Himachal Pradesh: Scientist receives national award for excellence in extension education.

Himachal Pradesh: In a remarkable achievement, Dr. Alok Kumar, Head of the Social Sciences Division at ICAR–Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Shimla, was conferred with the Dr. G.S. Vidyarthi Memorial Award for Excellence in Farm Information Communication and Field Extension Services by the Indian Society of Extension Education (ISEE), New Delhi. The award was presented to him during the ISEE National Seminar on ‘Digital Technologies for Sustainable Food Systems and Atmanirbhar Bharat’ held in Goa. He was honored for his outstanding contributions and dedicated service in the field of extension education. Dr. Kumar, who currently heads the Social Sciences Division at ICAR–CPRI, Shimla, is a distinguished extension professional with significant contributions to research, teaching, and capacity building. He has held several important positions at various leading institutions, including ICAR–NAARM, Hyderabad; ICAR–NISA, Ranchi; Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (DRPCAU), Pusa; Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), Sabour; and the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Parwanoo, Himachal Pradesh.
With a strong academic background, including three Master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Extension, Dr. Kumar has made significant strides in the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in agriculture. He played a pivotal role in establishing the Electronic Media and Production Centre at BAU, Sabour, which led to the development of over 288 documentary films and numerous digital knowledge dissemination initiatives. This center was later upgraded by ICAR as a center for advanced faculty training in ICT in agriculture. Dr. Kumar has also contributed to important national initiatives related to Minimum Support Price (MSP) estimation for lac, impact assessment, and contract farming, and played a key role in establishing the Career and Faculty Development Centre under the World Bank-supported National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP). Throughout his career, he has organized approximately 700 capacity-building programs, including FOCARS, Management Development Programs (MDPs), Frontline Demonstrations (FLDs), and Kisan Melas.