Badiger, ChhayaAshwini R.2021-10-282021-10-282016-06https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810177465Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) is a female health volunteer who will create awareness on health and mobilize the community towards the utilization of existing local health services. She is a grass root level worker in the success of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) which depends on her work efficiency. Therefore, there is a need to assess the knowledge and skills of these workers on issues relating to maternal and child health. The study was carried out in five PHCs (Primary Health Centres) of Dharwad taluk i.e., Mugad, Byahatti, Morab, Gudigeri, and Mishrikoti with a total sample size of 150. A structured interview schedule was used to elicit the information and collected data was analysed by using suitable statistical tools. The study revealed that, majority (64.67 %) of the ASHAs belonged to young age, 78.67 per cent of themwere living in nuclear type of family and 78.00 per cent of them belonged to forward caste. Majority (94.67 %) of them was married and 71.33 per cent were educated up to high school. A large majority (92.00 %) of them had semi- medium income within a range of Rs.1,001- Rs.2,000/- and slightly more than half (53.33 %) had completed 6 years of services with medium level of urban contact (96.00 %). Less than half (46.67%) of respondents had medium level of extension participation. In addition, the overall awareness and opinion index was found 81.84 per cent and 48.38 per cent respectively. Overall knowledge observed was 83.81 per cent. This high overall knowledge was due to her more experience, job involvement, participation in training programmes, exposure to mass media, regular meetings on health. No fixed salary and getting late honorarium were the important problems expressed by 72.00 per cent of the respondents.EnglishThesis