Bhubaneswar — October 2026: To bridge academic agricultural education with field-level extension services, the Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Empowerment, Government of Odisha, has officially launched its flagship internship initiative, the 'Krushi Unnata Sahayogi' program. Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Farmers' Empowerment, and Energy, Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, inaugurated the program during a special ceremony held at the Krushi Shiksha Sadan Conference Hall, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT). Originally initiated in 2023, this expanded program is now being implemented across all 314 blocks in 30 districts of Odisha from October through December, coinciding with the Kharif season. A total of 964 final-year undergraduate students specializing in Agriculture and Horticulture from various state agricultural universities have been selected as "Sahayogis" (Associates), with approximately two to three student associates deployed per block.
Operating field hours from Monday through Friday (10:00 AM to 5:00 PM), the associates will work alongside Gram Panchayat-level extension staff to conduct pest and crop disease monitoring using digital tools such as e-Pest and the National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS). As part of their practical scope, each student will execute qualitative surveys covering 100 farmers and conduct five semi-physical Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) to evaluate harvest yields. Additionally, the students will visit local input dealers, one Farmer Producer Organization (FPO), two Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and two Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) or Large-sized Adivasi Multipurpose Societies (LAMPS) to raise awareness about government schemes and mobile applications, while documenting farmer challenges, success stories, and feedback to strengthen the link between academic learning and grassroots extension.
Student activities and performance will be tracked digitally through the KUS App and monitored via the ADAPT Dashboard, with weekly reviews conducted by Block Agriculture Officers and Assistant Agriculture Officers. Upon successful completion of the three-month internship, students will receive a stipend of ₹21,000 along with a completion certificate issued by the respective Chief District Agriculture Officer (CDAO).
Highlighting the initiative's
impact, Deputy Chief Minister Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo emphasized that the initiative will build a robust agricultural extension network and offer invaluable practical experience, noting that five top-performing students will eventually share their field insights publicly. The event was attended by key dignitaries, including Commissioner-cum-Secretary Shri Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, OUAT Vice-Chancellor Prof. Prabhat Kumar Roul, Director of Agriculture Shri Subham Saxena, Director of Horticulture Shri Kalunge Gorakh Waman, SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, and Private Secretary to the Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Ganeswar Jena and others.
