Role of ICT Institutions in Enhancing Productivity, Knowledge and Innovativeness of Farmers: A Case Study of ISRO Village Resource Centers

Space technology and Information communication technologies are state of the art technologies of modern civilization. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), with the intention of disseminating knowledge of any kind to rural masses using advances of information communication technologies in space research, has envisaged the Village Resource Centre (VRC) concept in the year 2004. ISRO's VRC conduct interactive programmes on a regular basis in the areas of, agriculture, water resources, tele - health care, awareness programmes, skill development/vocational training for livelihood support etc., are connected to knowledge producing institutions like Universities, development institutes, hospitals and other institutions in association with NGOs/Trusts and state/central agencies. The purpose of this study is to empirically analyze the role of VRCs in enhancing productivity, level of knowledge and innovation performances of farmer community. The specific objectives of present study was: 1) to understand the level productivity of VRC attending farmers 2) to understand the level of knowledge of VRC attending farmers and 3) to understand the innovativeness of VRC attending farmers. The study has conducted in Meppadi Panchayath (11°33’38.24"N, 76° 8’31.32"E) in Kerala State. Findings of the study show that the impact of new developmental intervention through Village Resource Centers are significant in the level of knowledge diffusion, innovativeness, and productivity of farming communities, and are quantitatively measured. There is a significant reduction of information inequality among the people and noticed the emergence of a new socioeconomic relationship. It is understood from the study that the farmers are keenly interested in increasing their knowledge day by day and as a result of trying to increase their income from farming. VRC's plays a vital role in improving the quality of life in villages by providing new knowledge to the farmer community. The VRCs are connecting the knowledge between the experts and the village community and making it to reach the doorsteps of common man, in local language.