Extension Services Management Academy (ESMA) Garhi Dopatta, AJK is providing training in multifarious field of development. It was created in 1994 by upgrading the then ‘In-service Agriculture Training Institute (IATI), established in 1975 under department of Agriculture & Animal Husbandry of the Government of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (GoAJK). The strengthening and up gradation of IATI was made possib
le through the technical and financial assistance provided by international agencies like Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) assisted project PAK/87/008 from 1990-97. Its role was further widened & expanded through UNDP assisted project PAK/96/005 w.e.f 1998. The objectives of ESMA is to provide training in a wider perspective of development to all level of personnel of NBD’s, NG.s and farming community with emphasis on rural development. ESMA campus includes academic and administration blocks, library and hostel for regular diploma students and participants of short courses, guest house and student experimental farm, green grassy lawns, masque and refreshments cafeteria. ESMA also has a farm machinery unit. ESMA has a glaring and rich history of its accomplishments. It has immensely contributed to the development of the people of AJK. Although there were a significant number of public and private institutions in Pakistan, which were qualified to provide training to various groups, the priority was given to a local institution in the interest of institution-building in the AJK region. This institution was the Extension Services Management Academy (ESMA), located in Garhi Dopatta, at about one-hour drive from Muzaffarabad. ESMA is a public sector institution under the Department of Agriculture, which was established in 1994 through the up-gradation of the 22-year old In-service Training Institute with financial and technical assistance of UNDP and FAO. ESMA became the only institution in the region not only to continue offering the Three-year diploma programme for “producing” Agricultural Extension Workers and Two year Livestock Assistants Diploma for livestock extension workers and a two-year diploma programme of Women Agriculture Extension Officers - a real novelty in the traditional and poor region. Among the other departments established at ESMA was the Department of Continuing Education and Materials Development offering short-term courses on regular basis, as well as demand-based tailor-made training courses for government departments, projects and NGOs. ESMA also established an outreach programme under which men and women being taught in classrooms were also exposed to real-life problems and issues of rural communities through outdoor field assignments. In total, five departments were established at ESMA: Agriculture Sciences; Animal Sciences; Continuing Education and Materials Development; Gender and Development; and Outreach and Institutional Development. ESMA, headed by a Director-General from the Department of Agriculture, had a relatively small but lush green campus, surrounded by green hills. It had excellent office buildings, student residential facilities, laboratories and audio-visual equipment, not to mention qualified male and female training staff hired against regular posts, as 20 well as on short-term contracts mostly from Pakistani institutions. Efforts were being made to move the status of ESMA from a fully public institution to a self-supporting semi or completely autonomous training institution. Unfortunately, the October 2005 earthquake destroyed most buildings of ESMA and killed some employees. Reconstruction efforts were started around 2008 and still continued. The journey that started with the humble beginning reached its climax when it was granted the status of Academy in 1992. The IATI was given the status of Extension Services Management Academy (ESMA) on 23rd October 1992, by the GoAJK. In September 2009, its two courses were up graded and DAS and LAD classes were introduced with the affiliation of university of agriculture Faisalabad. Since the up gradation, ESMA is performing extremely well in every walk of training and professional NRM prospectus right from personality shaping to highly recorded results. The ESMA is also committed to ensure an inspiring and congenial atmosphere to its student. Highly qualified, experienced and proficient faculty members are intent on working in this well reputed Academy with full devotion and dedication in a very congenial working environment. In a very brief span of time, ESMA has been able to set up the highest standard of academic innovation through various programmes being offered at the academy.
