Impact of internet on extension personnel for farm advisory services
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Date
2015
Authors
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
CCSHAU
Abstract
India has been experiencing major changes in agricultural extension system since the beginning of the
21
st
century. Internet, the base of IT, overcomes some of these most challenging issues related to advisory services
like - accessibility, literacy and language barriers, geographic coverage & local focus. The Internet can play a vital
role in this kind of new and fast changing agricultural extension system; as it facilitates the relationship between an
organization (the agricultural universities/ICAR institutes etc.) and its strategic public (the farmers). Keeping
above facts in mind the research with following objectives was conducted; to study the accessibility of internet
services among university extension personnel, to study the impact of Internet on farm advisory services and to
ascertain the constraints perceived in receiving of Internet services. The present study was conducted at CCS
Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana. The university provides extension advisory services for the
entire state through its nineteen Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) located at district headquarters, Directorate of
Extension Education, Associate Director (Training) and Agricultural Technology Information Centre (ATIC) at
main campus. In this research census survey of total extension personnel (108) was conducted with the help of a
specially designed schedule. The primary data were collected for the agricultural year 2014-15 by conducting
personal interview of the selected respondent. The results shows that majority of the respondents were middle aged
(36-50), the number of male respondent was very high, more than 90.00 per cent were doctorate, nearly half of the
respondents are serving in the university for more than 15 years and majority of the respondents have gone
through training on IT/Computer. The study reveals that more than 90.00 per cent respondents have internet access
in their office. More than half of the respondents use internet regularly and 11.11per cent of the respondent never
use internet, nearly half of them use internet for less than 1 hour and nearly one -fourth use internet for more than 2
hours. 71.77 per cent of the respondents evaluate the internet as positive tool of extension, around half of the
respondents are capable enough to handle and use internet properly. The study further illustrates that around 60 per
cent of the respondents use internet at their office for official as well as personal work. More than 80.00 per cent of
the respondents download the information from the internet; nearly half of them download the personal
information followed by official information and capacity building. 60 per cent of the respondents are of the view
that internet is of great benefit for efficient functioning of their KVK/Department. Efficient broadcasting of
government policies top the list as the most lucrative benefits of internet followed by efficient contact with the
various people. Around 80 per cent of the respondents recommended the regular use of internet by the extension
personal. As far as the constraints are concerned; the lack of ICT, knowledge and skills is major constraint,
followed by inability of the extension personnel to use internet for extension purpose, lack of suitable training and
unsuitable programs. The major consequences concerned are; Loss of relevance, confidence and credibility ranked
as first consequence followed by Problems in near future, Loss of contact with timely information, Loss of
production and management efficiency, Inefficient and inferior service, Loss of competitiveness and Isolates
extension personnel.
Description
Keywords
Marketing, Fruits, Biological phenomena, Manpower, Advisory services, Agricultural extension, Productivity, Economic systems, Mass media, Communication technology