General Informations

  • Join Date: 16/09/1996
  • College: College of Agriculture
  • Department: Tea Husbandry & Technology
  • Office Email: gautam.saikia[at]aau.ac.in
  • Other Charges: Programme Coordinator I/C, Small Tea Growers' Advisory Programme (STAP)

Education Details

 
 
 
 
 
1991
B.Sc. (Agri) with Tea Husbandry and Technology

College of Agriculture, Assam Agricultural University

 
 
 
 
 
1993
M.Sc (Agri)

Assam Agricultural University

 
 
 
 
 
2006
Ph. D

Assam Agricultural University

Employment History

 
 
 
 
 
16-09-1996 - 31-01-2001
Manager, Experimental Garden for Plantation Crops (Assistant Professor rank)

Department of Tea Husbandry and Technology, College of Agriculture, Assam Agricultural University

 
 
 
 
 
01-02-2001 - 30-06-2004
Junior Extension Specialist, Small Tea Growers' Advisory Programme (Assistant Professor rank)

Department of Tea Husbandry and Technology, College of Agriculture, Assam Agricultural University

 
 
 
 
 
01-07-2004 - 30-06-2008
Junior Extension Specialist, Small Tea Growers' Advisory Programme (Assistant Professor Senior Scale)

Department of Tea Husbandry and Technology, College of Agriculture, Assam Agricultural University

 
 
 
 
 
01-07-2008 - 30-06-2014
Associate Professor

College of Agriculture, AAU/ Bishwanath College of Agriculture, AAU (23. 07. 2009- 10. 08. 2011)

 
 
 
 
 
01-07-2014 - Till date
Professor

Department of Tea Husbandry and Technology, College of Agriculture, Assam Agricultural University

