Agriculture today faces the dual challenge of increasing food production for a growing global population while protecting the environment. The country’s rich indigenous traditions encompass ecologically balanced practices such as organic fertilization, crop rotation, pest management using natural repellents, and adaptive techniques like floating gardens in flood-prone regions. However, the increasing dominance of Western-oriented digital and mechanized farming models has often marginalized these context-specific systems of knowledge. Through an extensive review of literature, case studies, and policy documents, this study highlights how blending ITK with digital innovations—such as mobile-based advisory services, artificial intelligence (AI) pest detection, smart irrigation systems, and GIS-based soil mapping—can enhance productivity while safeguarding biodiversity and cultural heritage. The analysis underscores that ITK provides a foundation for ecological sustainability, while digital tools strengthen precision, documentation and scalability. Nevertheless, challenges including digital illiteracy, poor rural connectivity and inadequate institutional support continue to constrain effective integration. The study emphasizes the need for inclusive and participatory frameworks that recognize cognitive justice and ensure community ownership of indigenous knowledge. Key recommendations include establishing decentralized ITK documentation centres, developing multilingual digital platforms and creating participatory extension models that bridge the gap between traditional and scientific knowledge systems. Integrating ITK and digital farming is not merely a technological advancement but a pathway to achieving food security, environmental sustainability and cultural preservation in Bangladesh’s agricultural transformation journey.
Fragmentation of agricultural holdings resulted from successive land reform measures and partition in joint families lead to the formation of uneconomic holdings. It is believed that land fragmentation would result in optimal crop choice and sub-optimal usage of factor inputs i.e. technically inefficient usage, all of which would in turn lead to less than sustainable incomes for farmers and a resultant would pose a threat to food security. Therefore, various Commissions have suggested for the Consolidation of Holdings to make the scattered plots more compact. Pre and post independent India witnessed various consolidation legislations passed by different States. Consolation was crude and voluntary in the beginning, but later it was regulated by democratic legislation. Amongst various States, the legislation passed by the Punjab and Uttar Pradesh seems to be very efficient. Uttar Pradesh Consolidation Holdings Act, 1953 has been passed to consolidate the scattered agricultural holdings in Uttar Pradesh for the development of agriculture in general and attaining food security in particular. The 1953 Act, though has achieved its goal up to some extent, but it fails in other fronts. This article is an honest attempt to critically discuss the consolidation operation in India with special reference to Uttar Pradesh Consolidation Holdings Act, 1953.
In the era of digital transformation, e-learning has become integral to higher education, yet its effective adoption among agricultural students remains underexplored. This study aims to assess the attitude of undergraduate students towards e-learning, identify the influencing socio-economic factors, and analyse the extent of adoption of e-learning platforms at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala Agricultural University. A total of 120 final-year B.Sc. (Hons.) Agriculture students were surveyed using a structured and pre-tested interview schedule. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation and chi-square tests. Results revealed that 67.5 percent of students exhibit a medium level of attitude towards e-learning, while 15 percent had a high attitude. Significant positive correlations were observed between attitude and factors such as father’s education (r=0.861*), computer availability at home (r=893**), computer availability at college (r=0.962**), and internet use purpose (r=0.904**). In terms of adoption, higher proportions of students reported high relative advantage (26.67%) and compatibility (55.84%), while lower demonstrability (26.67%) and visibility 940%) indicated usability challenges. Gender differences were statistically insignificant (χ² = 0.708, p = 0.702; Cramér’s V = 0.077), though girls showed a slightly higher mean attitude (Cohen’s d = –0.4). the findings highlight that while students are technologically ready and moderately positive towards e-learning, challenges remain in enhancing use-friendliness, accessibility, and demonstrability. The study underscores future research related to the importance of strengthening institutional support and user-oriented design to foster inclusive and effective digital leaning in agricultural education.
The present study was undertaken to analyze the trend and growth rate performance of forest area as well as geographical area, dense forest,Open Forest, and Total Forest of the Banda district of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. The time series data has been collected from the Forest Survey of India, which was published by Dehradun, Uttarakhand. It is under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Government of India, from 1991-91 to 2021-22 periods. It was found that the simple and compound growth rates were -4.74 and -4.31, respectively, of the geographical area. The simple and compound growth rates of -15.54 and -13.72, respectively, of the total forest area of the Banda district were negative but significant.
