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Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa
In the imperial Gazetteer of India 1878, Pusa was recorded as a government estate of about 1350 acres in Darbhanba. It was acquired by East India Company for running a stud farm to supply better breed of horses mainly for the army. Frequent incidence of glanders disease (swelling of glands), mostly affecting the valuable imported bloodstock made the civil veterinary department to shift the entire stock out of Pusa. A British tobacco concern Beg Sutherland & co. got the estate on lease but it also left in 1897 abandoning the government estate of Pusa.
Lord Mayo, The Viceroy and Governor General, had been repeatedly trying to get through his proposal for setting up a directorate general of Agriculture that would take care of the soil and its productivity, formulate newer techniques of cultivation, improve the quality of seeds and livestock and also arrange for imparting agricultural education. The government of India had invited a British expert. Dr. J. A. Voelcker who had submitted as report on the development of Indian agriculture. As a follow-up action, three experts in different fields were appointed for the first time during 1885 to 1895 namely, agricultural chemist (Dr. J. W. Leafer), cryptogamic botanist (Dr. R. A. Butler) and entomologist (Dr. H. Maxwell Lefroy) with headquarters at Dehradun (U.P.) in the forest Research Institute complex.
Surprisingly, until now Pusa, which was destined to become the centre of agricultural revolution in the country, was lying as before an abandoned government estate. In 1898. Lord Curzon took over as the viceroy. A widely traveled person and an administrator, he salvaged out the earlier proposal and got London’s approval for the appointment of the inspector General of Agriculture to which the first incumbent Mr. J. Mollison (Dy. Director of Agriculture, Bombay) joined in 1901 with headquarters at Nagpur
The then government of Bengal had mooted in 1902 a proposal to the centre for setting up a model cattle farm for improving the dilapidated condition of the livestock at Pusa estate where plenty of land, water and feed would be available, and with Mr. Mollison’s support this was accepted in principle. Around Pusa, there were many British planters and also an indigo research centre Dalsing Sarai (near Pusa). Mr. Mollison’s visits to this mini British kingdom and his strong recommendations. In favour of Pusa as the most ideal place for the Bengal government project obviously caught the attention for the viceroy.
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ThesisItem Open Access USE OF DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM IN KINNOW CULTIVATION: A STUDY OF SRI GANGANAGAR DISTRICT (RAJASTHAN)(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) SINGH, HARDEEP; PASWAN, A. K.The study entitled “USE OF DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM IN KINNOW CULTIVATION: A STUDY OF SRI GANGANAGAR DISTRICT (RAJASTHAN)”. The study was carried out with specific objectives to assess knowledge and adoption of drip irrigation system in kinnow cultivation and identifying constraints and suggest suitable measure to overcome it, along with the association between independent and dependent variables selected in the study. The research carried out in the Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan, which is the highest Kinnow producing district in the Rajasthan, so it’s purposively selected for the study. Among the 10 Talukas of Sri Ganganagar district, SGNR and Padampur Talukas having maximum area under Kinnow cultivation selected for the study purposes. Further two villages from each Talukas were selected randomly. From each village, 20 respondents were chosen using a random sampling technique and thus forming total number of 80 farmers, as the sample size of the study. The study revealed that majority of Kinnow growers belonged to the middle age category, secondary and higher secondary level of education. Nearly half 48.75% belonged to OBC category, 93.75% farmers used canal water in irrigation, 65% farmers had large land holding (>10 acres), 47.5% farmers had 5 to 10 years age of orchard, 46.25% had 5 to 10 years farming experience in Kinnow cultivation, about 31.25% Kinnow growers had high knowledge of recommended Kinnow practices, while 41.25% and 27.5% had medium and low level of knowledge, respectively. Nearly 2/3rd (66.25%) Kinnow growers, used DIS had medium level of knowledge followed by 18.75 % and 15% high and low level of knowledge in using DIS, respectively. About 30.00 % of the respondents had a high degree of adoption, followed by medium (48.75%) and low (21.25%) levels of adoption about drip irrigation system in Kinnow cultivation practice. The socio-personal characteristics of Kinnow grower such as, Age, education, land, age of orchard, farming experience, annual income, innovative proneness, extension contacts, economic motivation, risk orientation and market orientation were positively and significantly correlated with knowledge level of Kinnow growers at 0.05 and 0.01 level of significance. Further study reveals that socio-personal characteristics of respondents such as, Age of orchard, Annual income, and Farming experience were positively and significantly associated with the extent of their adoption at the 0.05 and 0.01 level of significance. The R square value altogether explain 54.50% variability towards dependent variables. The major constraints faced by Kinnow growers were heavy initial investment, damage pipes by rodents, untrained farmers feel difficulty in use of DIS, and no demonstration were arranged to motivate and develop skills to adopt of DIS. Financial support by the