Achivements
  • Played active role as a faculty member in imparting knowledge to the students efficiently and effectively. The students are getting gainful employment after completion of their degree courses in different sectors such as Tea Board, India, Tea Industry, Nationalised Banks, Civil Services, R & D sector etc.
  • Played active role as a faculty member in designing, organizing and successfully conducting different courses at UG, PG and Ph.D degree programmes. Few of such important courses are Tea Production Technology, Tea Culture, Soils and Fertility Management and Organic Tea Cultivation.
  • Involved in designing, organizing and successfully conducting Certificate Courses(6 month duration) on ‘Tea Production Technology and Management’ continuously since 2012. Many of the passed out students are being employed at different tea companies, small tea growers’ sector and few are self-employed.
  • Designed course curriculum for Diploma Course (1 year duration) on ‘Tea Production Technology and Smart Management’ and abridged Certificate Course (3 months duration) on Tea Production Technology and Management’.
  • Taking part in successful implementation of Tea Industrial Work Experience Programme of the department since 2003.
  • Acting as a external question paper setter for IGNOU for it’s Post Graduate Diploma in Plantation Management course since 2014.
  • Designed course curriculum for diploma/certificate course on tea for Krishnakanta Handique Open University, Guwahati and Bishwanath College, Bishwanath Chariali.
  • Published seven(7) teaching/practical manuals for the students.
  • Published eighteen (18) research articles. Carrying out research works on organic culture in tea. Generated database on use of indigenous technical knowhow for management of tea pests in small tea plantations. Research works are in progress for development of non-chemical methods for management of red spider mites.
  • Established a demonstration plot on organic tea cultivation at the Experimental Garden for Plantation Crops, THT, AAU.
  • Standardized processing technologies for development of a mulberry drink and value added mulberry drink (with green tea). This was done under the project 'Standardization of processing and production of a consumable beverage from mulberry leaves and blending with green tea'. The project was funded by Central Silk Board, Bengaluru. The project was completed and carried out during 2020-21 and 2021-22.
  • Documented traditional tea processing technologies of Singpho, Tangsa, Moran and Adi Community of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh along with organolaptic and biochemical properties of processed tea were also evaluated. These were carried under the project 'Augmentation of income of small tea growers of Assam through production and marketing of specialty tea'. The project was funded by the ‘North-East Centre for Technology Application and Reach' Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, New Delhi. The project was completed and carried out during 2021-22 and 2022-23.
  • Made extensive tour programmes since 2001 to small tea plantations in the areas covering from Sadia to Dhubri of Assam and acquired in-depth knowledge of management of small tea plantations. Conducted extension programmes in other North-Eastern states also.
  • Developed diagnostic framework for identification of field problems faced by the small tea growers.
  • Offering consultancy/advisory services to the small tea growers who are visiting the Small Tea Growers’ Advisory Programme (STAP), Dept. of Tea Husbandry & Technology at AAU HQs.
  • Participated at different interface, workshop, meeting etc. with small tea growers, Govt. bodies, Tea Board, India etc. to develop strategies for development of small tea sector.
  • Assisted growers in non-technical aspects like preparation of bankable projects, liasoning with banks, government and other developmental agencies for welfare of the small tea growers.
  • Published four (4) books, twelve (12) training manuals, twenty (20) extension bulletins and fourteen (14) popular/ scientific articles and participated at a number of radio talks for dissemination of technologies to the small tea growers of Assam and other North-Eastern states.
  • Undertaken steps to obtain fund for extension programmes of the department after joining STAP as Programme Coordinator, Incharge. Earned total eleven (11) externally funded extension projects. External fund received by STAP during 2011-2020 is Rs.209.47 lakhs.
  • Total 33,571 small tea growers were benefitted by STAP activities while in- charge of the Programme Coordinator during 2012-2121.
  • Prepared and earned a project for STAP, named ‘Capacity Building of Small Tea Growers of Assam’ from the Directorate of Tea, Govt. of Assam during 2014.An amount of Rs.150.00 lakhs was sanctioned for this project. The project was successfully completed within 2016 fulfilling the terms and conditions of the MoU benefiting total 23,863 small tea growers.
  • A total 11,078 numbers of small tea growers were made aware on ‘Pesticide residue Problem in Tea and Production of Quality Green Leaf’ and about the 'Plant Protection Code' just launched by the Tea Board, India within a period of two months (September 2-November 2, 2014) under the project ‘Capacity Building of Small Tea Growers of Assam’.
  • A book named ‘Chah Khetir Diha’ (in Assamese) was published under the aforesaid project and distributed free among 13,000 small tea growers of Assam.