This study was carried at farmer’s fields to evaluate the recommended technology enhanced the yield, return, input use and carbon yield of wheat during winter season of season 2022-23 in the Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan. In this region, wheat growers were mainly applied nitrogen and phosphorous based fertilizer, while the Zinc (Zn) deficiency was also reported in soil. So, we demonstrated 100% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) i.e. 120 N: 40 P kg/ha+ foliar application of Zn sulphate @ 6.0 kg/ha at 40 DAS at randomly selected farmer’s field and compared with farmers practices field under wheat crop. The average of examined data revealed that the wheat yield was enhanced under demonstrated fields as compared to farmers’ practices. Similarly, net realization was also recorded higher under demonstrated fields. The efficiency of applied fertilizer use, production and economics were also recorded superior with 100% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) i.e. 120 N: 40 P kg/ha+ foliar application of Zn sulphate @ 6.0 kg/ha at 40 DAS than farmer practices. The grain and straw yield were improved with application of balance fertilizer treated field as compared to farmer practice. This study concluded that the application of balance fertilizer not only improved the productivity but also enhanced the efficacy of critical input by the wheat crop.
Climate change and variability are concerns of human being. The recurrent droughts and floods threaten seriously the livelihood of billions of people who depend on land for most of their needs. The study determines the constraints experienced by the farmers in adaptability measures to climate change in Aravalli region.. The research findings revealed that (90%) of respondents said lack of information about climate change, lack of knowledge about appropriate adaptations (83.33%) and low price of the produce in market (80.83%) as the major constraints. The non availability of timely inputs (79.16%), irregularity in electricity supply (77.08%), lack of storage facility of produce, higher cost of the agricultural inputs and irregularity of extension services were the major institutional and technological constraints. The study suggested that improving information access on climate risk management, access of institutional credit facility, and capacity building programmes strengthens the famers’ adaptation capacity under changing climate.
Sabarimala, one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations in South India, receives millions of visitors each year. Millions of pilgrims gather here to bathe in the Pampa River, also known as Dakshina Kashi, and offer devotion to the deity. The temple is located in a forest area within the Periyar Tiger Reserve. The sheer number of worshipers attending the shrine creates considerable environmental issues. This study looks at the ecological consequences of pilgrimage, specifically deforestation, water pollution, and biodiversity loss in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. It examines the conflict between religious practice and environmental deterioration and evaluates the efficacy of current sustainability initiatives. The study also covers policy solutions, environmentally responsible pilgrimage practices, and community involvement in conservation activities. By emphasizing the delicate balance between faith and the environment, the study calls for sustainable pilgrimage management to ensure that Sabarimala’s hallowed territory is conserved for future generations.
Rajasthan and Gujarat, two crucial states of India, are confronting complex environmental challenges that threaten ecological stability, public health, and sustainable development. Rapid urbanization, industrial growth, and intensive farming practices have resulted in critical issues such as severe air pollution, water shortages, waste disposal problems, and loss of biodiversity. These issues are closely linked with socio-economic factors like population increase and infrastructural constraints. Although the government has introduced initiatives such as climate action plans, desert development schemes, and sanitation campaigns, shortcomings in their implementation and limited community participation hinder their full potential. This analysis highlights the importance of adopting integrated, region-specific strategies that advance ecological conservation alongside economic growth. Enhancing governance, promoting technological innovation, and increasing public awareness are essential steps toward sustainable progress.
Survey is one of the research methodologies of social-science research. Many modes such as schedule (personal interview, telephone), web questionnaire and mail/postal questionnaire are used for its progress. In this technological world, web questionnaire has become the most preferable modes of survey. Web questionnaire is send to the respondents through the e-mails attaching URL link address or with the code via network called internet. Main purpose of web questionnaire is to gather the data within short period among the large sample population access across the large areas. In India, nowadays, web questionnaire has become popular due to increase in netizens gradually. Web questionnaire has better impact on response speed and quality of data with minimal cost. Various tools are used for the preparation and implementation of web questionnaire with the automation facility i.e. database to store the response and statistical software for analytics. This tools also prompt that alert respondents when they enter implausible or incomplete answers. Thus, it is regarded as more reliable and valid than traditional methods. This paper I based on review of literature ,discussions and seminars and has been compiled for guiding the students of social sciences.
