Question

Training and Visit system for Extension services was started in which year?

• A. 1970
• B. 1979
• C. 1982
• D. 1992

Hint:

Training & Visit (T&V) System:
Designed by Daniel Benor, backed by the World Bank, and scaled up in India in 1979 to establish a disciplined, fortnightly schedule for agricultural extension.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The Training and Visit (T&V) system is a highly structured methodology for agricultural extension work, designed by Israeli extension expert Daniel Benor.
It was developed to replace loosely organized extension systems with a highly disciplined, systematic, and scheduled approach to transferring technology from research stations to farmers' fields.
The T&V system is characterized by a clear chain of command, regular training sessions for extension workers, and scheduled visits to contact farmers.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The T&V system was piloted in several countries during the early-to-mid 1970s.
In India, it was first tested in the Chambal Command Area of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in 1974 with World Bank assistance.
Following the success of these pilot projects, the Government of India, in collaboration with the World Bank, launched the T&V system on a large scale across many Indian states starting in 1979 (Option 2).
By 1979, the system was formally introduced as the reorganized national agricultural extension program, establishing a unified extension service within State Departments of Agriculture.
Under this system:
1. Village Level Workers (VLWs) received fortnightly training from Subject Matter Specialists (SMSs) on the specific, season-relevant crop recommendations.
2. Following their training, VLWs visited pre-selected contact farmers according to a fixed, bi-weekly schedule to demonstrate and transfer these practices.
3. Feedback from the farmers was then channeled back through the VLWs to the research stations to guide future research.
Although the T&V system was eventually phased out due to high operational costs and rigidity, its introduction in 1979 played a key role in boosting crop productivity during the post-Green Revolution era in India.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Therefore, the large-scale, reorganized Training and Visit (T&V) system for extension services was started in India in 1979.