government, training and workshop, knowledge exchange programs, regular follow up by DIS agencies will be helpful to increase the adoption of DIS in Kinnow cultivation practices.ThesisItem Open Access EXTENT OF AGROCHEMICAL USE IN RICE CULTIVATION: A STUDY IN BARGARH DISTRICT OF ODISHA(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) PATRA, UTTAM KUMAR; ANSARI, M. N.Agriculture is a vital source of livelihood for the majority of the Indian population, but its intensification has adversely affected the economic capacity and sustainability of small farming systems. This intensification has led to a significant increase in the use of production inputs such as modified seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, resulting in bumper crop yields. However, the so-called "green revolution" has also brought about unforeseen consequences in the form of chemical pollution. The rampant use of pesticides, particularly in crops like cotton, rice, and vegetables, has led to altered pest scenarios, outbreaks of deadly diseases, environmental degradation, and increased input costs, driving many farmers into debt. To address this issue, a study entitled "Extent of agrochemical use in rice cultivation: A study in Bargarh district of Odisha" was conducted to achieve the following objectives: Assess the socio-economic and personal characteristics of selected rice growers, Ascertain the knowledge level of selected rice growers regarding agrochemical use, Study the extent of agrochemical use across different rice varieties and farmers' varietal preferences, and Document best practices in agrochemical use and propose corrective measures for safe usage. The study was conducted in Bargarh district of Odisha, where 120 rice growers were randomly selected from six villages. The findings revealed that the majority of rice growers belonged to the middle-age category and had primary school-level education. More than half of the respondents lived in joint families with small family sizes. Approximately 65 percent of the farmers had a medium level of experience in agrochemical use in rice cultivation. Interestingly, 94.16 percent of the farmers practiced diversity by cultivating more than one rice variety, and 40 percent of the respondents owned medium-sized land holdings ranging from 5.01 to 10 acres. Moreover, 70.83 percent of rice growers had a medium level of exposure to mass media. The study highlighted a concerning knowledge gap, with 68.33 percent of the farmers having received no training related to agrochemical use. However, it was encouraging to find that 44.16 percent of the surveyed farmers possessed a high level of knowledge in this area. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between various factors, such as age, education, experience in agrochemical use, annual income, social participation, mass media exposure, and training, with the knowledge level of rice growers. The study also revealed that the majority of farmers were using fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides at high rates. Among the preferred rice varieties, Akash Ganga stood out as the highest consumer of agrochemicals, indicating its substantial input requirements for optimal growth and protection. While many farmers adopted good practices such as using neem-coated urea, recommended nozzles, and protective gear but only a small portion of farmers are disposing the containers in proper method. In conclusion, the study sheds light on the significant use of agrochemicals in rice cultivation in Bargarh district, Odisha, and highlights the need for improved knowledge dissemination and best practices adoption to ensure safe and sustainable agrochemical use.ThesisItem Open Access A STUDY OF LIVELIHOOD SECURITY AMONG COTTON GROWERS IN GUNTUR DISTRICT OF ANDHRA PRADESH(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) MANIKANTA, DAMMAVALAM; SATPATHY, BINEETAThe research paper titled "An Investigation into Livelihood Security among Cotton Growers in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh." The investigation was conducted with the particular goal of assessing the livelihood security among small and marginal cotton growers, as well as identifying the factors related to livelihood security among the selected cotton growers. An effort was also undertaken to identify the constraints associated with achieving livelihood security. The Tadikonda and Ponnur blocks of Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district are where the present research investigation was carried out. From every block, three villages were randomly chosen. From each chosen village, a total of 10 small and 10 marginal cotton growers were located. As a result, a sample of 120 cotton growers from six villages was finally chosen for this research. This research investigates a number of variables affecting cotton growers in a specific area. According to the research, the majority of the cotton growers (55.83 percent) are in the middle age range, between the ages of (36 to 50). Additionally, a significant percentage of cotton growers (59.17 percent) are from nuclear families, and (52.50 percent) are associated with medium-sized families. It's important to note that (32.50 percent) of cotton growers were illiterates. (39.17 percent) of them are under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) social group. Above sixty percent of the cotton growers (66.67 percent) have a medium level of family education when it comes to their family and educational standing. Furthermore, a sizable (60.83 percent) of cotton growers belong to only one organization. Cotton growers control precisely half of the small and marginal landholding (50.00 percent) in the research area. (37.50 percent) of cotton growers only work in