Empowering the Rural Women

Professor Surya Rathore is Head (Acting), Division of Extension Systems Management at ICAR- National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad (Telangana). She has over 27 years of experience in teaching, research and extension in various capacities and has contributed significantly to the growth and development of the discipline of Women's Studies. Having served as Professor & Associate Professor (Agricultural Communication) at the Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar (Uttarakhand), Dr Rathore has worked on various research projects and developed PG course on Gender Mainstreaming. She is also a certified Trainer of the University Grants Commission (UGC) for Capacity Building of Women Managers in Higher Education. Having worked in Krishi Vigyan Kendras at Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur and Pali, Dr Rathore is well-versed with the changing scenario of rural areas and their actors. She has presented papers in more than 70 conferences and seminars and has organized various workshops, seminars, and conferences at the National and international levels. She has widely travelled abroad to countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the United States of America, Nepal, Srilanka and Germany for various assignments. She is the recipient of MANAGE Best Agricultural Extension book award (2021), Special recognition award by Mobilization, New Delhi (2005), the Best paper award by the Indian Society of Extension Education (2009 & 2015), Shikha Ratan Puraskar of IIFS (2011) and ISEE Fellow Award in 2017. Dr Rathore has been a paper reviewer for conferences abroad in Africa and America. She has been a reviewer for research projects for the Government of India and international agencies and a paper reviewer for various Journals. She has published many papers and books on different facets of Agricultural Sciences. So far, she has more than 100 publications to her credit.

Manmeet Kaur, Assistant Professor (Agricultural Extension and Communication), Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner (Rajasthan), the Editor of this manuscript, has 11 years of experience in teaching, research and extension in the field of Agricultural Extension and Communication. She was awarded B. Sc. (Home Science) in 2005 and M.Sc. Ag. (Extension Education) in 2007 from Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya, with a Gold Medal. She did her PhD in Agricultural Extension and Communication from G. B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, in 2011. She qualified for UGC-NET in the year 2007 and ICAR-NET in 2009. She has also been awarded the Centrally Administered Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) Doctoral Fellowship under the open category for 2009-10 and 2010-11. Dr. Kaur has presented papers in more than 25 conferences and seminars at national and international levels. In recognition of her valuable contribution to the field of agricultural extension, Dr Kaur has been conferred with several awards & honours by SAUs and Professional Societies. She has to her credit more than 30 research papers published in journals of national and international repute and has authored a good number book chapters, popular articles, manuals, books and other extension publications.