Agriculture has always been the backbone of India’s economy, but bridging the gap between scientific research and farmers has remained one of its biggest challenges. Among the professionals working tirelessly to close this gap, Dr. Ravindra Kumar Sohane has emerged as one of the country’s most respected names in agricultural extension, innovation, and rural development.
Currently serving as the Director of Extension Education at Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), Sabour, Dr. Sohane has dedicated his career to making agricultural knowledge more accessible, practical, and impactful for farmers.
His work combines scientific excellence with grassroots implementation, enabling thousands of farming communities to benefit from modern agricultural practices.
Over the years, his contributions have extended beyond research into policy implementation, farmer education, digital agriculture, and institutional leadership—earning him recognition at both national and international levels.
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Academic Excellence Built on Scientific Research
Dr. Ravindra Kumar Sohane completed his Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Animal Nutrition from the prestigious Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUA&T), Pantnagar.
His early research focused on identifying rice cultivars with nutritionally superior straw for livestock feeding, a subject that addressed the critical relationship between crop production and animal nutrition. This foundation in scientific research shaped his practical approach towards solving real-world agricultural challenges.
Rather than limiting himself to laboratory research, Dr. Sohane consistently focused on translating scientific findings into solutions that farmers could adopt in their daily agricultural practices.
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A Career Dedicated to Agricultural Development
Dr. Sohane began his professional journey as Junior Scientist-cum-Assistant Professor of Animal Nutrition at Rajendra Agricultural University (RAU), Pusa.
Through years of dedicated work, he steadily progressed to become University Professor-cum-Chief Scientist, taking on increasingly significant academic and administrative responsibilities.
His leadership journey includes several prestigious assignments such as:
- Programme Coordinator, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK)
- District Project Coordinator, Mainpuri (Uttar Pradesh)
- Director, BAMETI (Bihar Agricultural Management & Extension Training Institute)
- Director of Extension Education, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour
Beyond these roles, he has also served as:
- Acting Vice Chancellor
- Registrar
- Director Student Welfare
- Chairman, Department of Extension Education
- Director, CAFT
- Nodal Officer for ICAR and RKVY
- Chairman and Member of numerous state and national committees
Each assignment reflects his multidisciplinary expertise across agricultural education, extension systems, institutional management, and policy implementation.
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Bringing Technology Closer to Farmers
One of Dr. Sohane’s defining contributions has been integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into agricultural extension.
Recognizing that effective communication is as important as scientific innovation, he introduced several practical and scalable models that help farmers access knowledge more efficiently.
Some of his notable initiatives include:
- Bio-Village Model
- Seed Village Programme
- Climate Smart Villages
- Kisan Mitra
- Kisan Pathsala
- Kisan Choupal
- Kisan Gyan Rath
- Outdoor Video Broadcasting
- Agricultural advisory through Micro SD Cards
These initiatives were designed to simplify scientific information and deliver it directly to farming communities in understandable formats.
The result has been stronger farmer engagement, better technology adoption, and improved rural outreach.
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Managing High-Impact Agricultural Projects
Leadership in agriculture often depends on effective execution.
Throughout his career, Dr. Sohane has successfully implemented agricultural development projects worth ₹169.15 crore, covering multiple areas including:
- Agricultural extension
- Capacity building
- Technology dissemination
- Rural livelihood enhancement
- Farmer education
- Institutional strengthening
These projects demonstrate his ability to transform policy objectives into measurable field-level outcomes.
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Research, Innovation and Intellectual Contributions
Dr. Sohane’s academic contributions are equally remarkable.
His scholarly work includes:
- More than 200 publications
- Research papers
- Review articles
- Popular agricultural articles
- Book chapters
- Farmers’ diaries
- Technical bulletins
He also holds:
- Four patents
- Five copyrights
His work reflects a rare balance between academic research and practical agricultural applications, making his contributions valuable for both researchers and extension professionals.
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Building Skills for Rural India
Farmer empowerment requires continuous learning.
Keeping this principle at the center of his work, Dr. Sohane has successfully organized:
- 183 Skill Development Programmes
- 5,451 participants trained
- 15 different skill domains
These programmes have strengthened rural entrepreneurship, agricultural skills, and livelihood opportunities while encouraging scientific farming practices.
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Global Recognition and International Exposure
Dr. Sohane’s expertise has also been acknowledged internationally.
His professional engagements include:
- Participation in workshops held in Washington D.C., USA
- International learning and exposure programme at IRRI, Philippines
- Recognition by the World Bank for sharing agricultural extension knowledge with the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of Ethiopia
These experiences have enabled him to exchange global best practices while promoting Indian agricultural extension models on international platforms.
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Documentary Films That Inspire Rural Development
Beyond academics and administration, Dr. Sohane has effectively used documentary filmmaking to communicate agricultural and rural development initiatives.
Several documentaries associated with his work have received national recognition.
Among them:
- “Umeed: A Hope” — Second Prize at the 5th National Film Festival for Rural Development (2021) organized by NIRD, Hyderabad.
- “Water for Tomorrow” — Official Screening Certificate at the 15th Prakrati International Documentary Film Festival (2023) hosted by Gujarat University.
- “Parali – A Byproduct, Not a Residue” — Best Documentary Award at the 25th CEC-UGC Film Festival, New Delhi.
- “Parivartan” — Awarded at the MANAGE Agri Film Festival 2023, Hyderabad.
These films showcase how visual storytelling can effectively communicate agricultural innovations, environmental sustainability, and rural transformation.
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Prestigious Awards and National Recognition
Over the course of his career, Dr. Sohane has received numerous honours for his contributions to agriculture, research, and extension education.
Some of the major recognitions include:
- National e-Governance Award for ICT initiatives in Agriculture
- Best Extensionist Award by Animal Nutrition Society of India
- ICAR Swami Sahajanand Saraswati Award
- Best Young Agricultural Scientist Award
- Dr. S.P. Arora Award for Best Research Paper
- Best Extension Professional Award
- Agri Extension Leadership Award by Agriculture Today Group
- Dr. R.S. Paroda Medal
These awards acknowledge both his scientific achievements and his practical impact on farming communities.
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Fellowships and Professional Memberships
Dr. Sohane is also a Fellow or member of several prestigious professional organizations, including:
- Animal Nutrition Association
- Indian Society of Extension Education
- Society for Community Mobilization for Sustainable Development
- Society for Agriculture and Development
- Society of Upliftment of Rural Economy
- Confederation of Horticulture Associations of India
- Bioved Research Institute Fellowship
These affiliations reflect his active engagement with India’s agricultural research and extension ecosystem.
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A Legacy Focused on Farmers
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Dr. Ravindra Kumar Sohane’s career is that his work consistently revolves around one objective—improving the lives of farmers.
Whether through scientific research, innovative extension models, digital communication tools, institutional leadership, or capacity-building programmes, his initiatives aim to make agriculture more productive, sustainable, and knowledge-driven.
His ability to combine research, administration, technology, education, and grassroots implementation has made him one of the leading figures in India’s agricultural extension landscape.
As Indian agriculture continues to embrace digital transformation and climate-resilient practices, professionals like Dr. Sohane demonstrate how innovation becomes meaningful only when it reaches the people who need it most.
