Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Announces Measures to Strengthen KVKs Nationwide
23 October 2025, New Delhi: Last week, the Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, chaired a high-level meeting at Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi, to discuss strategies for strengthening Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) across the country. The meeting was attended by Agriculture Secretary Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, ICAR Director General Dr. M.L. Jat, and other senior officials.
India currently has 731 KVKs functioning as vital links between agricultural research and the farming community. Chouhan emphasised that while the expansion of the KVK network is ongoing, the immediate priority is to empower existing KVKs so they can serve small and marginal farmers more effectively.
He underlined that KVKs are the main channels for technology dissemination, farmer training, and adoption of innovations, and should play a stronger role in implementing government schemes and farmer welfare initiatives.
To enhance their performance, the Minister directed that KVKs be provided with adequate financial, technical, and human resource support. He also instructed the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to ensure greater uniformity in training, research-extension work, and entrepreneurship promotion across all KVKs.
The meeting also discussed key issues related to salaries, allowances, promotions, retirement age, and post-retirement benefits for KVK scientists and staff. Chouhan directed officials to coordinate with state governments, NITI Aayog, and the Ministry of Finance to develop a comprehensive policy addressing these matters.
He further suggested that KVKs should develop model centres promoting integrated and natural farming systems, which can serve as best-practice examples nationwide. He also stressed the importance of academic parity and timely promotions for KVK scientists based on their qualifications and contributions.
Chouhan concluded that empowering KVKs is central to improving farmer outreach, stating that every KVK must work towards ensuring agricultural innovation reaches smallholders and contributes to the sustainable growth of India’s agriculture sector.
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