  • Consultancy service was provided to the small tea growers of Tuensung, Nagaland. under a World Bank funded project of the North-East Livelihood Promotion Society (Ministry of DoNER, Govt. of India) and successfully guided the growers for rehabilitation of some abandoned tea plantations . The project was implemented during 2017 benefiting 358 growers. Three green tea factories were established in that area.
  • MoU signed to involve STAP,THT,AAU to act as knowledge partner for the Indian Tea Association. Under this MoU, a project named ‘Capacity Building of Small Tea Growers of Assam under TRINITEA Programme’ was funded by ITA during 2019.The project was completed by January,2021 where 2864 growers were trained at 60 field training programmes conducted at Tinsukia, Dibrugarh,Jorhat and Udalguri district of Assam.
  • Initiated steps to form an organic small tea growers’ group named ‘Brahmaputra Organic Society, Assam’ (BOSA) with 65 members from different districts of Assam during 2015. This group had earned organic certification (in group) from the certifying agency ‘One Chart International’. BOSA bagged the best participant award (Assam Pavilion) at India International Trade Fair, 2016 held at Pragati Maidan,New Delhi.
  • An amount of Rs16,68,228.00 has been earned as revenue (Institutional Charge) from STAP activities during 2012-2020.
  • Assets have been created through STAP activities for the department through savings out of fund received for different training programmes. Few of such assets are 10 KVA Generator, Portable Genset, Air Conditioner, Photocopier, LCD Projector, Laptop Computer, Desktop Computer, Digital Camara, Steel Almirah, Bookshelves, Tables, Chairs, Public Address System etc.
  • Served the department as Manager, Experimental Garden for Plantation Crops during 1996-2020.
  • Undertaken steps to keep the tea processing unit of the department in running condition all through out the period of tenure as Manager, Experimental Garden for Plantation Crops.
  • Initiated selling of made tea in packets at the University sales counter.
  • Undertaken steps for new plantation of tea at 1.47 ha area in the Experimental Garden for Plantation Crops.
  • Initiated ‘Revolving Fund for Tea Tree Orchard’ at EGPC and earned revenue for the University.
  • Developed the Tea Processing Unit as Visitor’s site. Distinguished visitors included the then Governor of Assam, Retd. Lt. General S.K.Sinha, Chief Minister of Assam, Shri Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Agricultural Minister of Assam, Dr. A.Dey, Handloom & Textile Minister of Assam, Mrs.H.Saikia, Agricultural Production Commissioner of Assam, Shri Ashook Saikia, IAS, different highest level officers of ICAR, Vice-Chancellors of Agricultural Universities outside Assam etc.
Membership
  • Indian Society of Plantation Crops (ISPC), Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, Kerala
    Life Member
  • Tea Improvement Consortium (TIC), Tea Research Institute, Chinamora, Jorhat, Assam
    Life Member
  • Soil Conservation Society of India, New Delhi
    Life Member
  • Axom Sahitya Sabha
    Life Member
Projects
  • Indian Tea Association,Kolkata sponsored project on "Capacity Building of Small Tea Growers of Assam under TRINITEA programme", project cost Rs.10.29 Lakh implemented in 2019.
  • NERLPS,Ministry of DoNER,Guwahati sponsored project on "Advisory Services to Small Tea Growers of Tuensang,Nagaland", project cost Rs.10.19 Lakh implemented in 2017.
  • Dept. of Trade & Commerce,Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh sponsored project on "Institutional training on ‘Scientific Tea Cultivation’", project cost Rs.4.29 Lakh implemented in 2015.
  • World Vision,India sponsored project on "Institutional training on ‘Scientific Methods of Tea Cultivation’", project cost Rs.1.70 Lakh implemented in 2014.
  • AIDA Tea Project,Golaghat sponsored project on "Institutional training on ‘Scientific Methods of Tea Cultivation’", project cost Rs.0.82 Lakh implemented in 2014.
  • Directorate of Tea,Govt. of Assam sponsored project on "Capacity Building of Small Tea Growers of Assam", project cost Rs.150.00 Lakh implemented in 2014.
  • Tea Board,India sponsored project on "Training of Small Tea Growers of Assam", project cost Rs.15.93 Lakh implemented in 2013.
  • Tea Board,India sponsored project on "Training-cum-method demonstration on ‘Scientific Aspects of Tea Cultivation’", project cost Rs.9.27 Lakh implemented in 2013.
  • World Vision,India sponsored project on "Institutional training on ‘Scientific Methods of Tea Cultivation’", project cost Rs.1.35 Lakh implemented in 2013.
  • All Bodoland Small Tea Growers’ Association sponsored project on "Institutional training on ‘Scientific Aspects of Tea Cultivation’", project cost Rs.0.63 Lakh implemented in 2013.
  • Tea Board,India sponsored project on "Workshop-cum-training on ‘Safe and judicious use of agro-chemicals & drought management in small tea growers’ sector of Assam’", project cost Rs.4.99 Lakh implemented in 2012.
  • NECTAR,DST sponsored project on "Augmentation of income of Small Tea Growers of Assam through Production and Marketing of Specialty Tea", project cost Rs.20.90 Lakh implemented in 2021.
  • Central Silk Board, Bengaluru sponsored project on "Standardization of Processing and Production of a Consumable Beverage from Mulberry Leaves and Blending with Green Tea", project cost Rs.11.26 Lakh implemented in 2020.