Extension Management has exhibited constant radical changes over the decades all over the world. This has been due to the increased concern for responsive planning to meet the emerging challenges. The evolutionary transformation of extension systems has also reflected in varied forms of extension policy frameworks. Birth of alternate ways of organizing extension efforts have been embedded in every phase of transition. In India, the introduction of the globalization and liberalization processes paved way for making significant improvements in Extension Management activities.
Across the globe, developed and developing nations experience greater quantum of planned interventions in extension management efforts and designs. In the present day context of “Information Age” and “New Professionalism”, programme delivery and implementation of various extension initiatives need a closer and critical scrutiny for refinement and reframing. This approach would help in fine tuning appropriate strategic interfaces in extension management mechanisms.
The earlier extension reforms were more of bureaucratic in nature and their evaluation was also passive rather than critical and prescriptive. The technology management package of yesteryears always excluded extension components. Of late, besides technological inputs, extension management is also being considered as another critical input in technology delivery systems, to induce visible impact in the farm sector.
The 50s, 60s and 70s marked the beginning of public extension efforts such as CDP, NES, IAAP, IADP, etc. Further, the implementation of T & V system in 80s dramatically changed the scenario through the introduction of major structural and functional reforms in the country's extension service. This was followed by the Broad Based Extension System (BBES), and the decade 2000 witnessed the induction of ATMA model of extension in majority of the Indian districts. These successive reforms brought many amendments and one of the notable impacts was in approaching the farmers as groups, such as Farmers Interest Groups (FIGs) and Commodity Groups (CGs).
