N. B. JadavPANKAJ KUMAR MEGHWAL2021-06-052021-06-052019-09https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810169635The specialists of information and communication technologies have appreciated that mobile is the most suitable device for improving the knowledge, creating general awareness and speedy learning amongst the farmers because it reaches a large number of people at a very low charge and become a requirement in the present-day society irrespective of age, status, profession, income groups or place of residence. With this consideration, the problem entitled “Assessment of Mobile Communication Technologies in Adoption of Information and Farmers Decision Making Process” was undertaken. Ex-post facto research design was followed. The present investigation covered three districts of the Saurashtra Region of Gujarat. A multistage sampling method was used with a sample size of 240 respondents. In this study, a scale was developed, which can scientifically measure perception of the farmers about role of mobile in decision making process in agriculture. The statistical measures such as frequency, percentage, arbitrary method, one sample test of kurtosis & skewness, correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were used. In respect to profile characteristics, nearly half (49.58 per cent) of the respondents were from middle age category, majority (65.00 per cent) of the respondents were having high school level education, highest per cent (36.26 per cent) amongst the respondents had small land holding, 60.83 per cent of the respondents were from income group of Rs. up to 1,00,000/-, about fifty per cent (48.75 per cent) of the respondents had medium level of social participation, more than fifty (56.25 per cent) of the respondents were in above 15 years category of farming experience, majority (61.25 per cent) of the respondents had medium level of attitude towards social media use, 51.67 per cent respondents received short duration training, majority (77.08 per cent) of the respondents had every day exposure of internet facility, majority (79.59 per cent) of the respondents were in medium to high information needs category, nearly half (47.92 per cent) of the respondents were from middle innovativeness category, more than fifty per cent (52.50 per cent) of respondent were in medium category of scientific orientation, majority (65.42 per cent) of the respondents were from medium risk orientation category and majority (62.91 per cent) of the respondents were from high to very high knowledge about mobile features.ii Regarding perception of the farmers about role of mobile in decision making process in agriculture, it was found that more than fifty per cent (51.67 per cent) of the respondents were from high perception of the farmers about role of mobile in decision making process in agriculture category followed by 30.00 per cent, 14.58 per cent, 2.50 per cent and 1.25 per cent respondents falling under very high, medium, low and very low perception of the farmers about role of mobile in decision making process in agriculture category respectively. The data on adoption of information revealed that, exactly forty per cent (40.00 per cent) of the respondents were from high adoption category followed by 38.33 per cent, 11.25 per cent, 5.42 per cent and 5.00 per cent respondents falling under medium, very high, low and very low adoption category respectively. Out of twenty three independent variables; annual income, occupation, extension agency contact, achievement motivation, attitude towards social media use, frequency of internet use, mass media participation, cosmopoliteness, attitude towards ICTs, information needs, innovativeness, scientific orientation, risk orientation, economic motivation and knowledge were found having highly significant and positive relationships with perception of the farmers about role of mobile in decision making process in agriculture at 0.01 level of significance. Twelve independent variables viz., annual income, occupation, social participation, extension agency contact, achievement motivation, frequency of internet use, availability of ICT tools, cosmopoliteness, innovativeness, scientific orientation, risk orientation and economic motivation were found having highly significant and positive relationships with adoption of information at 0.01 level of significance. The important constraints given by respondents were poor network coverage/poor connectivity, non - availability of updated contents in local language and language barrier to operate/use the mobile services & applications; In case of suggestions, continuous accessible network services should be made available in rural areas, information should be offered in understandable local language and mobile call from service providers should be done according to suitable timing of farmers in short & simple form.EnglishThesis