A Study on the Need for Rural Information Centers in the Villages of Tamil Nadu (original) (raw)

Setting up village community information centres for farmers of Odisha: a pilot project at Deogaon block of Balangir district

In present day agriculture system so many tools and technologies are being used for maximum productivity and in a short period of time. Farmers' proper knowledge about the seeds, breeding, fertilizer, irrigation system etc. has made them thrice times profitable from the same land. So proper information plays an important role in recent days farming. In the present survey an attempt has been made to identify the sources and areas of information need of the farmers community in rural areas of Deogaon block of Balangir district and their approaches towards setting up of Village Community Information Centres (VCIC). The survey is a questionnaire based pilot survey which has revealed the age group and educational qualification of the farmer, their preferred sources of information, main areas of information needs, recommendations in establishment of village community information centres etc.

Information and Knowledge System through Village Resource Centre and Village Knowledge Centres in TamilNadu and Puducherry, India. *Address for correspondence

Information is becoming increasingly important factor in the era of globalization. Access to information is uneven due to rapid development of technologies, poor awareness, social and economic conditions and a range of other factors. Increasing information divide among people, over a period of time, is likely to bring about economic and social divides and hence a potential source of tension in society. The M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) based in Chennai had undertaken pioneering work in this area by addressing the need for bridging the information divide among rural and urban areas and among various sections of rural society through a network of Village Knowledge Centres (VKCs). Each VKC is located in a village and mostly consist of a few computers, electronic display boards and other information and communication equipment strategically housed to enable easy access to large sections of rural society.The model developed by MSSRF has been quite successful and the idea has impressed policy makers in India and several developing countries. The Common Service Centres (CSCs) promoted by the Government of India is a well known example of adoption of the template developed by MSSRF. Several institutions and corporate houses have also made use of these models for pursuing some of their strategic and commercial objectives. ABSTRACT SPECIAL ARTICLE Indian Journal Of Natural Sciences www.tnsroindia.org. © IJONS Vol.4 / Issue 21/ December 2013 International Bimonthly

INFORMATION REQUREMENTS OF RURAL PEOPLE IN KERALA AND RELEVENCE OF COMMUNITY INFORMATION CENTRES.

Through a questionnaire survey the study analyses the information requirements of the rural people in Kerala and relevance of community information centres in each panchayat. The statistical techniques used for analysis of the data were arithmetic mean and standard deviation. The study indicates that the rural people in Kerala are enjoying most of the information sources available in the present society and mass media is the most satisfied information source for them. According to the study the rural people showed their deep interest in the concept of community information centres in their panchayat. The article concludes that in order to meet all the information requirements of the village people a well organized information centre in rural areas of Kerala is essential.

Factors associated with utilization of ICT enabled Village Information Centres by the dairy farmers in India: The case of Tamil Nadu

Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 2013

In India, a large number of innovative initiatives in the area of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been undertaken by the government, non-governmental and private sectors to provide Information Technology services to agrarian community. In spite of the number of projects oriented towards the transfer of technologies through ICTs, still the acceptability and utilization of ICTs are very low in the rural areas. Hence an attempt was made to identify the factors associated with utilization of ICT enabled the Village Information Centre by the dairy farmers of Tamilnadu. The major Village Information Centers established by Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and n-Logue communication representing Government, Non-Government and Private Initiators respectively were selected purposefully for the study. A total of 270 respondents comprising of 180 users and 90 non-users of these centres constituted the sample for the study. The data were collected by using well constructed pre-tested interview schedule. The multiple linear regression analysis was applied to assess the factors associated with the VIC usage level in the study area. The regression functions were fitted separately for the VIC usage level by the beneficiaries of the three organizations and the pooled data for the overall beneficiaries in the study area. For the overall VIC usage level, only two variables i.e., Land holding and the knowledge level of the farmers were significantly associated with the VIC usage level at the 0.01 level of probability and the regression coefficient for this variable was positively related to the VIC usage level. Herd size was significantly associated with the VIC usage level at the 0.05 level of probability and the regression coefficient for this variable was positively related to the VIC usage level. The variable, income of the farmers was significantly associated with the VIC usage level at the 0.01 level of probability and the regression coefficient for this variable was negatively related to the VIC usage level. The study concludes that the dairy farmers with higher land holding size had bigger dairy herd size as well, which necessitate good knowledge on dairy farming so that exposure to VICs is more than that of the other beneficiaries with lesser land holdings. Higher usage levels of VIC information contribute to knowledge gain which in turn contributed to the effectiveness of VICs among the beneficiaries irrespective of type of VICs initiatives.

Web-Based Agricultural Community Information Services in India

The article investigates Web-based information and online portals which provide relevant and accurate information for agricultural community in India. In this paper an attempt is being made here to highlight the web-based Agricultural information services. Emphasis has been given on the needs of agricultural community information services and their specific purposes. It also discusses the availability of resources and infrastructure for disseminating agricultural information in rural area. Point out the skill and knowledge which is required to access the information. Problems have been identifying that have to face at accessing information by agriculture community.

Information Technology in Rural India

International Journal of Modern Engineering Research (IJMER), 2014

Communication is one of the major components and driving force for the development of rural areas in India. Communication can be done in many ways among them conventionally communication includes electronic media, human communication and in the present days Information technology (IT). Villagers also have their own information needs. They need to know about their village, their districts, natural resources around them, about seasons and monsoons, about market rates of different commodities and about government schemes. They also need to know how much money is being allocated for rural development in their area and how much is being spent. And all these so-called bits of information are related intensely to their lives and livelihood. A connected PC is an effective tool to do all this and much more.

Rural Library as Community Information Service Centres at the Villages

Indian journal of information sources and services, 2013

The role of knowledge and information as inputs to development has been recognized and accepted beyond debate. In the age of Information Technology (IT) Revolution, information centres could prove to be the propellers of development in IT powered which fruits of development may take shape. Thus they may function as womb of developmental activities. Trickledown effect may certainly start from these information centres. It is thus quite obvious that rural libraries may play vital role to boost development by disseminating information related to agriculture, marketing, and health and hygiene etc. The rural libraries in West Bengal that are lying almost defunct in many cases may be reshaped as village information centre to meet the need of country men in west Bengal and other parts of India too.

Information Needs and Seeking Behavior of Farmers by Local Information Sources in Kakati Village of Belagavi District in Karnataka State: A Study

2018

Agriculture is the backbone of Indian Economy. Farmers maintain their livelihood by selling crops, marketing these items in local market. Information Seeking Behaviour of farmers are considered for proper planning and policy making Information has been a very important element in the development of human society. It has shaped the way in which people think and act. All human beings to take decisions in their routine lives and to get the positive result out of it use information. Therefore the Need for right information at the right time is of utmost importance. All the human activities are directed towards information-producing and information-consuming practices. Introduction: Information has been a very significant sequence in the evolution of human society. It has carved the way in which people think and act. All human beings to take decisions in their day today lives and to get the favour result out of it use information. So, the need for right information at the right time is o...