farming, which is a sizable portion. The majority of families (34.17 percent) have an annual income between Rs. 45,001/- and Rs. 90,000/-. (67.50 percent) of cotton growers had a medium level of owning assets, according to owning assets. Similar to this, the majority of cotton growers exhibit a medium degree of product marketing (65.00 percent), extension contact (60.83 percent), media exposure (55.83 percent), and information-seeking behaviour (57.50 percent). Last but not least, the majority of cotton growers have medium levels of economic motivation and credit orientation (65.00 percent and 62.50 percent, respectively). These results provide important insights for additional research and development plans by illuminating the many variables affecting cotton growers in this area. This research examines the various indicators of livelihood security among cotton growers in a particular area. According to the data, Most of the cotton growers had medium level of Food security (69.16 percent), economic security (64.17 percent), educational security (65.00 percent), social security (56.67 percent), institutional security (66.67 percent), infrastructure security(70.83 percent) and also (43.33 percent) of cotton growers had high level of health security. Whereas the majority of cotton growers (60.83 percent), overall livelihood security is generally at a medium level and the overall extent of livelihood security is 59.04 percent. These findings provide important information for policymakers and stakeholders to implement targeted interventions and improve the general well-being and sustainability of cotton grower’s livelihoods. These findings provide light on the many facets of security among cotton growers in the area. The results reveal, at a 1% level of significance, correlation analysis revealed that a number of factors positively correlated with livelihood security, those are Annual Family Income, Education, Family Education Background, Caste, Social Participation, Occupation, Operational Land Holding, Mass Media Exposure, Extension Contact, Owning assets, and Information Seeking Behaviour. The research also used regression analysis to pinpoint the most significant variables. The most important effects on livelihood security were found to be caused by Annual Family Income, Operational Land Holding, and owning assets, all of which were statistically significant factors. The combined factors account for 88.20 percent of the total variability in the dependent variable, "livelihood security," according to the regression model's goodness of fit, as measured by R2 (0.882). The main constraints faced by cotton growers in a study area. Cotton growers first admitted Lack of knowledge of technical skills and relevant technologies to increase crop output with a mean score - 67.33. Second, Products with low market prices with a mean score - 72.74, additionally, lack of knowledge of the marketing of the products with a mean score of 72.79, additionally, Repeated crop failures with a mean score of 72.79. It was shown that all four barriers had a statistically significant negative influence on the livelihood security of cotton growers in the area. These results highlight the need to address these issues in order to improve the security of cotton grower’s livelihoods. They also throw light on the unique difficulties encountered by cotton growers.ThesisItem Open Access PERFORMANCE AND MARKET POTENTIAL OF ORGANIC VEGETABLE FARMING AMONG THE SMALLHOLDERS OF WEST DISTRICT (SIKKIM)(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) SUBBA, AMIMSHA LIMBOO; PRAKASH, SATYABy the current year, India has surpassed China to take the lead in terms of population numbers. The surge in population growth over the years, has led to significant increase in the demand for food while also contributing to the shrinkage of available agricultural resources such as water and land. This calls for an increased efficiency in food production systems and introduction of sustainable cultivation on a wider scale. Organic vegetable farming presents a welcome alternative to conventional methods with its sustainable systems and ecologically viable way of providing healthy and safe food for the expanding Indian population. India ranks as the second largest producer of vegetables globally, with a 14% share in total global vegetables. There is a huge existing market for vegetables nationally as well as internationally, a large consumer base for organic products, abundance of organic raw materials and a congenial environment for vegetable production all throughout the year. All of these aspects contribute to the thrust towards wide scale adoption of organic vegetable farming. Organic vegetable production is a very suitable choice for implementation in the mountainous region of Sikkim. Organic vegetable production system can be managed efficiently to contribute to food security, income generation and crop diversification. There are a wide variety of vegetables cultivated in different regions of Sikkim based on the climate and irrigation requirements of the crops. Some commonly grown vegetables in Sikkim include tomato, beans, potato, broccoli, peas, carrot, cabbage, radish, cauliflower, leafy vegetables, carrot, chayote, eggplant, cucumber, pumpkin, sweet potato, garlic, onion, okra, bitter gourd, sponge gourd, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, etc. Globally, the small farmers contribute to a third of total world food production (FAO, 2021). Hence, they are instrumental in providing necessary amounts of food for a significantly large population around the world. Although there are many problems that smallholders encounter in the produce markets in India as well as globally, there is also a huge opportunity to take advantage of