Pooja Jena, Manoher Saryam, A.S. Tigga, Ajay Kumar Sah, Sanjay Kumar, Sailabala Dei and Meera Kumari
Abstract
Agriculture is a gigantic sector of the Indian economy as it contributes about 14.5 per cent to the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provides employment to over 60 per cent of the population. In spite of a large Indian economy, agriculture is lagging behind in many aspects and is characterized by low degree of market integration and connectivity, low accessibility of reliable and timely information to the farmers, small land holdings, non-adoption or less adoption of improved technology and so on. Competencies are defined as the ability to perform specific tasks. They are the underlying knowledge, skills, abilities, personality traits and know- how that results in effective task fulfilment. Digital competency is level of knowledge about use of Digital platforms, Skills about use of Digital platforms, attitude towards Digital platforms in agriculture for agriculture and appropriate their Utilization of Digital platforms for agriculture and ability to solution of agriculture problems. The study was conducted was Bihar state in 2023. For the present study two aspirational districts (NITI Ayog, 2018) namely Gaya, Banka and two non-aspirational district namely Patna, Bhagalpur were selected purposively. 320 respondents were randomly selected from selected districts. The result found that 40.94 percent farmers were belonged to middle age group, 34.84 percent male and 32.50 percent female farmers attained the intermediate education in the study area was found nuclear family, more than 75 percent farmers had 5 to 7 memberââ¬â¢s family size, 68.75 percent Male and 67.5 percent female farmers had 9 to 25 years farming experience, Cent percent farmers were dependent upon agriculture for annual income, 33.13 and 32.5 per cent of farmers were having 1.1-2 ha. of land, 59.38 percent male and 66.88 percent female farmers having Less than Rs. 1,00,000 Annual incomes of the family, 63.13 percent partial knowledge about internet searching in Android applications 24.06 percent knowledge about email and medium level of knowledge about Android applications. Majority of the farmers 1 to 2 days training attained at village level regarding agriculture. Government should strengthen web and mobile based applications for dissemination of information on agriculture related activities, free of cost, for the benefit of farmers and others stakeholders. Digital tools that is combination of text, audio, video, graphics and animation. So extension workers should provide information to farmers in an effective, efficient, instant, interactive and in a participatory manner.