Dr. Ravi Kumar Theodore , Ph.D

Dr. Ravi Kumar Theodore is a retired Professor in Agricultural Extension from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore, India. He holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Extension from TNAU. His illustrious career spans over three decades, marked by distinguished service, academic excellence, and contributions to the field of agricultural extension.

Dr. Theodore’s professional journey began in 1989 when he joined TNAU’s Dept. of Agricultural Extension & Rural Sociology (AE&RS) as an Assistant Professor. Throughout his tenure, he steadily rose through the ranks, becoming an Associate Professor and a Professor. He also held leadership positions within the university, serving as Professor and Head of the Dept. of AE&RS from 2012 to 2015, and Professor and Head of the Training Division in the Directorate of Extension Education during 2019 to 2022.

Beyond TNAU, Dr. Theodore has served as Assistant Director at the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad, and as Dean of the Kumaraguru Institute of Agriculture (KIA) in Erode district. He has also been a National Level Facilitator for MANAGE since 1993, conducting training programmes on agricultural extension management.

Accomplishments

Research

Dr. Theodore has handled several undergraduate and postgraduate courses in agricultural extension. He has guided 7 masters and 2 Ph.D. students as Chairman of the Thesis Advisory Committee. He managed over 10 externally funded and institution-funded research projects. Dr. Theodore’s commitment extends to capacity building for farmers and extension personnel. He has conducted over 200 training programmes for farmers and numerous training sessions for extension officers, government officials, and foresters. He has also played a key role in organizing Summer Institutes and Summer Schools sponsored by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Dr. Theodore’s contributions have been recognized through prestigious awards, including the Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarship for his Ph.D. research at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines, and the FAO fellowship for advanced training at the University of Western Sydney, Australia.

Dr. Theodore has been a member of various committees, including the Regional Research Advisory Committee (RRAC) of Central Silk Board, GoI; Expert Member, Interview Board for recruiting faculty positions at the College of Agriculture, Agartala, Tripura; Member, Project Screening Committee for evaluating ICAR Extramural Research Projects, ICAR, New Delhi and several others.