eChapters

Introduction

SWOC analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges involved in a project or in a business venture. It involves specifying the objective of the business venture or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieve that objective. A SWOC analysis must first start with defining a desired end state or objective. A SWOC analysis may be incorporated into the strategic planning model.

• Strengths: characteristics of the business or team that give it an advantage over others in the industry.

• Weaknesses: are characteristics that place the firm at a disadvantage relative to others.

• Opportunities: external chances to make greater sales or profits in the environment.

• Challenges: external elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business.

Introduction

Computerization in education is perpetual need of today. Computers store large quantum of data that can be retrieved and used wherever necessary. They can also be used as an interactive media in transfer of technology system, which aids farmers and extension workers to access in formation of their need and to communicate with each other. Positive advantages in web education over distance learning process are that farming community can access it from any part of the world. Web education has also the added advantage of updating its data base on weather conditions, market situation in hourly basis which is not possible distance education as the process need a long time with regard to the availability of human resource and static course material to be developed for a particular time frame. The distance learning process being conventional in nature and also in place for quite a long years has abundance of resources and infra structural facilities however in web education, the professional resources are less in number and still arm journalism is yet to gain popularity among them. So web based interactive knowledge network system in transfer of technology is a present need which has to be addressed with due attention to improve the quality of existing communication system.

Introduction

The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers. The history of women in India has been eventful. In modern India, women have adored high offices in India including that of the President, Prime Minister, Speaker of Lok Sabha, leaders of opposition etc. The incumbent president of India is a woman but the same vast majority of the women suffer from the great discrimination and even the basic human rights are denied to them.

INTRODUCTION

Natural resources are the untamed natural essence of the environment which contain a significant amount of material as well as aesthetic values. Natural resources are broadly categorized into renewable, flow and non-renewable sources. While renewable natural resources primarily involve living sources such as forests, crops fish, reindeer, coffee, etc. and non-living sources like water and soil. Natural resource management refers to the management of natural resources such as land, water, soil, plants and animals, with a particular focus on how management affects the quality of life for both present and future generations. Natural resource management is congruent with the concept of sustainable development. It is a scientific principle that forms a basis for sustainable global land management and environmental governance to conserve and preserve natural resources (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 2009). Though forest, water, agriculture land and crops, minerals, livestocks and many more constitute natural resources in India but forest represents the second-largest land use in India after agriculture, covering about 641,130 square kilometers, or 22 percent of the total land base (FAO 2005). Forestry is the second largest land use after agriculture and accounts for about 1.5 % of the nation’s GDP (World Bank, 2006) in India. On one hand, forests support the livelihood of the poor, especially the tribals, and on the other hand, it is remarkable to see that the poorest people of our country live in the rich forest and natural resource base (Narain, 2008).

Introduction

The business models, in general are based on traditional ways of strategy formulation and implementation, leading to incremental and non- disruptive change in the nature of business and agri-industry practices. In today’s knowledge environment, we know that agri-businesses cannot survive by just running harder, but rather by running differently and “smarter” than competitors. (Seven et.al, 2005). This article suggests a sense-testing tool for the extensionists and administrators to enable disruptive innovation of extension-led business models through examples and case evidence.

Business is fundamentally concerned with creating value and capturing returns from that value. The term creating and capturing value reflects two fundamental functions that all extension organizations must perform to remain viable over an extended period of time. Successful extension organizations (SEOs) create substantial value by doing things in ways that differentiate them from the competition. The SEOs might develop core competencies, capabilities, and positional advantages that are different from those of competitors.

INTRODUCTION

Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) also known as Agricultural Science Centres are the integral component of the National Agricultural Research System, which aims for development and promotion of location specific technology modules in agriculture and its allied enterprises, through Technology Assessment, Refinement and Demonstrations. At present there are 585 KVKs in the country grouped under eight zones and 77 in Zone VIII comprising of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Puducherry and Lakshdweep.

The major mandate of the KVKs includes Technology Assessment and Refinement through on Farm testing, popularization of technologies through Frontline Demonstrations to prove their production potentials in the farmers’ field. Conducting skill oriented training programmes to farmers and farm women, rural youths and extension personnel mostly focussing the technologies assessed/refined or demonstrated, conducting vocational training programmes for rural youth, popularization of technologies through various extension programmes so as to reach the masses, production and supply of good quality seeds, planting materials and other bio-products to the farming community.

The Context

A series of interventions initiated in mid-1960s that led to the green revolution in cereal production transformed the country from a situation of food def iciency to self sufficiency. The green revolution was however, restricted to productivity improvements in cereals especially wheat and rice in the initial decades, primarily grown in irrigated regions. In subsequent decades, productivity increased in other crops, namely oilseeds, sugarcane, cotton, fruits and vegetables. The Green Revolution generally by passed India’s vast rain fed tracts, especially arid zones, hill and mountain ecosystems and coastal regions, thus exacerbating agro-ecological and economic disparities. Although self sufficiency was attained in food grain production, potential of different crop varieties are yet to be attained. The main features of the green revolution were:

• exclusive focus on food grains

• intensive use of water, fertilizer and pesticides to maximize yields from High Yielding Varieties (HYVs)

• practically no focus on sustainability issues

• benefited the resource-rich and large farmers and

• dependent on few technological options focusing on hybrids, changes in plant architecture.