Prof. (Dr.) Manas Mohan Adhikary (b1951), is a distinguished agricultural extension scientist and academician with more than four decades of experience in agricultural education, research, extension, training, human resource development, and rural development. He was a member of the first batch of students at Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV), West Bengal, in 1974, where he completed his undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral degrees. He secured First Class First position at the Master’s level and was awarded a Certificate of Merit.

He began his professional career as a Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Extension at BCKV in 1980. He subsequently became a Reader in 1986 and was directly selected as Professor in 1996. He served BCKV until November 2016 in several key positions, including Director, Directorate of Extension Education; Head, Department of Agricultural Extension; Dean, Faculty of Agriculture; Registrar; and Vice-Chancellor. He also served as Programme Officer, National Service Scheme (NSS), Government of India, at the Faculty of Agriculture, BCKV, from 1980 to 1987. From 2019 to 2021, he served as Director, Directorate of Open and Distance Learning, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal.

Areas of Expertise

His major areas of specialization include Agricultural Extension and Extension Education, Training and Human Resource Development, Leadership, ICT in Extension, Participatory Planning, Project Management, Development Communication, Information Management, Print Journalism, Audio-Visual Aids, Homestead Technology, and Value-Added Extension.

His contemporary professional interests extend to Artificial Intelligence in Extension Services, Machine Learning, IoT in Agriculture, Smart Agriculture, Climate-Resilient Agriculture, Sustainable Food Systems, Nutrition-Sensitive Farming Systems, Integrated Rural Development, rural livelihoods, natural resource management, and technology-driven agricultural transformation.

Research, Publications & Academic Contributions

Prof. Adhikary has made substantial contributions to agricultural extension research and academic literature. His scholarly output includes:

• 139 Research Papers
• 25 Book Chapters
• 35 Books
• 70 Booklets, Reports and Proceedings
• Supervision of 11 Ph.D. theses
• Supervision of 58 M.Sc. (Ag.) theses

He has participated in 138 national and 43 international seminars, conferences, workshops, and academic events. His professional engagement includes extensive contributions in communication and diffusion, training, experiential learning, programme planning and monitoring, environmental issues, and natural resource management.

He is also a Member of Farmers First Zone-III & Zone – 1, ARYA Project Zone – III & IV and QRT, Zone-1, ICAR. He also act as a member of ASRB since 1988 to till date. He has added the grace to his carrier by becoming members as well as experts in different academic and management bodies of national and international organizations, consisting of University Selection Committee, Ph.D. committee, Extension and Research Council of different University, Councilor of West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education, West Bengal State Electricity Regulatory Committee. He has also become life member of different academic and management Journals, both at National and International Level. He has already chaired a series of International Conference in India and Abroad and has already been honored to Chaired the session on Dynamics of Livelihood changes across the World in IAEUS Congress, Manchester, UK in 2013. He becomes the Master Trainers of ELC in ICAR-USAID programme in 1991 and become the Course Director for the 8 (eight) consecutive Summer/Winter School of ICAR. He is widely traveled all through his carrier covering China, Japan, USA, Turkey, Australia, Bangladesh and Thailand etc.

Workshops, Training & Capacity Building

As a Course Director or Director, he has organized more than 120 district-, state-, and national-level workshops, seminars, and training programmes over a period of more than three decades. His contributions to capacity building emphasize experiential learning, leadership development, communication, participatory planning, technology dissemination, and strengthening human resources in agriculture and rural development.

Research Projects

Prof. Adhikary has demonstrated significant experience in research project leadership and management. He has served as Project Leader for 32 projects sponsored by Government of West Bengal and Government of India, as Principal Investigator for 7 projects, and as Co-Investigator in 9 projects, giving him extensive exposure to multidisciplinary and institutionally supported research.

Fellowships, Honours & Awards

His academic and professional excellence has been recognized through several fellowships and honours, including:

• Fellow, Association for Advancement in Plant Protection (AAPP), BCKV – 2006
• Fellow, Crop and Weed Science Society, BCKV – 2008
• Fellow, Indian Society of Extension Education, New Delhi – 2009
• Lifetime Achievement Award, AAPP, BCKV – 2006
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Indian Society of Extension Education – 2015
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Krishi Sanskriti, New Delhi – 2016
• Lifetime Achievement Award, Society of Extension Education, Agra – 2018
• Lifetime Achievement Award, International Society of Extension Education – 2026
• Bharat Ratna Award, ISL, Bhubaneswar – 2016
• SEE Fellow Award, Society of Extension Education, Agra – 2023

International & Interdisciplinary Contributions

Prof. Adhikary has developed considerable academic and professional exposure in integrated rural development and sustainable agricultural transformation. His work emphasizes evidence-based rural innovation, participatory development, gender-inclusive livelihoods, environmental sustainability, climate resilience, and strengthening farming communities.

He has actively contributed to international conferences, webinars, scientific forums, academic collaborations, and knowledge-exchange initiatives involving researchers, policymakers, and development practitioners across Asia and other regions. His interdisciplinary orientation connects agricultural extension with emerging technologies, sustainable development, food systems, and rural livelihood advancement.

Leadership & Professional Strengths

His professional profile reflects strong capabilities in academic leadership, research management, project building and management, training, resource mobilization, institutional development, and development communication. He is recognized for perseverance, adaptability, empathy, planning and execution, conflict resolution, risk management, and resource strengthening.

Eligibility for Best Academician of the Year 

Prof. Manas Mohan Adhikary is highly eligible for the Best Academician of the Year Award in Scientific Laurels. His eligibility is supported by his extensive academic career spanning more than four decades, progression from Lecturer to Professor and academic administrator, outstanding record of teaching and mentoring, substantial publication portfolio, supervision of Ph.D. and postgraduate researchers, leadership of numerous research projects, organization of more than 120 academic and training programmes, participation in national and international scientific events, and receipt of multiple Fellowships and Lifetime Achievement Awards.

His sustained contributions to Agricultural Extension, Human Resource Development, Rural Development, Sustainable Agriculture, technology-enabled extension, and interdisciplinary agricultural research, together with his leadership and international academic engagement, demonstrate the breadth, longevity, and impact expected of a Best Academician of the Year.