the changing produce market trends by transforming small farming households into economically viable units. One such opportunity arises in the form of organic farming technology. Organic farming is safe for the soil, water systems and the overall environment. Since organic agriculture avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers and instead employs natural inputs, the end products are not contaminated by chemical residue. There are various other factors that affect the overall performance and market potential of organic vegetable farming in Sikkim and all of India. So, in order to understand the current scenario of organic vegetable farming and to provide an insight into the preferences and marketing needs of smallholder farmers, a holistic investigation could prove to be useful. Taking these factors into consideration, this study entitled “Performance and Market Potential of Organic Vegetable Farming among the Smallholders of West District (Sikkim)” has been taken up for research. The study was carried out purposively in the state of Sikkim due to the fact that Sikkim is the world’s first organic state to become completely organic. Out of four districts, West Sikkim was chosen for the current investigative study on a purposive basis owing to the fact that as it had the highest area under vegetable cultivation. Out of the ten blocks in West Sikkim, two blocks each were selected randomly for the present study, which were namely Chumbong and Daramdin. Further, four villages were selected i.e., two from each block by using the random sampling technique. The villages were Chumbong, Budang, Tareybhir and Tikpur. 30 organic vegetable farmers were selected from each of the four villages to make up a total respondent group of 120 farmers for the present study. The findings of the research indicated that most of the respondent farmers belonged to the old age group, had primary level of education and belonged to nuclear families. The organic farmer respondents had medium level of social participation, farming experience, information seeking behaviour and scientific orientation. Almost all the respondents practiced only organic vegetable farming exclusively and owned marginal lands and medium number of livestock. Local cows were the most common livestock that farmers owned. Most of them travelled a medium market distance of 8.54 to 24.40 km using four-wheelers and the use of refrigerated vehicles was found to be less common in the locale of study. Majority of the vegetable growers earned medium amount of income from organic vegetable farming, showed a medium level of exposure to mass media sources, especially mobile phones and television and had medium level of extension contact primarily with village level workers and ADOs. The respondent farmers also showed medium level of risk orientation, economic motivation and achievement motivation. Three indicators of performance of organic vegetable farming among smallholders were categorized as physical indicators, economic indicators and environmental indicators out of which physical indicators were ranked as best performing. Most of the farmers agreed on the medium performance level of all the indicators. Market potential of organic vegetables farming among most of the respondents was found to be at a medium level. The results of the research further showed that, farming experience, extension contact and achievement motivation had a positively significant relationship with performance of organic vegetable farming whereas market distance and family type showed a negatively significant relationship. Regarding market potential of organic vegetable farming among smallholders, regression analysis found that family type and market distance had negatively significant relationship with market potential, whereas farming experience, occupation, exposure to mass media, extension contact and risk orientation were found to have a positively significant relationship with market potential of organic vegetable farming. Among the six categories of constraints, climatic and geographical constraints, market related constraints and production constraints were ranked first, second and third on the basis of severity. Suggestions provided on the basis of information gathered during the study included provision of financial support through loans, encouraging youth start-ups through organic based ventures, promotion of animal husbandry to support organic farming as well as improving marketing of organic produce.ThesisItem Open Access RECKONING FARMERS-WILDLIFE CONFLICT AND TOLERANCE IN THE PROXIMITY OF PANNA TIGER RESERVE(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) SINGH, AKSHAY; Lal, Sudhananad PrasadThe coexistence of farmers and wildlife in close proximity to protected areas presents a complex challenge, where conflicts often arise due to competition for resources and space. This research entitled “Reckoning Farmers-Wildlife Conflict and tolerance in the Proximity of Panna Tiger Reserve” investigates the intricacies of farmers-wildlife conflict, the factors influencing farmers' tolerance levels and their vulnerability towards wildlife. The study was conducted at Panna Tiger Reserve in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh where 200 respondents from 10 villages coming under the buffer zone of PTR were randomly selected. The findings revealed that the majority of farmers belonged to Middle age category and had low educational years. More than half of the respondents lived in nuclear families but had large family size. 73.5% of the respondents had a medium level of farming experience and majority had medium level of annual income. More than 80% of respondents had small and marginal land holding and share of cropped area was found more in