NARP—An innovative approach towards FSR in India

The National Agricultural Research Project (NARP), launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in 1979 with World Bank assistance, aims at conducting need-based, location-specific and production-oriented research with a mission-oriented problem-solving approach. This innovative approach fulfils many of the requirements of FSR. Based on agro-climatic and ecological potentials, the country has been divided into 126 agro-climatic zones. Research on problems specific to each zone or recommendation domain is developed by considering its resources, constraints and environment. The multidisciplinary problem-solving approach in addressing to farmers' problems, which is critical in this project, is similar in concept to FSR. So is the farmers' participation in the critical research planning stage. Further, testing and evaluation of the developed technologies at the farmers' level through on-farm activities, which is the key to the success of FSR, is one of the components of NARP. Establishment of effective linkages between research and extension for enhancing technology adoption and utilisation by moving away from the traditional transfer of technology approach, further moves it towards fulfilling the objectives and approaches of FSR.