Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, June 8: The ongoing Kisan Sampark Abhiyan has successfully reached out to more than 2 lakh farmers in Jammu and Kashmir with just seven rounds completed so far. The program, which aims to empower farmers and promote pragmatic initiatives in the agriculture sector, has garnered significant attention and participation from farmers across the region. The UT of J&K is witnessing a pivotal moment in its agricultural history through two major initiatives - DAKSH KISAN and KISAN SATHI. DAKSH KISAN is a unique online hybrid skilling program designed exclusively for the farming community. With over 27,000 registered farmers and around 8,000 enrolled in skilling courses of their choice, DAKSH KISAN is making a significant impact. Additionally, approximately 2,000 farmers have already progressed to the advanced level of completion in the online skilling courses. DAKSH KISAN serves as a Learning Management System (LMS) for skill development, offering 121 skilling courses tailored to the agro-climatic zones of J&K UT. Farmers can easily register for free and choose their desired skilling course through the DAKSH KISAN Portal by scanning the QR code provided during the Kisan Sampark Abhiyan. The LMS provides video lectures in Kashmiri, Urdu, Dogri, and Hindi, with textual material available in Hindi, Urdu, and English. Specialized modules on business development and financial management are included to equip farmers with entrepreneurial skills. Upon completion of the online courses, farmers will receive practical hands-on training at Krishi Vigyan Kendras in their respective districts for 5-7 days. Certificates will be awarded by SKUAST J/K upon successful completion of the skilling course. KISAN SATHI, the IT Dashboard for schemes under HADP, has also garnered significant interest from farmers. By scanning the QR codes on the provided pamphlets, farmers can easily register on the KISAN SATHI Portal without the need to visit any office for scheme applications. So far, 5,735 farmers have registered on the KISAN SATHI PORTAL, with over 3,000 online applications received under various schemes. Eleven applications have already been approved, while the rest are in various stages of processing. Concurrently with the Kisan Sampark Abhiyan, a baseline survey and skill gap study of farmers are being conducted. Using IT tools, data from approximately 1.92 lakh farmers has been captured. AI-based baseline analytical tools are being employed to assess the state of agriculture in the UT, aiding planners in devising suitable interventions for holistic agricultural development. The success of these initiatives is attributed to the extensive outreach of the Kisan Sampark Abhiyan, which was launched on April 24, 2023. It has covered a total of 1,873 panchayats across all districts of the Union Territory. Orientation programs are being held simultaneously in all districts, with trained officers and officials from various departments delivering informative sessions. Short films showcasing different schemes and programs have been incorporated as an innovative tool to enhance understanding. A total of 49 scheme-related videos will be presented to farmers at various venues across J&K. |
