Last Updated: July 15, 2023

Extension activities always go hand in hand with teaching and research. Since its inception, extension oriented activities of department are organised towards improving the quality of life of rural women and farm families in the state and in the country. Keeping this in view, the department has focused on dissemination of developed technologies and imparting knowledge based educational programmes/lectures and need based trainings for various segments of the population on the following topics.

Entrepreneurship - This department focuses on the various micro training aspects for socio-economic upliftment of the rural masses of Himachal Pradesh.  Under this outreach effort, two projects were sanctioned to this department with the objective to make the beneficiaries self dependent.

The ICAR funded project on  “Experiential learning- setting up of facilities for hands on training” in 1) bakery and confectionery and 2) honey processing and packaging stressed on imparting  trainings related to the theme issues of one week duration especially to the school drop outs and those having an edge towards entrepreneurship with the following objectives.

• To help the educated unemployed youth to seek vocational/ skilled job

• To impart skill regarding the technical input required for a bakery enterprise

• To channelise the training towards establishing self enterprise for income generation

In addition, a project on “Farm women training in value addition of indigenous products with emphasis on post-harvest management” was sanctioned to the department for a period of two years by IERP. In this project, a total of five hundred women were skilled in the field of post-harvest management and value addition of indigenous food products.

Over and above these, the department organizes various activities every year.  World Breast Feeding Week (1^st to 7^th August), National Nutrition Week(1^st to 7^th  September)  and World Food Day (16^th  October) are celebrated every year on their respective themes to promote nutrition awareness among the society/target groups.

In addition, several leaflets have been prepared by the department on important nutrition related aspects in order to disseminate nutrition knowledge among the community. The faculty has published various popular articles in state and national level magazines/ newspapers. Radio talks are also organised from time to time on various food science and nutrition issues for the beneficiaries residing in far flung areas.

The department also organises various exhibitions at Department, College, University and State levels as well as in State and National Fairs/Festivals to disseminate the knowledge on food technology and  nutrition issues through exhibits/ posters, leaflets and personal discussions.

Extension activities at a glance