PRAKASH, SATYAN, NARENDRA V2023-10-312023-10-312022D/EE/167/2019-20https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810199976A long-term shift in the climate's condition is referred to as "climate change." It is predicted to have negative consequences, including an increase in the severity and frequency of climatic variables such as drought, flood, and storms. The conditions for rural Indians, especially smallholder farmers, will unquestionably get worse as a result. Therefore, it is essential to adapt to and mitigate climate change. Agricultural extension is a vital source of knowledge in rural regions, even though it is not always successful and efficient. Radio, mobile phones, video, social media, and other Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have long been recognized as being essential to the spread of agricultural knowledge; more recently, their potential to aid in climate change awareness and adaptation have attracted significant interest. So, the present study was conducted among the farming community of Karnataka state. Two districts viz. Bengaluru Rural and Chikkaballapura were purposively selected based on historical rainfall uncertainties, agricultural susceptibility to climate change, and other factors. From each district two blocks were purposively drawn based on criteria that took into account the block with the largest geographic area and population. From each selected block5 villages were selected randomly. From each village 12 respondents were selected randomly comprising total 240 respondents from the study area. The results show that farmers had comparatively better access and used ICTs, especially the mobile, TV, and internet services than common service centres and personal computers and remaining tools in the Chikkaballapura and Bengaluru Rural districts. Electricity served as the ICTs' primary power source and they were very well understood the print media content when it is available in the local language. Mobile applications like Varuna Mitra, Meghasandesh and Sidilu are the popular ones in both districts but in the case of Bengaluru Rural is better access to these applications as compared to Chikkaballapura district. The affordability of ICTs is felt by both districts as they can afford all the ICTs which are relatively less in the case of personal computer. The common service centres are relatively less accessed in both districts as compared to other ICTs. It was found that most respondents in both districts were generally aware of climate change. The climate change awareness index revealed that some people who believed they were aware about climate change actually weren't aware or had a low level of knowledge. Particularly, the respondents' knowledge of problems with regard to the causes, mitigation, and global aspects of climate change was low. The main source of climate-related information in both districts was found to be mobile followed by TV but comparatively more response in Bengaluru Rural than in Chikkaballapura. The constraint has been categorized into three categories based on Garrates score, social constraints, economic constraints and technical constraints. „Cautious about accessing technology' and Lack of awareness about advanced ICTs used for accessing climate change related information as the second rank in social constraints. Economic constraints, High call rates in mobile calling as first and high charges on data and validity packs as the second rank. Technical constraints, Lack of adequate skills to use ICT and Limited availability of computers and community centres as first and second rank. The suggestions as given by the farmers of both districts the response captured as mutually inclusive and then ranked based on the weightage given to each statement. It is found to be the statement „Training should be given to the farmers for proper use of ICTs in mitigating and adopting climate change and „Government should initiate Awareness programmes about available new ICTs tools and its applications‟. The relationship and strength of the relationship between the independent variable and dependent variable has been revealed by correlation and multiple regression methods. The variables like caste, sex, family size and preparedness for adoption as found to be no relationship with use of ICT tools in Bengaluru Rural and The variables like caste, sex, size of land holding and change resistance were found to be no relationship with use of ICT tools in Chikkaballapura district. Strength of influence revealed by regression method it is found to be the variables like education, farming experience, family size, size of land holding, credit orientation and mass media participation had strong influence use of ICT tools in Bengaluru Rural and the variables like education, size of land holding, credit orientation, mass media participation, innovative proneness, extension agency contact, risk orientation and information seeking behaviour found to be strong influence on use of ICT tools in Chikkaballapura district.EnglishThesis