Agricultural Extension Personnel in new millennium

a prospective view

Abstract

People are the most valuable resource of any country. Many countries like Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong have limited natural resources, but developed their economy through planned approach for human resources. The global competitiveness report 1998 ranks smaller countries in size like Singapore and Hong Kong at I & II positions respectively, ahead of leading industrialized countries like U.S.A., U.K., Canada etc., in terms of economies based on analysis of their competitive strengths & weaknesses0>. In western countries and industrial world recognition of human contribution through scientific and engineering innovations has propagated a new concept called Human Resource Development. From the beginning of 19th century, social and behavioural scientists in US and European countries have been conducting various experiments regarding impact of human behaviour on industrial productivity. As a sequel to these developments all over the world, efforts for Human Resource Development for achieving higher & better results were initiated during sixties in India. Long back, former Governor of Reserve Bank, Shri L.K.Jha while addressing a convocation in Ahmedabad observed that 'prosperity was a man made phenomenon'< 2 >, i.e. the prosperity of an organisation or even the country is solely related with its manpower