Formulating RIGHT TO EXTENSION EDUCATION (ACT) needs MULTI-MINISTRY SUPPORT

Free trade world environment is rapidly exchanging technology between develop nations and developing nations. In India, besides its own increasing knowledge base, government and non-government research institution, universities and other professional bodies are also projecting increasing trend in technology assessment, refinement and development focusing primarily on industrial needs and community needs as the secondary issue. Though industrial technology are being diffused through various modes of training, communitys need based technology, although limited in numbers, are not being transferred to the community in effective manner. Therefore, the gap between technology-rich society and technology-poor society is rapidly widening. Communitys participation is feasible technology development process is also indicating discouraging level due to widening gap between tech-rich and techpoor. Here, the solution comes with discipline of extension education which has only aim of non-formally educating the disadvantage community about using the suitable and scientific technologies which is developed and available for them, for their socio-economic upliftment. Non-formally educating phrase, here, is based on the philosophy of helping the people to help themsaleves by educating them in non-formal manner of out of school education. Therefore, extension education should not be misunderstood with input distribution and welfare activities. Legan (1961)s definition, given below, is well

established narration of extension education and widely accepted till now without any modification: extension education is an applied science consisting of contents derived from researches, accumulated field experiences and relevant principles drawn from the behavioral sciences, synthesized with useful technology, in a body of philosophy, principles, contents and methods focused on the problems of out of school education for adults and youths. Although, the concept and philosophy, discipline and profession and theory and practices in the field of extension education have gone into a revolutionary changes in the last decades, almost all over the world, but Lagans definition still gives complete and clear picture of extension education. However, on the back drop of these scenario of changes and transformation there is a continuously growing demand and dialogue to further improve, design and expand the goal and means of extension specially in developing world. (Bhatnagar, 1985) Broadly, extension education in India has been synonymous with agriculture extension which includes specialization like crop production animal- husbandry, home science etc. (Mathur, 2008) Whereas, Kelsey and hearne (1955) did not view extension education as subject and area specific, they defined it as out of school education imparted to youth and adult with the philosophy of learningby-doing. Chauby and Rai (1983) investigated the above definition and agreed that subject-matters of extension education is not limited to agriculture and it also covers the rural as well as urban community as its clientele. Similarly, Swanson and Clarr (1984) clearify that extension can be successfully used by the different types of organizations to reach different groups of people with different messages. Extension is wider term as compared to rural extension or agriculture extension. It can be

used, for example, in case of rural health, family planning or community development. (Mishra, 1990) In fact, in recent past the break-through in technology development in various sectors such as industrial, market, health & nutrition, legal aid, e-governance, higher & technical education, etc. has also restructured the extension education as Technology Neutral i.e. extension education is not only agriculture extension. Emerging new Community friendly technologies by various development sectors have persuaded the professionals from extension education to redesign their extension approaches with the challenges of appropriate and sustainable technology selection and integrating it with existing subject matters. Analysis of the contents available on the World Wide Web (WWW) reveals that out of total Extension Education service provider 60 percent focused their efforts on Agriculture technologies followed by University extension (30%) whereas health, legal aid and small industry extension covers only 10 percent of total extension services in India. National Development Council (NDC) visualized 10 percent growth for Eleventh Five year Plan and agriculture sector has to contribute 4.1 % as against an existing contribution of only 1.7% (during 10th plan). Planning commission of India, through its Working Group on Agriculture Extension (2006) admitted the reforms in existing Agriculture Extension system to achieve the target of 4.1%. Recommendation were made in favour of upgrading extension system of Indian council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), Universities, NATP, at State level and ATMA at the level of district and below but the whole focuss was made on agriculture based technology needs of the farming community specially small, marginal, women farmers and disadvantaged group. Here, the big question is : Can predicted target of 4.1% from agriculture be achieved only by making farming community

