Five-Week RAWE Programme for Students of Guru Kashi University, Punjab
(26-Nov-2025)
The ICAR–Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Idukki successfully conducted a five-week Rural Agricultural Work Experience (RAWE) Programme for eight undergraduate students from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Guru Kashi, Punjab in the leadership of Ms. Preethu K. Paul, SMS Agricultural Extension and RAWE coordinator. The programme aimed to provide hands-on exposure to real-life agricultural situations, farming systems, rural livelihoods, extension methodologies, and technology transfer mechanisms practiced in the unique high-range ecosystem of Idukki district. The students were oriented to the various developmental, research, training, and extension activities of KVK Idukki, including on-farm trials, frontline demonstrations, farmer training programmes, agri-entrepreneurship promotion initiatives, and the dissemination of climate-smart and location-specific agricultural practices. As part of the field immersion activities, the students undertook structured field visits to farming communities and institutions to understand the production constraints, resource utilization strategies, marketing channels, and technology adoption patterns in the region. One of the major exposure visits during the RAWE programme was to the High Range Dairy Cooperative Society, Sengulam, Idukki, which provided valuable insights into cooperative functioning and the organized dairy sector of the high-range region. Throughout the five-week programme, the students actively participated in field-based learning, case studies, report preparation, participatory data collection, and interaction with farming households. The programme enriched their understanding of location-specific agricultural challenges and provided valuable experience in grassroots extension activities. The RAWE programme concluded with presentations and feedback sessions, where the students shared their learning outcomes, observations, and suggestions.