rabi rather than kharif season. All the crops grown in different season incurred damage by wildlife especially leguminous crops were found out to be most susceptible to wildlife damage and the crop of mustard had then least % loss. Wild boar was the wildlife species which was blamed to be the top of crop raider and for livestock depredation tigers were blamed the most by the respondents. The reliability and validity of a scale measuring farmers' tolerance towards wildlife-induced damage and to explore the factors influencing this tolerance in the vicinity of the Panna Tiger Reserve. Various methods were employed to establish the scale's reliability, including correlation coefficients and Guttman split-half coefficients, which demonstrated significant reliability. Cronbach's alpha value further confirmed the scale's internal consistency. The study analyzed responses from 200 respondents using a 7-point continuum and categorized their tolerance levels based on socio-economic and ecological factors. Regression analysis was employed to examine the relationship between tolerance and various predictor variables. The findings revealed that age, crop damage, livestock holding, livestock loss, social participation, proximity to healthcare centers, and extension contact significantly influenced farmers' tolerance. The model's goodness-of-fit statistics indicated a substantial ability to predict tolerance levels based on the included predictors. The Wild Zone Rural Vulnerability Assessment Index (WZRVAI) was designed to evaluate vulnerability across biophysical, social, and institutional dimensions. assessment of each dimension, shedding light on the susceptibility of rural areas in proximity to the Panna Tiger Reserve to various stressors. Biophysical vulnerability, represented by an average score of 0.36±0.01, categorized respondents into low, medium, and high vulnerability groups based on their scores. Similarly, social vulnerability, with an average score of 0.28±0.00, revealed distinct vulnerability levels among respondents. Institutional vulnerability, with an average score of 0.45±0.00, exhibited varying degrees of vulnerability. The overall WZRVAI score, incorporating all dimensions, was 0.36±0.00, categorizing respondents into low, medium, and high vulnerability categories. Binary logistic regression analysis explored factors influencing vulnerability. The diverse range of mitigation measures employed by both farmers and park authorities to manage and reduce conflicts between wildlife and human communities near the Panna Tiger Reserve. Farmers employ a variety of creative strategies, including traditional fencing, scarecrows, noise-making techniques, and innovative approaches like planting less palatable crops. These efforts emphasize their adaptability and resourcefulness in safeguarding their agricultural yields. Park authorities, on the other hand, adopt a multifaceted approach that encompasses physical interventions such as stone walls and artificial water holes. They also focus on community engagement through awareness programs and proactive measures like controlled burning of grasses. Additionally, the relocation of villages and compensation mechanisms demonstrate a commitment to both biodiversity conservation and the well-being of local communities. These mitigation strategies collectively underscore the collaborative efforts to establish harmonious coexistence between wildlife and humans, promoting long-term conservation and sustainable land use practices.ThesisItem Open Access Study of Information Management Behavior among Small and Marginal Maize Farmers of Bihar(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) Rozi, Afsana; Satpathy, BineetaThe research titled "Study of Information Management Behavior among Small and Marginal Maize Farmers of Bihar" was conducted with the primary goal of assessing the Information Management Behavior (IMB) of small and marginal maize growers. Additionally, the study aimed to explore the associations between various independent variables and the IMB of thefarmers.The maize farmers are selected because Bihar is third largest producer in maize and ranked first in Rabi maize production in India. Maize is grown in all 38 districts of Bihar. In 2020-2021 Bihar produced 3521410 MT maize in 673395 ha area (Source:- Directorate of Economics & Statistics).Current study was conducted inMuzaffarpur and Samastipur district which was selected purposively for the study as this two district comes under major maize producing district of Bihar. In 2020-2021 Samastipur and Muzaffarpur produced 278718MT and 96146 MT in 63239 ha and 33240 ha area respectively (Source:- Directorate of Economics & Statistics). From the two district two blocks Kalyanpur and Dholi was randomly selected and two Villages selected from each block. Out of the four villages 30 respondent are selected randomly from each villages. Total 120 respondent are chosen for the study.The data for this study was gathered using the personal interview method, involving visits to the farms and homes of the respondents. Through these face-to-face interactions, valuable information about the information management behavior of small and marginal maize farmers in Bihar was obtained.To analyze the collected data, various statistical techniques were employed like frequency, arithmetic mean, standard deviation correlation analysis multiple linear regression. Majority of the respondent are medium age group (41.67% ) who have medium family size (46.67% ) living in joint families (73.33% ) and literate till higher secondary (36.67%) with high farming experience above 10 years.majority of respondents 74.17%, exhibited a medium level of risk orientation and 71.67 percent, reported having a medium level of family