Pariksha SaathiMahila Kisan Diwas 2026 observed on 15 October with theme on women farmers' role in a developed India
The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare celebrated Mahila Kisan Diwas 2026 on 15 October 2026 at the Dr B.R. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, under the chairmanship of Agriculture Secretary Atish Chandra. The theme was 'Role of Women Farmers in Building Developed Agriculture and a Developed India'. Outstanding women farmers were felicitated, a book titled 'Women Farmers of India: Journey from Challenges to Success', a compilation of their success stories, was released, and women farmers and extension functionaries shared their experiences. The day was also observed across states and union territories, Extension Education Institutes, SAMETIs and MANAGE, with special emphasis on women farmers from tribal regions. In his message, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan called women farmers the backbone of Indian agriculture and pointed to new roles such as Drone Didi, Krishi Sakhi and Bank Sakhi.
Drafted with AI assistance from the official PIB release linked above and checked against it by a second AI pass. Not line-edited by a human.
Learning context
The Ministry of Agriculture declared 15 October as Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas in 2016. The date matches the United Nations’ International Day of Rural Women, observed on 15 October since 2008 under General Assembly resolution 62/136, and falls the day before World Food Day on 16 October, the date the FAO was founded in 1945. MANAGE is the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, Hyderabad; SAMETIs are the State Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institutes.
Reference: United Nations page for the International Day of Rural Women (15 October)
Check yourself: is 15 October also World Food Day?
No. World Food Day is 16 October, the FAO’s founding date in 1945; 15 October is the International Day of Rural Women and, in India, Mahila Kisan Diwas.
Revision task: from this release, note the 2026 theme, the venue and the book released, and keep them apart from the standing facts about the observance dates above.
Test yourself
What was the theme of Mahila Kisan Diwas 2026, observed on 15 October 2026?
Show the answer
Answer: Role of Women Farmers in Building Developed Agriculture and a Developed India
The 2026 theme was 'Role of Women Farmers in Building Developed Agriculture and a Developed India'; the event at the Dr B.R. Ambedkar International Centre also released the book 'Women Farmers of India: Journey from Challenges to Success'.
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