New Delhi [India], May 18 (ANI): Renowned agricultural scientist and former Vice-Chancellor of Rajendra Agriculture University, Dr Gopal Ji Trivedi, will be honoured posthumously with the Padma Shri for his exceptional contribution to agricultural extension education, farmer empowerment, fish-based farming, maize productivity, and scientific litchi cultivation in Bihar.
He will be conferred with the Padma Shri during the first Investiture Ceremony of the Padma Awards 2026 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 25, where President Droupadi Murmu will present the country’s prestigious civilian honours.
Popularly known as “Gaon Purush” and “Kishan Mitra,” he dedicated his life to improving rural livelihoods and promoting sustainable agricultural practices at the grassroots level.
Born on February 15, 1930, Trivedi received his Bachelor of Agriculture and Master of Agriculture Extension Education degrees from the Agriculture College, Sabaur, Bihar in 1954 and 1958, respectively. He completed his PhD in Agricultural Extension Education from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, New Delhi, in the year 1963.
He later served as Professor in Tirhut College of Agriculture, Dholi, Bihar. He was also the Director, Extension Education, at Rajendra Agriculture University, Pusa, Bihar and before becoming the Vice-Chancellor of the same university from 1988 to 1991.
Trivedi’s contribution in developing a socio-economic status scale for rural families, popularly known as the Trivedi Scale, is regarded as pioneering in the field, not only in the country but the whole world. The scale introduced the concept of measurement of qualitative characters in quantitative terms.
Known for his deep connection with rural life, Dr Trivedi spent more than three decades living in his native village, working closely with farmers to improve productivity and increase incomes.
Trivedi’s efforts helped 22 farmers convert their abandoned waterlogged chaur area of 86 acres into a fish-based farming system popularly called BABA (Bihar Aquaculture Based Agriculture), which helped to increase the level of the underground water table in adjoining areas, providing direct employment to the marginalised rural population.
In Muzaffarpur, known for litchi cultivation, Trivedi introduced the concept of Private-Private partnership between farmers and agro industries, which helped farmers to produce quality litchis. This motivated the farmers to set up litchi processing plants in the village itself. He was also among the first farmers in Bihar to adopt rejuvenation and canopy management in his Litchi Orchard when nobody wanted to cut and prune branches.
Over the last several years, on the principle of Think Global, Act Local, he worked on improving maize productivity in Bihar by encouraging winter maize cultivation and promoting modern agricultural technologies. These efforts helped farmers achieve significantly higher yields of more than 10 tons, thus increasing the income of farmers and employment.
Trivedi received several honours for his contribution to agriculture and extension education. In 2012, he was honoured by the Chief Minister of Bihar for his contribution in the field of Agriculture in a farmers’ conference at Patna.
He was also awarded the gold medal in 1954 for securing the first position in the whole state in an essay competition organised by Bihar Rashtra Bhasha Parishad, which was given by the then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
He also received the Krishi Rishi Award in 2015 at the Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot Gramoday Vishwavidyalay. He was conferred with a Lifetime Achievement Award by former President, Pratibha Patil, during an International Conference held at Delhi in November, 2011.
In 1991, he received the Excellence in Extension Education Award from the then Prime Minister of India, Chandrasekhar, on the occasion of the International Conference at Delhi in 1991.
His outstanding contribution led to his citation as a personality of significance in Reference Asia, Asia’s Who’s Who of Men and Women of Achievements, 1995.
Gopal Ji Trivedi took his last breath on May 12, 2026, leaving behind a lasting legacy in agricultural education, rural development, and farmer-centric innovation in India. (ANI)
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