Odisha Rolls Out Krushi Unnata Sahayogi Internship Across 314 Blocks

Bhubaneswar: As many as 964 final-year agriculture and horticulture students will work alongside field-level extension staff across Odisha over the next three months under the state government’s Krushi Unnata Sahayogi internship programme.

Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture, Farmers’ Empowerment and Energy Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo inaugurated the programme at a ceremony held at the Krushi Shiksha Sadan Conference Hall of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT).

Originally initiated in 2023, the expanded programme is being implemented across all 314 blocks in 30 districts from October to December, coinciding with the Kharif season. Around two to three student associates, called ‘Sahayogis’, will be deployed in each block.

The students will work with Gram Panchayat-level extension staff from Monday to Friday, between 10 am and 5 pm. Their responsibilities will include monitoring pests and crop diseases using digital platforms such as e-Pest and the National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS).

Each student will also conduct qualitative surveys of 100 farmers and carry out five semi-physical Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) to assess crop yields. As part of their field engagement, they will visit local agricultural input dealers, one Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO), two Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and two Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) or Large-sized Adivasi Multipurpose Societies (LAMPS).

The visits will focus on creating awareness about government schemes and mobile applications, while documenting farmers’ challenges, success stories and feedback. The initiative aims to connect academic agricultural education with field-level extension services and provide students with practical experience.

Student activities and performance will be tracked through the KUS App and monitored on the ADAPT Dashboard. Block Agriculture Officers and Assistant Agriculture Officers will conduct weekly reviews.

Students who successfully complete the three-month internship will receive a stipend of ₹21,000 and a completion certificate from the respective Chief District Agriculture Officer (CDAO).

Singh Deo said the initiative would help build a strong agricultural extension network while giving students valuable field experience. He added that five top-performing students would eventually share their field insights publicly.

The programme launch was attended by Commissioner-cum-Secretary Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, OUAT Vice-Chancellor Prof. Prabhat Kumar Roul, Director of Agriculture Subham Saxena, Director of Horticulture Kalunge Gorakh Waman, SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda and the Deputy Chief Minister’s Private Secretary Dr. Ganeswar Jena, among others.