The effective legal structure for regulating genetically modified (GM) crops in India is essential to maintain a balance between agricultural advancements and environmental protection. Every individual has the right to live in a healthy and safe environment, but emerging technologies, such as genetic modifications in agriculture, pose new challenges to these rights. GM crops are increasingly recognized as a potential solution to global food shortages, which are exacerbated by climate change, frequent droughts, floods, and nutritional deficiencies. Through biotechnology, particularly genetic engineering, crops can be enhanced to improve yield efficiency, resist pests and withstand harsh climates. India primarily regulates GM crops under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, with oversight from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) formulated under 1989 rules. However, despite these frameworks, regulatory gaps persist in biosafety, transparency, and public engagement, raising concerns about unforeseen environmental effects. Unlike the large-scale monoculture farming seen in industrialized nations, India’s diverse and small-scale agricultural system requires a more careful and adaptive approach to GM technology. The interaction between GM crops and native flora presents risks to genetic diversity, especially for species native to India. This paper explores shortcomings in India’s GM crop regulation and judicial perspectives.
This manuscript explores the transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the year 2025, emphasizing its wide applications and challenges. Tracing AI’s evolution from its conceptual roots at the 1956 Dartmouth Conference, the paper highlights the rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Meta, and Deep Seek etc, which are reshaping industries & business by enabling autonomous multi support. A major milestone is the advent of multimodal AI, such as GPT 4o, GPT – 4.5 , GPT – 4.1 capable of processing and generating across text, audio, video, and images, enabling more human-like interactions. Meta(LlaMA)” is also gaining momentum, offering competitive alternatives to proprietary models and democratising innovation especially for research purposes. The integration of AI into consumer devices and its role in revolutionizing sectors such as healthcare, Agriculture, education, marketing, and scientific research underscore its pervasive influence. The proliferation of AI start-ups, business models, and strategic investments marks a global economic shift, positioning AI as a foundational platform for the internet or mobile technology. Workforce transformation is a significant theme, with job displacement in the AI era. Governments and organizations are responding with policies, training, and ethical frameworks to address the AI developments and consequences. Despite its promise, AI brings critical risks. These include job inequality, misinformation via deepfakes, privacy concerns overreliance leading to human deskilling, and cyber security threats. The write up collects the reflections and reality of AI & argues that these challenges must be addressed through transparent governance, ethical AI deployment, and public awareness.
Natural farming is a sustainable agricultural approach that primarily focuses on enhancing soil health and minimizing input costs. To gain deeper insights into this emerging practice, it was imperative to develop a knowledge test aimed at assessing the level of understanding among agricultural graduates regarding natural farming. The study was conducted in the State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) of Uttar Pradesh, and the test items were carefully crafted, keeping in mind the academic proficiency of the target respondents. An initial knowledge test comprising 48 items was developed and subjected to a relevancy assessment involving 35 experts in the fields of agronomy and extension education. Based on their evaluations, 40 items were selected for pretesting. These items were then administered to 42 agricultural graduates from locations outside the study area to avoid sampling bias. Following this, an item analysis was conducted to calculate the difficulty index, discrimination index, and point biserial correlation for each item. Items were retained for the final test if they met the following criteria: a difficulty index between 0.20 and 0.80, a discrimination index above 0.10, and a point biserial correlation significant at the 5% level. The reliability of the knowledge test was evaluated using the split-half method, yielding a reliability coefficient of 0.75, indicating satisfactory internal consistency. Based on these analyses, a total of 30 items were finalized for the natural farming knowledge test designed for agricultural graduates. This knowledge test serves as a crucial tool to identify and bridge existing knowledge gaps among agricultural graduates. It can be effectively used to inform the design of seminars, workshops, and training programs, thereby equipping future agricultural professionals with accurate and practical knowledge on natural farming.
