Details of the Scheme:

1. The Indian Agriculture is on the threshold of a second revolution. It is becoming increasingly clear that the next leap will come from the information and the knowledge transfer to the agriculture sector, together with the other traditional inputs and interventions. The real challenge before the policy makers is to overcome the information asymmetry between farmer and farmer, village and village, region and region and the country as a whole versus other countries.  Fortunately, the developments in the field of communication and information technology in India make it possible to attempt this task.   
2. The country today has an impressive telecom network both in the private and Government sector. Over 5 lakh villages have a public telephone in the country. It has been felt for long that this impressive telecom network could be put to effective use for delivering knowledge and information to the farming community. With the limited number of extension workers, there is a need to use the latest technologies for delivering extension services.  Towards this, the Department of  Agriculture and  Cooperation has been working on schemes to use both Mass-Media and telecom network for the delivery of extension services.   
3. One of the draw-backs experienced in the current human resource based extension service has been that the monitoring authorities are not able to get a clear feed back on the quality of extension services being delivered in the villages. On the other hand a call centre based extension service will be delivering knowledge and information exactly as per the requirements of the farming community. This system would also help keep a record of what is being delivered to the farmers in terms of knowledge and information.
4. The objective of the scheme has been to make agriculture knowledge available at free of cost to the farmers as and when desired.       
5. This scheme has an in-built system of monitoring and continuous evaluation for modifications and improvements. The services are also of a foundational nature.  Many more exciting tiers will be built on this infrastructure.
6. The Kisan Call Centre scheme is available all over the country. At present the Call Centre services are available at a common toll free telephone number which can be dialed from anywhere in the country. The location is immaterial as the calls can originate from any village to land at a specific call centre and a specific seat which would be answered by an agriculture graduate knowing the local language and having an understanding  of the local agricultural issues.
7. The call centres as operational today have been selected on the basis of a tender document which was floated by TCIL, a Govt. of India Company which was appointed by Department of Agriculture & Cooperation as the consultant.
8. The Kisan Call Centre scheme has been functioning from 21.1.04. The Call Centres can be accessed by farmers all over the country on common Toll Free Number 1551.

New Initiatives:

1. Since 10th June, 2004 the Call Centres service has been made available right from 6 A.M. to 10 P.M. except on Sundays and gazetted holidays, beyond these hours the calls are attended in the IVRS mode.