Translate
🏗️ Important Extension Projects
Comprehensive table of 37 important agricultural extension projects and rural development programmes with year, name, and key remarks for IBPS AFO exam.
Important Extension Projects — Quick Reference Table
This comprehensive table covers all major extension and rural development projects that have shaped Indian agriculture. This is one of the most frequently tested topics in AFO, SO, and other agricultural competitive exams.
TIP
Exam Strategy: Memorize the year + person/place associated with each project. Questions typically ask "When was X started?" or "Who started Y?"
| S.No. | Project | Year | Key Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sriniketan Project | 1914 | Started by Rabindranath Tagore in West Bengal |
| 2 | Gurgaon Project | 1920 | Started by F.L. Brayne; Concept: Village Guide |
| 3 | Shantiniketan | — | Initially started in villages of West Bengal by M.D. Tagore |
| 4 | Rural Reconstruction Scheme | 1903 | By Daniel Hamilton |
| 5 | Marthandam Project | 1921 | Started in Kerala by Dr. Spencer Hatch |
| 6 | Sarvodaya Movement | 1948-49 | Gandhian concept; evoked great enthusiasm in Bombay |
| 7 | Etawah Pilot Project | 1948 | By Mr. Albert Mayer of USA; at village Mahewa in UP |
| 8 | Indian Village Service | 1945 | A.T. Mosher of New York & B.N. Gupta; also attributed to Dr. W.H. Wisher |
| 9 | Sewagram (Wardha) | 1920 | By Mahatma Gandhi |
| 10 | Nilokheri Project | 1948 | Under leadership of S.K. Dey; launched 'Mazdoor Manzil' for township construction |
| 11 | Firka Development | 1946 | By T. Prakashan |
| 12 | Community Development Programme (CDP) | 2 Oct. 1952 | Landmark nationwide programme |
| 13 | National Extension Service (NES) | 2 Oct. 1953 | Follow-up to CDP |
| 14 | Model Village | 1903 | By Hamilton |
| 15 | IADP (Intensive Agricultural District Programme) | 1960 | Also known as "Package Programme" |
| 16 | IAAP (Intensive Agricultural Area Programme) | 1964 | Revised version of IADP; covered selected blocks of 150 districts; 20-25% cultivated area brought under intensive development |
| 17 | ICDP (Intensive Cattle Development Project) | 1963-64 | Focused on cattle development |
| 18 | Panchayat Raj System | Oct 2, 1959 | Suggested by Balwant Rai Mehta Committee; first started at Nagaur, Rajasthan |
| 19 | HYVP (High Yielding Variety Programme) | 1966 | Helped attain self-sufficiency in food |
| 20 | DPAP (Drought Prone Area Programme) | 1973-74 | Watershed development focus |
| 21 | T&V (Training & Visit System) | 1974 | By Daniel Benor; success measured by production increase |
| 22 | IRDP (Integrated Rural Development Programme) | 1978 | Funded 50:50 by centre and states |
| 23 | Lab to Land Programme | 1979 | Worker: ICAR; for small/marginal farmers & landless labourers |
| 24 | TRYSEM | 1979 | Training of Rural Youth for Self-Employment; age 18-35 years |
| 25 | NREP (National Rural Employment Program) | 1980 | Increase rural employment opportunities |
| 26 | DWCRA | 1982 | Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas |
| 27 | NAEP (National Agricultural Extension Project) | 1983 | National level extension |
| 28 | TMO (Technology Mission on Oilseed) | 1980 | Oilseed production focus |
| 29 | JRY (Jawahar Rozgar Yojana) | 1989 | Employment for unemployed rural youth |
| 30 | SGSY (Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana) | 1999 | Replaced IRDP, TRYSEM, DWCRA, SITRA; effective from 1st April 1999 |
| 31 | PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) | 2000 | To connect all villages with pucca roads |
| 32 | SGRY (Sampoorna Gramin Rojgar Yojana) | 2001 | Employment and food security |
| 33 | NATP (National Agriculture Technology Project) | 1999 | With World Bank assistance; 28 districts, 7 states, 5 years (1998-2003) |
| 34 | NAIP (National Agricultural Innovation Project) | 2006 | Agricultural innovation focus |
| 35 | NREGA/MNREGA | 2006 | Renamed MNREGA on 2 Oct. 2009 |
| 36 | NHM (National Horticulture Mission) | 2005-06 | Horticulture development |
| 37 | NFSM (National Food Security Mission) | 2007 | Food security focus |
IMPORTANT
🔐
Pro Content Locked
Upgrade to Pro to access this lesson and all other premium content.
Most Popular
67% OFF
₹599/mo original price
₹ 199 /month
₹2,388 billed annually · Cancel anytime
You save ₹4,800/year vs original price
🔒 Secure via Razorpay · No hidden fees
Everything in one plan
- All Agriculture & Banking Courses
- Unlimited AI-Powered Lesson Tests
- Audio Lessons — Hindi & English
- Interactive Infographics & Mind Maps
- Spaced Repetition Recall (FSRS)
- Glows & Grows AI Study Feedback
- 22 Indian Language Translation
- Pomodoro Focus Timer & Planner
- XP Points, Levels & Leaderboard
- Achievement Badges & Milestones
- Daily Streaks & Smart Reminders
- Memory Health Dashboard
- Instant Search Across All Content
- Live Telegram Feed Mirror
- Mock Tests & Previous Year Papers
- IBPS · NABARD · ICAR · ASRB · SBI · RRB
Cancel anytime · Secure payment via Razorpay · See our methodology
Important Extension Projects — Quick Reference Table
This comprehensive table covers all major extension and rural development projects that have shaped Indian agriculture. This is one of the most frequently tested topics in AFO, SO, and other agricultural competitive exams.