This study discusses the role of agricultural extension systems in the development of Georgian agriculture. The aim of the work is to explain the functions of extension systems and their impact on the historical stages of agriculture, especially during the Soviet period and after independence. Archival material, statistical data and scientific literature are used to assess the development, changes and modern challenges of the systems. The study found that extension systems have made a significant contribution to the dissemination of agricultural knowledge and technologies, increasing production and strengthening the involvement of the rural population. In addition, the challenges that arose in the development of the systems have demonstrated the importance of their role in the vision of a sustainable and innovative agriculture for the future. The work is the basis for state policy and scientific research to determine and implement strategic directions of agricultural development.
Climate change is a pressing global threat that disrupts ecosystems, human livelihoods, and well-being showing differences among extreme weather events. Climate change increases the vulnerability among fishing communities and coastal populations in India, especially in Kerala, whose livelihoods are heavily dependent on marine and coastal resources. In this regard, gender becomes a significant determinant of how people view, adapt to, and reduce climate hazards. This study looked at how climate literacy affects older citizens’ and knowledge, attitude, practice (KAP), in a few coastal settlements in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram District. A purposive sample of 150 respondents who were 60 years of age or older was used to gather data, which was done using a structured interview, climate literacy checklist, KAP scales. The results indicate that although both sexes had high levels of knowledge and favourable views towards climate change, their practices remained modest, with women demonstrating greater awareness and men taking more adaptive actions. While women had comparatively better levels of knowledge, men had much higher levels of climate literacy. In order to improve adaptation and mitigation tactics in vulnerable coastal areas, the insights gained from the study emphasises the necessity of gender-sensitive policies, climate literacy initiatives, and inclusive community-based interventions.
The International Day of Rural Women is celebrated on October 15 every year which highlights the crucial role rural women play in agriculture, food security, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development. As farmers, caregivers, and community leaders, they manage crops, livestock, and natural resources, preserve traditional knowledge, and adapt to climate change. Despite their contributions, rural women face challenges such as limited access to land, education, healthcare, and financial resources, along with triple household and community responsibilities. Literacy among rural women in India has improved significantly, rising from 4.87% in 1951 to 57.93% in 2011, reflecting efforts to empower them through education and skill development. Initiatives like Bio-resource Centres engage women in converting household and agricultural waste into vermicompost, promoting organic farming, reducing pollution, generating employment, and sustaining biodiversity knowledge. Complementing these efforts, Bihar’s Lohia Swachh Bihar Abhiyan (LSBA) integrates the Swachh Bharat Mission–Gramin and Lohia Swachhata Yojana to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) villages and transition to ODF-Plus by 2025 through sanitation infrastructure, awareness campaigns, and community led waste management in which rural women play an integral part. These strategies collectively underscore the importance of women’s empowerment and community participation in achieving clean, healthy, and sustainable rural development.
The present study was undertaken to identify and analyze the constraints faced by key stakeholders engaged in Agricultural Innovation System across all seven districts of the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. A total of 280 respondents were purposively selected, comprising researchers, extensionists, In-charge of NGO, managers of supporting institutions, owners of agro-service providers, and progressive farmers. Data were collected through structured interviews and analyzed using frequency and percentage methods. The findings revealed that researchers faced major challenges such as limited access to funding for high-tech research (97.15%) and complex administrative procedure (48.57%), Extensionists reported poor farmer participation of farmers in extension activities (65.72%), while NGO in-charges cited not aware of advanced/ improved technology (74.28%). Managers of supporting institutions identified market competition (77.14%) as the most pressing issue, whereas agro-service providers emphasized short supply of inputs in critical time (80.00%) and absence of government assistance (75.71%). Progressive farmers highlighted the improved/ latest farm equipment are expensive (94.28%) and lack of location-specific scientific technologies (88.57%). The study concludes that financial constraints, weak institutional support, inadequate training, and poor access to technology are the recurring barriers across all stakeholder categories. Addressing these challenges through policy reforms, capacity building, and stronger institutional linkages is essential to strengthen the agricultural innovation system and accelerate sustainable agricultural development in the Bundelkhand region.
