Utilization Pattern of Information Communication Technology (ICT) among Agricultural Scientists

Scientists of State Agricultural Universities are continuously engaged in teaching, research and extension activities. Development of agricultural scientists can expedite the development of agriculture in the country. Professional growth of scientists can be enhanced by acquiring current information through the use of modern means of communication, mainly through Information Communication Technologies (ICT). ICT is defined as the combination of hardware and software for efficient management of information, that is storage, retrieval, processing and communication, for social, economical and cultural development. A research study was conducted among 106 scientists of GBPUA&T, Pantnagar to analyze their extent and pattern of utilization of ICT tools and its relationship with their personal characteristics. The study revealed that most commonly used ICT tools by the scientists were telephone, computer, internet and e-mail. They used ICTs mainly for sending/receiving e-mail, professional networking and downloading information from the internet, writing research papers, updating teaching notes, preparing presentations and developing projects and tests for the students. During the research, it was realized that there is a need to strengthen existing facilities and infrastructure related to ICTs. The specialized training courses should be organized to enhance scientists’ skills of using ICTs.