Jammu Tawi: In a momentous achievement, the Directorate of Extension of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu (SKUAST-Jammu), has been honoured with the ‘Chal Baijayanti Puruskar' 2024 for being the Best Directorate of Zone-I. The prestigious award was conferred during the Annual Zonal Workshop of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), organized by ICAR-ATARI, Ludhiana at GADVASU on 18-20 September, 2024. The award was received by Dr. Amrish Vaid, Director Extension, SKUAST-Jammu, and the Directorate's success is attributed to the visionary leadership of Prof. B.N. Tripathi, Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu. Zone-I of ICAR-ATARI encompasses the states of Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
SKUAST-Jammu has made a significant mark by promoting e-extension initiatives. The university has developed and uploaded over 1014 videos and 10,000 pages of extension literature in Hindi and Dogri, covering 61 courses on the Daksh Kisan Portal, an online learning management system for J&K. This includes 164 practical demonstration videos, providing farmers with high-quality training and educational resources.
In addition, SKUAST-Jammu has demonstrated agri-drone technology across more than 300 hectares, including in red zone border areas, in collaboration with the BSF in the Jammu region. Furthermore, the Directorate has trained 312 Pashu Sakhis under the NDDB programme and 2183 extension functionaries under SAMETI-Jammu, significantly contributing to capacity building in the region.
During the same workshop, KVK Reasi was awarded the Best KVK of Jammu & Kashmir, with the award received by Dr. Banarsi Lal, Chief Scientist & Head, KVK Reasi. Additionally, Dr. Punit Choudhary, Chief Scientist & Head, KVK Jammu, received the Best Presentation Award for his exemplary contributions.