This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the silk industry’s growth in Assam over the past 27 years, focusing on the promotion of sericulture-based entrepreneurship. Assam’s unique silk fabrics have earned global recognition due to their distinctive textures, designs and traditional beauty. While factory-made silk remains in high demand, Assam’s handloom silk retains its allure owing to its individuality and character. Despite this burgeoning demand, Assam’s silk production has struggled to capitalize on its industry potential. This study examines the growth of raw silk production, the functions of the silk value chain, challenges faced by farmers, and strategies for catapulting the silk industry in the state towards greater heights.
Agribusiness is the backbone of Indian economy. A successful agribusiness requires a suitable organisational set up. Hence selecting a suitable enterprise for a particular agribusiness is vital for a successful profit-oriented venture. It is essential for a prospective entrepreneur that apart from the other factors he should take into consideration before establishing an agribusiness venture, should keep in mind their legal aspect also. The knowledge of legal aspects of different kinds of agribusiness organisation will enable him to take a right decision while selecting a particular form of organisation. A suitable Agribusiness organization not only will facilitate the ease of doing agribusiness but also will help the entrepreneur to earn the desired profit.
The study examined the constraints to Agricultural Marketing Information (AMI) accessibility among cassava and maize farmers in Oyo State. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 143 respondents. Data on respondents’ access to AMI, purpose and constraint to access AMI, and selected personal characteristics were analysed with percentage, Weighted Mean Score (WMS), Chi-square, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) at 0.05. The result showed that the respondents were adults (65.2%), farming as primary occupation (82.5%), with other sources of income being trading (30.1%). The respondents’ land ownership techniques were the family system (58.0%), with the use of hired labourers (72.0%). The most interpersonal access to AMI was friends and family (WMS=197.9); with the most accessible ICT-based AMI being Radio (WMS=172.0), which was high for 60.1% of the respondents. Pre-planting operation ranked first among the purposes of accessing AMI on farm input sources survey (WMS=181.1), followed by post-harvest AMI on transportation of produce (WMS=166.4) and production AMI on crop cultivation (WMS=158.0). However, the most constraining factor to AMI accessibility was inadequate finance (179.0) and insufficient incentives (160.8); which was low for 51.7% of the respondents. There was a significant relationship between respondents’ secondary occupation (r=34.774), primary occupation (r=19.518), constraint to AMI (r=0.670), and access to AMI. The study concludes that inadequate availability of funds and incentives hinder the respondents’ access to AMI Hence, respondents’ resources should be pulled together for better access to AMI.
The best way to write a scientific paper is to know about technical communication. This type of communication is crucial but the skill is not common among many young faculties and research scholars.Realizing this problem among university students, the Department of agricultural extension made a massive campaign to educate young faculties and PhD scholars on research writing through the IoE project, of Banaras Hindu University. In this project, different workshops were conducted to enhance the knowledge and skill of technical writing among the scholars. In the first phase, workshops were conducted inthe Faculty of Visual Arts, Department of German Studies, Department of Home science, Department of Geology, Department of Extension Education,Faculty of Ayurveda, and Institute of Science through collaboration with experienced instructor and of scientific writing on technical communication. Seven days’ workshop were conducted in every Faculties.Data were collected through questionnaire before starting of the workshop and after completion of the workshops.Approximately 210 scholars attended the research paper writing in the whole workshop. Conducted during 2021-2022 Subjects covered in the training was on research paper writing, descriptive data analysis using MS-EXCEL&SPSS software, academic writing and publication, communication skills, capacity building in scientific writing & communication skills.By administering self-evaluation questionnaires immediately before and after each session, students’ confidence, skill and familiarity with the research writing skills were evaluated. It was found that the workshop was effective in enhancing the participants’ knowledge, abilities, and self assurance regarding specific technical writing skills in their respective disciplines. We conclude that a brief, structured workshop can enhance the confidence and knowledge of bachelor’s, master’s, and research students, thereby better preparing them for the writing challenges they face in their professional life. This paper elaborates the change in their knowledge, attitude and skills towards confidence, research writing and academic publications.
