The Directorate of Extension was set up in 1958 in the wake of launching of Community Development Programmes and National Extension Service throughout the country in 1953. Apart from functions of dissemination of specific knowledge to farmers and supervision of the countrywide extension training infrastructure, Directorate of Extension was also later called upon to implement National Programmes like Intensive Agricultural District Programme (IADP) and Intensive Agricultural Areas Programmes (IAAP). However, since 1974 the emphasis was shifted to Training and Visit system of Extension, which was introduced in 17 major states with the World Bank Assistance.

The Directorate of Extension/Extension Division is the nodal agency in the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture for agricultural extension programmes. It assists and encourages the State Departments in organising, maintaining and operating professional extension services. The role of Extension Division/Directorate of Extension is essentially collaborative, providing guidance, technical support to the Extension Division.

The Extension Division is headed by Joint Secretary (Extension)-cum-Extension Commissioner who is assisted by the three Joint Commissioners. The Directorate of Extension is a subordinate office, provides technical support to the Extension Division.

The four principal functional areas of the Directorate of Extension at present, are Extension Management, Extension Training, Farm Information and Farm Women Development. The Directorate of Extension has five units i.e. four units corresponding to those functional areas and the fourth one is Administration Unit.