The document discusses the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in agricultural development. It notes that ICT can play a crucial role in delivering information to stakeholders in India's vast and diverse agricultural sector. The document reviews several ICT initiatives in India that have helped disseminate information to rural communities. It also discusses farmers' information needs and how ICT can meet those needs by providing access to topics like best practices, market prices, and training materials. Overall, the document argues that ICT empower farmers and can improve agricultural productivity through better information sharing and delivery of extension technologies.

2. Arvind Kumar Jhajharia
Assistant Professor
Department of Extension Education
COA, Bikaner
ICT initiatives in AgriculturalICT initiatives in Agricultural
DevelopmentDevelopment

3. CONTENTS
•Introduction
•Significance of
Problems
•Review of Literature
•Conclusion

4. INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION
•India as knowledge superpower.India as knowledge superpower.
•Create knowledge societiesCreate knowledge societies
•Knowledge as a powerful tool toKnowledge as a powerful tool to
drive societal transformation.drive societal transformation.
•To preserve and protect traditionalTo preserve and protect traditional
wisdomwisdom

5. • Agriculture continues to be back
bone of Indian economy
• ICTs can play a crucial role in
information delivery in a vast and
diverse country.
• Knowledge has now been
recognized as a major factor of
production.

6. • ICTs can play a major role in
delivery of knowledge to all the
stakeholders’
• Agriculture Extension, in the current
scenario of rapidly changing world
has been emerged as an essential
input in modern precision farming.

7. ICT has significantICT has significant
advantage in:advantage in:
•Societal TransformationSocietal Transformation
• Economic DevelopmentEconomic Development
• Strengthening of KnowledgeStrengthening of Knowledge

8. Mix of computer and communicationMix of computer and communication
technologies.technologies.
 Used for gathering, processing, storing,Used for gathering, processing, storing,
retrieving information.retrieving information.
 Computer and communication technologiesComputer and communication technologies
are two supporting pillars.are two supporting pillars.
 Reduces the skew in knowledgeReduces the skew in knowledge
distribution.distribution.
ICT-Meaning

9. It is a firm view of the govt.It is a firm view of the govt.
that if any technology canthat if any technology can
create new opportunity tocreate new opportunity to
bridge the gap betweenbridge the gap between
‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ in the‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ in the
present time, it is ICT.present time, it is ICT.
(Directorate of Extension,(Directorate of Extension,
2002)2002)

10. CONCEPT OF ICTs
Information and
Communication
Technologies
are those technologies that can
be used to interlink information
technology devices (such as
personal computers, digital
cameras, digital video cameras
and players, slide projectors ,
television) with communication
technologies such as telephones
and the telecommunication
networks.

11. • ICTs posses vast potential to improve
agricultural research, education and
extension management by reducing the
time and space barriers.
• Worldwide ,ICTs are gaining
prominence in all teaching, research
and outreach programs of the
agricultural institutions.

12. • ICT skills are currently of great interest to
governments, businesses and individual.
• ICT stands the chances to be counted
first for the emerging opportunities and
challenges.

13. ICT efforts in India:.ICT efforts in India:.
• According to the Tenth five yearAccording to the Tenth five year
plan:-plan:-
• Twenty five percent of the fundsTwenty five percent of the funds
allocated to state extension plan areallocated to state extension plan are
meant for augmenting ICT formeant for augmenting ICT for
information dissemination.information dissemination.

14. Union Ministry of Communication
& Information Technology
• Ten point agenda of the Union
Ministry of Communication &
Information Technology has
claimed ICT to be of extreme
importance for bringing about
all round economic
development.

15. STATEMENT OF ICT
• This is a era of globalization.
• Agriculture turning to be a profitable
enterprise.
• So, it demands competency in
Agriculture education.
• Need arises for developing positive
attitude towards technology.

16. • GOI, State Govt. funding is
increasing for the ICT
infrastructure.
• e-governance & ICT networking
becoming talk of the day.

17. More importantly, it is
expected that ICT would be
fully integrated into the
academic curriculum in
order to prepare students for
the world of work.

18. ICT Initiative Projects in India
 Initiated by private organization, co-operative bodies and government
for agricultural and rural development.
 Major initiative projects are :
1. Gyandoot, Madhya Pradesh.
2. Warana Wired Village Project, Maharashtra.
3. Information Village Project of MSSRF, Pondichery.
4. Ikisan Project, Andhra Pradesh.
5. Tarahaat, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
6. Bhoomi Project, Karnataka.
7. Sristi, Gujarat.
8. Milk Collection Centres, Gujarat.
9. e-Choupal, Madhya Pradesh.
10. Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), Gujarat.

19. REVIEW OF
LITERATURE
1. Knowledge and Information age:
• Munyua (2000) suggested that
knowledge and information are
basic ingredients of food security
and are essential for facilitating
rural development and bringing
about social and economic
change.

20. • Aneeja and Shenoy (2002) revealed
that ICT is a powerful tool for the
effective dissemination of information
or knowledge gained across different
areas. The basic function of the ICT is
amalgamating local knowledge
incubated by the communities with
information existing in remote database
and in public domain to herald
formation of knowledge society.

21. • Singh and Salooja (2004)
noted that ICT has the potential
to improve the access to and
benefits from rural poor, as well
as creating a more informed
policy environment. Use of ICT
in every sphere of life, it will
continue to influence every facet
of human endeavor in the
knowledge era.

22. • Shenoy and Banerjee (2005) stated that
ICT in the field of agriculture, knowledge
networking is going to make big
differences in the life of farmers of the
developing world. ICTs could provide
farmers, farm related information such as
best package of practices, weather
forecasting, access to credit, price and
availability of farm input, market
information etc.

23. 2. New ICT’s:
Amadhavalli(1996) found that
ICT is a broad term that
includes the use of computers,
telecommunication and office
systems in all aspects of
information flows from collection
to packaging and dissemination.

24. • Forno (1999) revealed that
traditional media and new ICT’s
have played a major role in
diffusing information to rural
communities and have much
more potential. There is a need to
connect rural communities,
research and extension networks
and provides access to the much
needed knowledge, technology
and services.

25. • Balit (2003) said that with new
ICT’s, rural communities can acquire
the capacity to improve their living
conditions and become motivated
through training and dialogue with
other to a level where they are
empowered and they make decision
for their own-development.

26. • Dhaka and Mann (2004)
defined that ICT is a recent and
comprehensive term, which
described the whole range of
process for generation, storage
transmission, retrieval and
processing of information in a
desirable manner.

27. 3. Information needs of Farmers:
• Ahmed (1998) reported that most of the
respondents (83.42 percent) were
satisfied by the training programmer
with a proper balance of the theory and
practical. Designing training kit with
adequate emphasis on practical and
having a good mix of theory and
practical was recommended.

28. • Rao and Reddy (2005) reported that the
most expressed areas of training are, dose
and method of application of manures
and fertilizers, improved pests and
diseases, their control, improved varieties,
planting techniques and optimum plant
population, suitable soils, irrigation
intervals and method of irrigation,
harvesting and processing, suitable
months for planting in case of mango
production technology.

29. ON-LINE LEARNING
Petrova and Sinclair(2005) proposed
organizational formats developed to
accommodate the new educational
paradigm need to be managed
carefully in order to avoid early
disillusionment and subsequent failure
of students to realize the full education
potential of on-line and e-learning.

30. Conclusion
ICT empowers farmers, rationalize
supply chain and improve
productivity.
ICT also facilitate research and
development and information sharing
on agricultural, farm extension
technologies and approaches.