In order to harness the potential of ICT in Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture launched the scheme “Kisan Call Centres (KCCs)” on January 21, 2004. Main aim of the project is to answer farmers’ queries on a telephone call in their own dialect. These call Centres are working in 14 different locations covering all the States and UTs. A countrywide common eleven digit Toll Free number 1800-180-1551 has been allotted for Kisan Call Centre. This number is accessible through mobile phones and landlines of all telecom networks including private service providers. Replies to the farmers’ queries are given in 22 local languages.
Call center services are available from 6.00 am to 10.00 pm on all seven days of the week at each KCC location. Kisan Call Centre agents known as Level 1 agents, are graduates or above (i.e. PG or Doctorate) in Agriculture or allied (Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Poultry, Bee-keeping, Sericulture, Aquaculture, Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Marketing, Bio-technology, Home Science etc. and possess excellent communication skills in respective local language.
Queries which cannot be answered by Level 1 Agent are transferred to higher level experts in a call conferencing mode. These experts are subject matter specialists of State Agriculture Departments, ICAR and State Agricultural Universities.
A Kisan Knowledge Management System (KKMS) to provide correct, consistent and quick replies to the queries of farmers have been developed by putting therein validated information on Agriculture and allied sectors of all States. Kisan Knowledge Management System (KKMS) has its independent web site, www.dackkms.gov.in . The web site contains knowledge database on Package of Practices on Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Husbandry of all the States. The Kisan Call Centre (KCC) Agents working at various KCC locations throughout the country have access to this web site through their specific ID’s & Pass-Word provided to them.