income and the source of income was crop and labour. Farmers are mainly marginal farmers (68.33%) having medium cultivated area and area under maize with 79.17% have farmers having partial irrigation facility. Majority (43.33%) exhibit a high market orientation, 63.33% farmers have a medium level of contact with extension agencies, 69.17% maize farmers have a medium level of exposure to mass media channels for agricultural information. Majority of farmer has medium level of extension participation with medium level of economic (61.67%) and Scientific motivation (72.50%).Cultivated area, area under maize, contact with extension agency, mass media exposure and extension participation has positive and significant relationship with INB, IAB, IPB and IDB. The Adjusted R Square value is 0.660, the adjusted R Square suggests that approximately 66% of the variation in the dependent variable (IMB) can be explained by the independent variables included in the model. Contact with extension agency, mass media exposure and extension participation has positive and significant relationship at 1% level of significance with the information management behavior of maize farmers.The low p-value (0.000b) suggests that ANOVA model is significant and has explanatory power in predicting the dependent variable (IMB).Scarcity of updated information rank first in the constraints face by maize farmers followed less ability to buy smart phones/ laptops due to high cost. Least rank given to less networking among farmers as the finding from information acquisition behavior of farmers most of farmers said that they get information from fellow farmers, friends and relative.ThesisItem Open Access A STUDY OF LIVELIHOOD DIVERSIFICATION OF RURAL HOUSEHOLD IN PURBA BARDHAMAN DISTRICT (WB)(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) PAL, BHASKAR; Paswan, Arun KumarThe study entitled “A Study of Livelihood Diversification of Rural Household in Purba Bardhaman District (WB)”was carried out in Purba Bardhaman district of West Bengal. The district Purba Bardhaman was selected purposively since it has a greater number of small and marginal farmers and they are highly diversified. Two blocks namely Ketugram 1 and Raina 1 selected randomly. From each block two villages were taken randomly. A total 80 respondents of different land holding size constituted the total sample size for the study purpose. Sixteen independent variables like age, education, caste, farm household work force, number of dependents, size of land holdings, membership in organization, annual Income, farming experience, training received, livestock possession, irrigation, off-farm diversification, market orientation, access to credit and migration. The extent of livelihood diversification was selected as dependent variables. For measuring the extent of livelihood diversification Simpson Index was used. Data was collected through structured interview schedule. The collected data was, quantified and analyzed by using mean, standard deviation, frequency, percentage, co-efficient of variation, correlation and multiple regression analysis. The study revealed that among all the respondents 18.75% farmers were under medium category, 20.00% farmers were small, 37.50% of the farmers were marginal and 23.75% were landless. Majority of the respondents (43.75%) were in old aged, illiterate (31.25%), general caste (43.75%) and had two household workforce (45.00%), two dependent in households (50.00%), no membership in any organisations(60.00%), medium level annual income(75.00%), more than 15 years of farming experience (33.75%), no training from any organisations (85.00%), medium level livestock possession (61.25%), 100% irrigated land (90.16%), two off farm activities (43.75%), medium level market orientation (63.75%), no access to credit (42.50%), and no migrated members (61.25%). The extent of livelihood diversification was measured in terms of income diversification. As per the findings, in case of extent of diversification, majority of the medium (73.33%), small (56.25%), marginal (63.33%), and landless households (63.15%) had moderate level diversification. In the case of medium land holders, majority (73.33%) of them had medium level income. As regards small landholders, majority (81.25%) of them had medium level of income. Most of the marginal landholding households (73.33%) had medium level income while majority of landless households (73.68%) had moderate level income. The mean value of annual income obtained from medium landholding households, small landholding households, marginal landholding households and landless households was Rs 265600.00, Rs 228968.80, Rs 179030.00, Rs 170263.20 respectively. Highest mean value of annual income obtained from medium land holders, and lowest from landless category. Mean value represents the average annual income. So, it is revealed that average annual income is highest in case of medium farmers in spite of lower diversification. The findings indicated that in case of medium land holders, majority (53.33%) of them had medium level social security. As regards to small landholders, majority (62.50%) of them had medium level social security. Most of the marginal landholding households (60.00%) had medium level social security while majority of landless households (63.20%) had moderate level social security. The findings revealed that majority (80.00%) of the medium landholding households had only two income activities; for most of the medium landholding households (73.33%) farm income accounts for more than 50% out of total family annual income. majority (43.75%) of small landholding households had three income activities; for majority of small landholding households (68.75%) non-farm income accounts for more than 50% out