Knowledgeable about agriculture innovations? What about their awareness and knowledge about health, nutrition, child education, housing, financial literacy, law and order and their rights as a farmer and as a citizen? Even, NKC (2006) when discussing the knowledge applications in agriculture emphasized the role of information and knowledge flow to farmers through extension services but NKC has been silent over the nature of knowledge and technology. Communitys sustainable and complete socio-economic development needs extension education system which must be reformed and broad-based by integrating other social, legal and market technologies with agriculture technologies or other main stream technologies. This dream can come true only when all the ministries and organizations focusing on communitys socio-economic development will establish Extension Education as its top-line organ. Understanding the value of extension education following are some of the lead organizations already providing extension services to the communityFood and Nutrition Board, in order to promote health of women and child, harnessed the advantages of Extension Education through implementing very innovative project i.e. Community Food and Nutrition Extension Units (CFNEUs) across the country by amalgamating it two earlier project viz. Mobile Extension Units (MEUs) and Food and Extension Nutrition Centers (FNECs) in 1992. Extension Education discipline has proved that its applied approaches are helpful in addressing the needs of differently-abled persons in the Country.

NIHH (1989) started outreach and extension services with its team of multi professionals to the hearing impaired living in rural as well as urban areas right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Anticipating the role of Extension Education NISIET was established in 1960 and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) recognized extension performance of NISIET under its Centers of Excellence scheme to extend aid in 1984. Chief Justice of Madras High Court announced that Annamalai University through its Extension Service System will sender necessary legal assistance to the needy by establishing a permanent Legal Aid Clinic. (The Hindu, 2003) When covering the universitys extension services, one should not over look extension work performed by Jamia Milia Islamia University. The university also stressed that the over-all aim of National Services Scheme (NSS) is also to give an extension to the higher education system and orient the student/youth to community services while they are studying in educational institutes. UGC (1977) first incorporated extension into its policy statement for higher education when it stated thatIf the university system has to discharge adequately its responsibilities to the entire education system and to the society as a whole it must assume extension as the third important responsibilities and give it the same states as teaching and research. This is new and externally significant area which should be developed on the high priority. But this High Priority has been limited to establishing adult, continuing education and extension & field outreach department in the universities. Extension work at glass root level with active community participation has been less visible. Similarly other stake holder of

community development did not streamline their extension approaches by ensuring communities active participation. Even in the first five year plan, National Extension Service (NES) was considered as largest agency for community development in rural India that covered the programs in different fields of development, notably in agriculture and allied activities, cooperation and land reform, village and small industries, rural electrification and social service such as health, education, housing and welfare programs for backward classes. It further broadens the domain of Extension Education disciplines (CDP, 1952). Among other, one important reason behind under-valuing extension education discipline is the personnel, handling the extension activities are either from pure science or from pure social science instead of from extension education discipline. Therefore, apex body is urgently needed to be formulated with multi-ministry support to regularize extension education in India. Through, TCS (2006) recommended the formulation of Nation Extension Council but such apex body, possibly, will not be able to coordinate with other development departments as TCS study was sponsored by only single ministry (Agriculture). National Development Council (NDC) / Planning Commission of India can lead in establishing such apex body by coordinating extension cells from all related development department/ministry as single entity, which may be called as- National Extension Education Council (NEEC). This kind of apex body can explore the opportunities of drafting right to extension education document by inviting suggestions from citizens of India and then seeking nod from parliament of country to pass it as act. This act will open the doors for disadvantaged citizen to equip themselves with scientifically proved new technologies helpful in their socio-economic upliftment in the era of global competitiveness.

This way, reducing the gap between technology-rich and technology-proves will create a conducive environment for the community to more forward with modern way of life. And, then we will say proudly that India is a democratize republic; a developed country; a republic not at cross-road but at central place in world. In above context we, too, should pay attention to wake-up-call given by the National Farmer Commission (NFC) regarding the overall development of farming community. Scripts from executive summary given by working group on Agriculture extension, planning commission to zero on extension is also significant: Over the last five decades, in the name of Agriculture and Rural developments, Extension has been pushed around. It has been put to serve some production oriented programs, Area Development Initiatives, Target Group Based Service Schemes, and, largely, as a technology delivery mechanism. However, it has hardly reserved, in any of these attempts, the simple purpose for which it is designed, namely, Helping people to help themselves by relating technologies to the needs and opportunities of farmers Extension should be treated as a services delivery mechanism and shall not be viewed a revenue generating program. Hence, principles governing business model of revenue generating program should not be made applicable for extension services

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