TIP
Exam Strategy: Memorize the year + person/place associated with each project. Questions typically ask "When was X started?" or "Who started Y?"
| S.No. | Project | Year | Key Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sriniketan Project | 1914 | Started by Rabindranath Tagore in West Bengal |
| 2 | Gurgaon Project | 1920 | Started by F.L. Brayne; Concept: Village Guide |
| 3 | Shantiniketan | — | Initially started in villages of West Bengal by M.D. Tagore |
| 4 | Rural Reconstruction Scheme | 1903 | By Daniel Hamilton |
| 5 | Marthandam Project | 1921 | Started in Kerala by Dr. Spencer Hatch |
| 6 | Sarvodaya Movement | 1948-49 | Gandhian concept; evoked great enthusiasm in Bombay |
| 7 | Etawah Pilot Project | 1948 | By Mr. Albert Mayer of USA; at village Mahewa in UP |
| 8 | Indian Village Service | 1945 | A.T. Mosher of New York & B.N. Gupta; also attributed to Dr. W.H. Wisher |
| 9 | Sewagram (Wardha) | 1920 | By Mahatma Gandhi |
| 10 | Nilokheri Project | 1948 | Under leadership of S.K. Dey; launched 'Mazdoor Manzil' for township construction |
| 11 | Firka Development | 1946 | By T. Prakashan |
| 12 | Community Development Programme (CDP) | 2 Oct. 1952 | Landmark nationwide programme |
| 13 | National Extension Service (NES) | 2 Oct. 1953 | Follow-up to CDP |
| 14 | Model Village | 1903 | By Hamilton |
| 15 | IADP (Intensive Agricultural District Programme) | 1960 | Also known as "Package Programme" |
| 16 | IAAP (Intensive Agricultural Area Programme) | 1964 | Revised version of IADP; covered selected blocks of 150 districts; 20-25% cultivated area brought under intensive development |
| 17 | ICDP (Intensive Cattle Development Project) | 1963-64 | Focused on cattle development |
| 18 | Panchayat Raj System | Oct 2, 1959 | Suggested by Balwant Rai Mehta Committee; first started at Nagaur, Rajasthan |
| 19 | HYVP (High Yielding Variety Programme) | 1966 | Helped attain self-sufficiency in food |
| 20 | DPAP (Drought Prone Area Programme) | 1973-74 | Watershed development focus |
| 21 | T&V (Training & Visit System) | 1974 | By Daniel Benor; success measured by production increase |
| 22 | IRDP (Integrated Rural Development Programme) | 1978 | Funded 50:50 by centre and states |
| 23 | Lab to Land Programme | 1979 | Worker: ICAR; for small/marginal farmers & landless labourers |
| 24 | TRYSEM | 1979 | Training of Rural Youth for Self-Employment; age 18-35 years |
| 25 | NREP (National Rural Employment Program) | 1980 | Increase rural employment opportunities |
| 26 | DWCRA | 1982 | Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas |
| 27 | NAEP (National Agricultural Extension Project) | 1983 | National level extension |
| 28 | TMO (Technology Mission on Oilseed) | 1980 | Oilseed production focus |
| 29 | JRY (Jawahar Rozgar Yojana) | 1989 | Employment for unemployed rural youth |
| 30 | SGSY (Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana) | 1999 | Replaced IRDP, TRYSEM, DWCRA, SITRA; effective from 1st April 1999 |
| 31 | PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana) | 2000 | To connect all villages with pucca roads |
| 32 | SGRY (Sampoorna Gramin Rojgar Yojana) | 2001 | Employment and food security |
| 33 | NATP (National Agriculture Technology Project) | 1999 | With World Bank assistance; 28 districts, 7 states, 5 years (1998-2003) |
| 34 | NAIP (National Agricultural Innovation Project) | 2006 | Agricultural innovation focus |
| 35 | NREGA/MNREGA | 2006 | Renamed MNREGA on 2 Oct. 2009 |
| 36 | NHM (National Horticulture Mission) | 2005-06 | Horticulture development |
| 37 | NFSM (National Food Security Mission) | 2007 | Food security focus |
IMPORTANT
SGSY is a merger question favourite: SGSY (1999) replaced and merged IRDP + TRYSEM + DWCRA + SITRA into a single holistic programme for self-employment and poverty alleviation.
TIP
Mnemonic for early projects (chronological): "S-G-R-M-S-I-E-F-N-C-N"
- Sriniketan (1914) → Gurgaon (1920) → Rural Reconstruction / Sewagram (1920) → Marthandam (1921) → Sarvodaya / Indian Village Service (1945-48) → Indian Village Service → Etawah (1948) → Firka (1946) → Nilokheri (1948) → CDP (1952) → NES (1953)
Key Facts for Quick Recall
- IADP = Package Programme (1960)
- IAAP = Revised IADP covering 150 district blocks (1964)
- During 3rd Five Year Plan, 30% increase in food grain production was achieved through IADP
- IRDP funding ratio = 50:50 (Centre:State)
- Lab to Land Programme was initiated with 75,000 farm families across the country
- LLP objective = improve economic condition of small & marginal farmers and landless agricultural labourers