization. Organizational effectiveness, organizational
72. climate, organizational development, job satisfaction and morale. Time management.
73. Performance appraisal. Coordination at different levels of extension management, methods of
74. coordination. Management by Objective (MBO) and Total Quality Management (TQM).
75. Project Management Techniques.
76. Power and Conflicts in Organizations. Organizational Communication-Concepts, Channels.
77. Organizational climate, Organizational Culture vs. Climate; Characteristics of Organizational
78. Culture, Creating and Maintaining Organizational Culture. Organizational Change,
79. Individual and group behaviour in organization.; Team building process; Problem
80. Solving Techniques, & Negotiation., Motivational Theories & Techniques, Work
81. motivation; Transactional analysis. Managing Stress, conflict and Emotions. Creativity-
82. concept and process. Interventions for organizational development- Interpersonal
83. interventions, Team Interventions, Structural Interventions, Comprehensive Interventions, .
84. Mobilization and empowerment skills: concept and strategies in mobilization, concretisation
85. and empowerment of rural people.
86. Unit 8: Entrepreneurial Development
87. Entrepreneurship- concepts, traits, and theories; Entrepreneurial Characteristics and
88. Motives; Entrepreneurial competencies. Entrepreneurial motivation- need for power;
89. achievement, affiliation and autonomy;Achievement Motivation Syndrome; Simulation
90. games and exercises for developing entrepreneurial competencies – risk taking, self-
91. efficacy, creativity, achievement planning, influencing process, problem solving.
92. Entrepreneurship development cycle; Entrepreneurial environment- internal and external
93. factors influencing emergence of entrepreneurship; barriers to entrepreneurship; Women
94. Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship
95. .Programmes and agencies promoting entrepreneurship. Types and techniques of training for
96. developing entrepreneurial activities in various areas. Agripreneurship-agri-clinics and
97. agribusiness centers. Micro Finance, Start-ups, SHGs, FPO, Cooperatives.
98. Unit 9: Agricultural Innovation System and extension approaches
99. Innovation- concepts and attributes; Innovation generation process. Role of extension in
100. Agricultural Innovation System, Role of enabling environment- policies and institutions,
101. Innovation Platforms; Role of innovation brokers, Scaling Up Knowledge for Innovation.
102. Identification, characterization, documentation, validation and upscaling of ITKs and
103. grassroots innovations.
104. Diffusion of Innovations- concept, elements, models, and theories. Innovation development
105. process (technology generation and promotion). Adoption- concept, process, models, adopter
106. categories and their characteristics. Factors influencing adoption; diffusion network-opinion
107. leadership, models of communication flows; communication network analysis and theories.
108. Change agents. Concept and stages of Innovation-decision process. Consequences of
109. innovations.
110. New approaches and domains of extension – demand-driven extension, market-led
111. extension (value chain extension), farmers-led extension, group-led extension, public-
112. private partnership based extension system. Participatory Approaches for technology
113. development and application. Engagement of voluntary and farmers’ organizations in
114. extension. Gender sensitive extension. Privatization of extension. Roles and approaches of
115. extension for enhancing capacity of communities for climate change adaptation; nutri-
116. sensitive agriculture, agri-preneurship, agri-tourism, and urban and peri-urban agriculture.
117. Extension and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Stakeholders’ analysis, linkages and
118. strategic partnerships. Sustainable rural livelihood- sustainable livelihood approaches
119. (SLAs).
120. Unit 10: Gender Sensitization and Empowerment
121. Concepts of Gender- gender roles, gender equality, gender equity; gender relations, gender
122. balance, gender bias, gender blindness, gender needs- practical and strategic, issues in
123. agriculture and extension. Gender mainstreaming- approaches and methods; Gender analysis
124. framework and tools; Gender empowerment measures; Dimensions and methodologies for
125. empowerment; gender impact assessment; gender budgeting; gender specific technologies;
126. gender dimensions in food and nutritional security. Women’s empowerment-principles,
127. framework and dimensions. Strategies and barriers for women empowerment; empowerment
128. through SHG, financial inclusion, micro-finance, internet and education. Women
129. entrepreneurship; Public-Private Partnership for the economic empowerment of women;
130. Building rural institution for women empowerment; Digital Women rights, Constitutional
131. provisions. Global and National policies and mission for empowerment of women.
132. Government programmes and schemes for women.