Delhi

Droupadi Murmu will confer the Padma Shri posthumously on noted agricultural scientist Gopal Ji Trivedi on May 25 in recognition of his lifelong contributions to agriculture, rural development, and agricultural education.

Dr Trivedi, who passed away on May 12 at the age of 96, was widely respected for his pioneering work in agricultural extension education and his deep engagement with farming communities, particularly in Bihar.

Born on February 15, 1930, Trivedi completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies in agriculture at Bihar Agricultural College in Sabour. He later earned a doctorate in Agricultural Extension Education from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi in 1963.

During his distinguished academic career, he served as a professor at Tirhut College of Agriculture and later as Director of Extension Education at Rajendra Agricultural University. He subsequently led the institution as vice-chancellor from 1988 to 1991.

Trivedi earned national recognition for developing the ‘Trivedi Scale’, a socio-economic assessment model that introduced a systematic way to quantitatively measure qualitative socio-economic conditions of rural households—an innovation that became widely used in rural studies and extension research.

Fondly known among farmers as “Gaon Purush,” “Kishan Mitra,” and “Karma Yogi,” Trivedi spent more than three decades working directly with farming communities in his native region, helping improve agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods.

He was also credited with pioneering the Bihar Aquaculture Based Agriculture (BABA) Model, which enabled farmers to convert waterlogged land into productive fish-based farming systems. In addition, he promoted winter maize cultivation and modern litchi orchard management practices in eastern India.

Over the course of his career, Trivedi received several prestigious honours, including the Krishi Rishi Award in 2015 and a Lifetime Achievement Award presented by former President Pratibha Patil in 2011.

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The posthumous Padma Shri recognises not only his academic achievements but also his lasting impact on India’s rural and agricultural transformation.