of total family annual income. Half of the (50%) marginal landholding households had three income activities. In case of marginal landholding households for majority of (70.00%) them non-farm income accounts for more than 50% out of total family annual income. Whereas majority (52.63%) of landless households of had three income activities and for all of them (100%) non-farm income accounts for more than 50% out of total family annual income The findings of correlation analysis revealed that seven variables were found to have significant relationship with the extent of livelihood diversification. The independent variables such as education, number of people in workforce, livestock, off farm diversification, migration had positive and significant relationship with extent of livelihood diversification at one percent level of significance. The variable market access had positive significance with the extent of livelihood at five percent level of significance. The variable land holding had negative and significant relationship with the extent of livelihood diversifications at one percent level of significance. The findings of regression analysis showed that four variables were found to contribute significantly to the extent of livelihood diversification. The variables education, no of household workforce, off farm diversification positively contributed to the extent of livelihood diversification at one percent level of significance and the variable land holding negatively contributed to the extent of livelihood diversification at one percent level of significance. The findings revealed that in case of small, marginal and landless households, annual income had positive significant relationship with the extent of livelihood diversifications. So, it can be stated that in case of small, marginal and landless groups livelihood diversification had positive impact on annual income of the households. Regression analysis of social security with the extent of livelihood diversification. revealed that in case of medium, small, marginal and landless landholders, social security had significantly positive relationship with the extent of livelihood diversifications. So it can be stated that in case of medium, small, marginal and landless landholders livelihood diversification had positive impact on social security of the households. The rural households face so many constraints to diversify their households in an efficient way to get a long-term sustainability. In the study area the most severe constraints as perceived by the respondents were lack of finance for heavy initial investment to startup new venture, high cost of agricultural production, Farmers are not getting price as per MSP at market, lack of cash in hand due to heavy expenses for running family leading to distress sale and Lacking of proper market information.ThesisItem Unknown Assessment of perceived benefits and support service apropos PM-KUSUM Scheme in Rajasthan(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) Mahendra, Abhishek; Lal, Sudhanand PrasadThe study entitled “Assessment of perceived benefits and support service apropos PM-KUSUM Scheme in Rajasthan”. The study was carried out with specific objectives to assess the perceived benefits and support service of PM-KUSUM scheme along with the association between independent and dependent variables selected in the study. Rajasthan was chosen purposively for the study as Rajasthan has the largest installed capacity of renewable power generation units in India and also shown the fastest growth in solar power generation capacity. Rajasthan has 33 districts out of which top 5 districts having maximum number of PM-KUSUM beneficiaries as on MNRE portal was selected purposively and out of top 5 districts 3 districts namely Jaipur, Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh was selected using systematic random sampling technique. Further, two tehsils from each district were selected randomly. For selection of respondents, 20 PM-KUSUM beneficiaries from each of the six selected tehsils were chosen as sample respondents by following the random sampling technique. Thus, a total of 120 PM-KUSUM beneficiaries were constituted as sample respondents for the study purpose. The information was collected through personal interview method by visiting the farm and home of the respondents. The collected data were analyzed with the help of frequency distribution, arithmetic mean, standard deviation and regression analysis, binary logistic regression (LR). The study reveals that the majority (72.5%) of the respondents were found under the medium age group (36-50 years) with 54.3% having small size families, majority (40%) had completed a College Education while 19% achieved a Higher Secondary level of education and 18% had a Secondary level of education, 70% having medium farming experience, 62.5% showed medium level of risk orientation, 55% had medium level of income and 14.16 % had high level of income, beneficiaries (57.5%) belonged to the small and semi-medium category of land holding, while 38.34% were medium and large farmers, substantial majority of the beneficiaries (70.84 percent) have a medium level of exposure to mass media channels, significant majority of the beneficiaries (59.17 percent) showed a high level of economic motivation, majority of the respondents (53.50 percent) displayed a high level of awareness about the PM-KUSUM scheme. The regression analysis of perceived benefits concludes that only 5 factors were found significant. The variable age, education, economic motivation, and mass media were found to be significant at 1% level of probability while family size was found to be significant at 5% level of probability. The model exhibits a good fit (Adjusted R Square = 0.404), and its predictions are relatively accurate (Std. Error of the Estimate = 2.148). The absence of significant autocorrelation (Durbin-Watson = 2.143) further validates the reliability of the regression model. The binary logistic regression model (LR) variable “Education, Family size, Farming Experience and Economic Motivation” is significant at the 1% level of probability and variables “Mass Media Exposure, and Awareness” are significant at the 5% level of probability for support service. The connection between awareness and mass media for accessing support services is remarkable, as a mere 1 unit increase in awareness and mass media corresponds to a significant 75% and 25% increase in the likelihood of receiving the necessary support services.ThesisItem Open Access EXPLORING PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AMONG MIGRANT WORKERS OF NORTH BIHAR – A DIAGNOSTIC STUDY OF COVID-19(Dr.RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) KUMAR, AVINASH; Prakash, SatyaCOVID-19 induced lockdown caused the widespread movement of migrants across the globe. In India the lockdown started from 25th March 2020 and lasted after 68 days on 31st May 2020 with partial and no movement. Around 15 lakh registered migrant workers returned to Bihar keeping in view of this fact the present study was conducted in four prominent districts of northern region of Bihar state. These districts were Madhubani, Darbhanga, Samastipur and Sitamarhi. In view of area for study, five blocks from each four districts (Darbhanga, Madhubani, Samastipur and Sitamarhi) were again purposely selected. From each block 15 returned migrant workers were selected thus from each district 75 respondents were selected. Hence the total sample size of the study was 300. The results indicate that majority of migrant workers were from young age group, male, married and belongs to extremely backward caste. Majority of returned migrant workers were functionally literate and having medium level of working experience. The mean value of working experience was 6.8 years. These migrant workers were engaged in agricultural activities before migrating. However majority of migrant workers were having low level of agricultural experience additionally almost one third of them were having low level of experience in allied activities. The primary occupation of more than half of the migrant workers was unskilled labours. The mean value of family income before COVID was ₹ 216058.40 but after COVID it was reduced to ₹ 191989.77. Further, the mean value of self-income before COVID-19 pandemic was ₹ 142860 and it was decreased by 12.05 percent. The debt status of migrant workers was increased by 15.32 percent after COVID. Majority of migrant workers were having low level of material possession, extension contact and medium level of mass media exposure. The mental health of migrant workers was in deplorable condition and majority (37.67%) of them were having low level of mental health. Social security (0.741) was contributing most among all five indicators for livelihood security. Only two indicators viz., social security and infrastructural security was found to be crossing half of the value i.e. 0.5. More than half (55.67%) of these migrant workers were seasonal migrants, seeking employment was the key reason for migration for migration. The most favourite destination for migration was Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana etc. The nature of work ranges from construction workers (18.67%), agricultural or casual labourers (15.67%), factory workers (11.33%), labour in brick kiln (5.33%), painter (5%), plumber (3.33%), maid, self-employed, skilled workers etc. in terms of level of skill, a huge 57.00% of the migrant workers were unskilled (agricultural or casual labors, house helper etc.) followed by skilled workers (mason-II, painter-II etc.) according to Gazette of India, 2017. SPSS PLUM model shows that education, experience, training, technological familiarity, extent to manage difficult task and daily wage of migrants were having strong association with skill and were statistically significant at 1% level (P<0.01) whereas certificate of training was statistically significant at 5% level (P<0.05). More than half (51.34%) of the migrant workers were having moderately favorable attitude towards agriculture and allied activities. From mean value of Likert scale and principle component analysis respondents ranked their interest towards different components of agriculture. Respondents ranked their interest in order as Mushroom production (1st), Dairy farming (2nd), Animal Husbandry (3rd), Poultry (4th), Fisheries (5th) while Polyhouse farming (9th) and forestry (10th) were gained least interest and ranked last. Social constraints faced at native place were lack of autonomy in rural area, marriage and look after of family whereas at destination place Communication barrier and problems associated with children’s education, compromised living standard etc. Economic constraints reported at native place were Lack of employment opportunity in rural area, Instability of job and income similarly economic constraints at destination place includes survival on meagre savings after sending remittances to family, Often debt. Some ecological and infrastructural constraints at native place perceived by respondents were fragmentation of land and low agricultural productivity, lack of industrialization at native place and poor medical and educational facility respectively. Workplace and security related constraints recorded by the respondents includes prolong working hours, engaged in risky works, lack of employer and governmental accountability and fraud and cheating at destination place, harassment against women and children etc.
