Education is a powerful and pervasive agent of change. Education is a process of empowerment through imparting of knowledge, skills and values to the individual; and an instrument of social change by providing opportunities for upward mobility for social and economic changes. Thus, it should be visualized as an instrument for the social progress and development. The study of science and its applications in physical, biological and social systems has become the major components of the education system. Agricultural education in its broadest sense covers all human endeavours in the acquisition, transmission and application of knowledge of the better means and understanding of the processes which lead to the scientific farming. Distance education in agriculture is gaining momentum to cater to the needs of the vast majority of the farmers and other rural people who constitute about 75 per cent of the total population in India. The socio economic, cultural and locational constraints have made the distance education approach to Transfer of Technology more relevant and appropriate to enhance the 1. Dean (Agriculture), 2. Professor (Agricultural Extension) and 3. Associate Professor (Agricultural Economics), Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. agricultural production and income at farm level and to promote employment opportunities both on-farm and off-farm. The various distance education programmes offered by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University are Farm School on Radio, Correspondence courses, dissemination of techniques and technologies through audio and video cassette lessons and television. The programmes largely benefit the farmers, rural youth, women, extension workers and Non-Governmental organisations. The lessons are continuously improved and modified on the basis of constant feed back on quality, relevance and utility of the programmes offered. Considering the extensive reach and popularity of these programmes, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University is planning to introduce; (i) Tele-school Programmes in television and (ii) Diploma courses in Agriculture and allied sciences through correspondence. The feed back analysis of the programme revealed that these programmes have considerably influenced the farming community in terms of scientific technology transfer which in turn improved the income per farming family and also the quality of life style. |