Since its inception in 1980, the Department of Agricultural Communication has achieved many landmarks and has been engaged in teaching and applied research with its developed academic programme and need based research activities. The department was created under the Centre of Advanced Studies in Agricultural Communication (CASAC) one of its own kinds with collaborative effort of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

CASAC has specific objectives of developing its academic programme to produce skilled professionals, providing in-service training to media professionals and extension professionals and to create infrastructure for providing development support communication to different segments of the University for promoting effective teaching, training and extension.

The academic curriculum for both M.Sc. and Ph.D. was developed by deliberations of Faculty of Agricultural Communication and Foreign Consultants. The faculty is trained from renowned foreign institutes/universities namely Syracuse University, University of Cornell, BBC (London), Philippines, Philadelphia, Wisconsin etc. for sharpening their skills. The specific areas in which the faculty was trained were educational technology, speech communication, distance learning, video & television production, information management and documentation, communication research, agricultural journalism, and technologies related with audio-cassettes.

The post graduate programme was started in the year 1981 and Ph.D. programme was started in the year 1992.

Research Areas

Projects: Project completed in last five years :

(i) Extramural Project of ICAR on “Designing Developing and Testing Need based Entrepreneurship Module to support Agricultural Education” has been implemented. Project In-Charge: Dr. S.K. Kashyap, Professor and Head, Dept. of Agricultural Communication. Team Members: Dr. Neelam Bhardwaj, Professor, Dept. Agril Comm., Dr. V.L.V. Kameswari, Professor, Dept. Agril. Comm.

(ii) ICAR funded National Agriculture Science Fund (NASF) project on “Information Dissemination System for empowering farming community of Uttarakhand” has been implemented in the department of Agricultural Communication in 2016-17. Total 18 clusters of villages have been selected under the project in all 13 district of Uttarakhand.

Ongoing research project:

1. Department of Agril Comm. received ICAR funded project under the Farmer First Scheme on “Enhancing livelihood opportunities of farming community in mid-hills of Uttarakhand”. PI: Dr. V.L.V. Kameswari, Professor, Dept. Agril. Comm.


2. Farmer First Project: PI: Dr. S. K. Kashyap


3. NAHEP project: National Agriculture Higher Education Project. PI: Dr. S. K. Kashyap

Faculty Awards/Honors:

Technical bulletin

Research Papers

Extension Activities:

Seminar/Workshop/Training/Symposium/Summer School Organized by the Department: 10

1. JRF/SRF coaching classes under ICAR Schedule Caste sub plan were organized during 18 Feb-5 March 2021 by Dr. Neelam Bhardwaj, Dr. Amardeep, Dr. M. A. Ansari, Dr. V. L. V. Kameswari, Dr. Gyanendra Sharma, Dr. Arpita Sharma Kandpal, Dr. Kiran Rana.


2. Capacity Building Programme for University Teachers on Facilitative Skills for Effective Teaching during 18-24 July, 2016 was organized by Educational Technology Cell, College of Agriculture. Total 36 teachers have participated in this training.


3. A 7-days National Capacity building training for University Teachers on Teaching Skills was organized by Department of Agricultural Communication on 26 December to 1 Jan 2017. This training was organized under the supervision of Dr. SK Kashyap, Professor and Head, Dept of Agril. Comm. Dr J Kumar Vice Chancellor inaugurated and Dr DS Pandey, Dean Agriculture was Chief Guest in Culmination. The training effectively delivered the crucial issues of essential skills of effective teaching.


4. Department of Agricultural Communication organized a National Youth Conference on eve of National Youth Day, Swami Vivekanand Jayanti in G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology on the topic ‘Skilling India for Youth Empowerment: Opportunities, Challenges and Futuristic Strategies’ on 12-13 January 2017. Stalwarts like Swami Mitranand, Chinmay Yuva Mission, Sushri Rekha dave, Vivekanand kendra, Kanyakumari, Padmshree Sri Ashok Bhagat, Vikash Bharti, Ranchi, Swami Narshimanand, Mayawati Ashram, Uttarakhand, Dr RL Raina, Dean IIM Lucknow, Dr BK Kuthiala, VC, Makhan Lal Chaturvedi Open University Bhopal, Dr Rajendra Dobhal, DG UCOST Dehradun guided the youth from all across country. A National Debate Competition was also organized on 14-15 January 2017. Total 23 Universities and 450 delegates have participated in this programme.


5. Workshop on “Soft skill” and “Employability development” was organized in the department in Sept 2016, Nov 2016, Feb 2017 and April 2017 in which needy students of different colleges joined to enhance their speaking and soft skill. Senior PG students mentored these workshops under co-ordination of the faculty members of the department.


6. A State level ICAR-NASF Sponsored Workshop on “Information Dissemination System to empower farming Community of Uttarakhand” was organized on 24-25 February, 2017. Dr. J. Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, GBPUA&T, Pantnagar, Dr. D.S. Pandey, Dean Agriculture, Dr. V.V. Sadamate, Former member Planning Commission, Dr. C. Prasad, Former DDG, Dr. S.K.Kashyap, Professor and Head, Dept of Agril Comm. guided the workshop. More than 150 participants from the different districts of Uttarakhand has participated in this workshop.


7. National Workshop on “Agricultural Journalism” was organized on 7-8 May, 2016 in the coordination of Dr. S. K. Kashyap, Professor & Head, Department of Agricultural Communication. Leading Agricultural Journalist from whole country like Shri S.P. Singh, National Bureau Chief Danik Jagran, Shri Harvir Singh Pawar, Senior Editor, Bhaskar group, Shri Manoj Kumar Pateria, ADG Doordarshan, Shri Devendra Mevari, Science Writer, Dr. Govind Singh Director, Journalism of Mass Communication, Uttarakhand Open University were among the leading participants.


8. Two days workshop on “Writeshop on Success Stories” in collaboration with MANAGE was organized on 19-22 September 2016. In this workshop total 17 candidates from different states participated. On the very first day of this workshop, lectures were delivered by the faculty members of the Department as well as MANAGE. On the second day field visit was organized. The event ended with presentation of success stories developed by the participants during the workshop and valedictory function. This event was coordinated by Dr. M. A. Ansari, Professor, Department of Agricultural Communication.


9. One day workshop on “Women Health and Nutrition Programme through Community Radio Broadcast” was organized in the Conference Hall, College of Agriculture on 21 Sept, 2016. This event was financed by National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC), Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. This function was addressed by Dr. Shivki, MBBS, Dr. Kalpana Kulshrestha, Head, Dept. of Food and Nutrition, Dr. Gynendra Sharma, Professor, Dept. of Agril. Comm. This event was coordinated by Dr. S. K. Kashyap, Professor and Head, Dept. of Agril. Comm.


10. One day workshop on “Financial Inclusion and Community Radio” was organized in the Conference Hall, College of Agriculture on 14 Sept, 2016. This event was financed by NABARD. This function was addressed by District Development Manager, NABARD, District Lead Bank Officer. This function was inaugurated by Dr. J. Kumar, Dean, College of Agriculture and Dr. J. P. Singh, Director Research. This event was coordinated by Dr. S. K. Kashyap, Professor and Head, Dept. of Agril. Comm.