RAMACHANDRA REDDY, D.RAMAKRISHNAN, K.2018-06-112018-06-111999D6193http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810050844nvolvementoffarmwomeninagriculturaldevelopmentisvitalastheycontribute50-60 per cent labour and economic output to Indian Agriculture but it has largely remainedinvisible. Trainingplayapivotalrolebyimprovingtheunderstandingandoperationalskillsoffarmwomeninmodernagricultureleadingtoincreasedagriculturalproduction. Inview ofthis,thegovernmentofTamilnadustatedevelopedandimplementedaprojectcalled ”TamilnaduwomeninAgriculture”(TANWA). ThisprojectstartedfiJnctioningin1986 withthe assistance ofDANIDA to enable the farm women to understand the new opportunitiesforincreasingfarmproductionandfamilyincome. ThepresentinvestigationwasdesignedtoexaminetheimpactofTANWAtraining intermsofknowledgegain,attitudetowardsTANWA. operational skillsacquiredand level ofinformation shared with untrained farm women in terms ofknowledge and operationalskillsasaresultofattendingthetraining.Thestudybroughtouttheprofile characteristicsoftraineesandalsotheirproblemsandsuggestionsforimprovement. Ex—post—factoresearchdesignwasfollowedinthepresentinvestigation.Maduraidistrict ofTamilnadu Statewas purposively selected forthe study. Two agricultural divisionsviz,MelurandTirumangalamwereselectedrandomly.Therearetwoblocksin MeluragriculturaldivisionandthreeblocksinTirumangalamagriculturaldivision. Outof thatoneblock fromeachagriculturaldivisionwereselectedrandomlyand4AAOgroups fromeachblockand15traineesfromeachAAOgroupwereselectedrandomlymakinga tOtalof120sampletrainees. XN Thedatawascollectedbypersonalinterviewmethodthroughstructuredinterviewscheduleandanalysed byusingappropriatestatisticaltechniques. Majorityofthetraineesweremiddleaged, had medium education,had mediumfamilysize,mediummassmediaexposure,mediumextensioncontact,mediumeconomic motivation, medium achievement motivation, medium scientific orientation, medium innovativeness,mediumtrainingreceivedandmoderatefacilitiesprovided. Majorityofthetraineeshadmediumknowledgegain,favourableattitudetowardsTANWA, mediumlevel ofoperational skillsacquired and medium level ofsharing ofinformationintermsofknowledgeandoperationalskills. Correlationanalysisrevealedthattherewasapositiveandsignificantrelationshipofindependentvariables namelyeducation,familysize,massmediaexposure,extensioncontact, economic motivation, achievement motivation, scientific orientation, innovativeness,trainingreceivedand facilitiesprovided exceptagewhich isnegatively significantwithdependentvariablesi.e. knowledgegain,attitudetowardsTANWAand operationalskillsacquiredbythetrainees. Regression analysis revealed that all the selected 11 independent variable puttogetherexplainedabout65.00 percentvariationinknowledgegainoftraineesabout paddycultivationpractices. Furtherregressionanalysisrevealedthateducation,family size,massmediaexposure,extension contact, innovativenessandtrainingreceived had positivelyandsignificantlycontributedtomostofthevariationintheknowledgegainof trainees. Regression analysis revealed that all the selected 11 independent variables puttogetherexplaineddabout75.00percentvariationinattitudeoftraineestowardsTANWA. FurtherregressionanalysisrevealedthatAge,massmediaexposure,economicmotivation, scientific orientation, training received and facilities provided had positively and significantly contributed to most ofthe variation in the attitude oftrainees towards TANWA. Regressionanalysisrevealedthatalltheselected 11 independentvariables puttogetherexplained about 59.00 per centvariation in operational skills acquired by the trainees. Further regression analysis revealed that mass media exposure, economic motivation,achievementmotivation,innovativenessandtrainingreceivedhadpositively andsignificantlycontributedtomostofthevariationinoperationalskillsacquiredbythe trainees. Inadequate duration oftraining programme, less frequency oforganizing SUCh training programme, place oftraining is inconvenient to attend, inadequate use of audio-visual aids, inadequateboarding and lodging facilities were the major problems encounteredbythetrainees. Frequency of programme should beincreased, periodOf trainingshould.beenhancedtofive days, audio-visualaids usagemaybe accelerated, conductingtrainingprogrammeatvillagelevelortaluklevelandboardingandlodglng facilitiesshould.beimproveduponwerethemajorsuggestionsgivenbythetrainees.ennullThesis