Factors encouraging information and communication technologies (ICTS) usage to kvks scientists of madhya pradesh and chhattisgarh

The agricultural production in India increased due to factors like bringing additional area under cultivation, extension of irrigation facilities, use of better quality seeds, advanced techniques like high yielding varieties, water management and plant protection practices. Now imagine a scene where every aspect of yielding crops, right from selection of quality seeds to threshing of crop is aided by updated and improved technology. All we need to do is exploit the resources of ICT and intertwine it with yield of crops thereby enhancing quality and quantity of crops in India. The mission is to make cost effective ICT based systems. These technologies besides improving the accessibility of the information for the farmers makes it possible for the providers of the extensional services to compete in a better and healthier environment. ICTs can be used to increase effectiveness and efficiency of extension system. Krishi Vigyan Kendra's (KVK) scientists are playing a proactive role in transferring new technology at field level with beneficial impacts. So, in this era of information revolution, the KVKs Scientists should be encouraged to use ICTs for different extension activities and field works. Hence, a research study was undertaken for 304 scientists working in different KVKs in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, to find out the factors encouraging to KVKs Scientists for ICTs usage. The findings of the study indicate that among economic factors encouraging ICT usage, provision of grants to buy ICTs, with 3.58 MS, obtained first rank as it was perceived most important by 66.83 per cent of respondents, While in case of facilitating factors, availability of sufficient number of ICT tools, with 3.48 MS, was on first rank. Investments of the institution/university on infrastructure for ICTs got second rank, with 3.39 MS and lastly among the social & psychological factors and technical factors, adequate familiarity and expertise in ICT and Inservice training for using/producing ICTs, was on first rank respectively and perceived most important by KVKs scientists.