HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Institute was established as a Gram Sevak Talim Kendra (GSTK) under Community Development Department , Government of Orissa with the objective of imparting pre-service training to the Village Level Workers of the State. During the year 1977 as per the new re-organization of Agricultural Extension of the Agriculture Department, the Village Level Workers and the role of Gram Sevak Talim Kendra continued to provide training support to various category of employees under Agriculture Department only. The management of the Institute was transferred from CD Department to Agriculture Department. During the year 1997 the Institute was upgraded to a State Level Training Institute and renamed as IMAGE (Institute on Management of Agricultural Extension). To provide flexibility to its working , it was also made autonomous in 1999.