Indian Journal of Agriculture Business

Agriculture, as the primary sector of the Indian economy, employs about two-thirds of the  Indian people and contributes approximately 20. 19% of the nation's GDP; thus, agriculture is  proudly referred to as India's backbone. The number of farms has more than doubled since the  first agriculture census 45 years ago, from 70 million in 1970 to 145 million in 2015 and counting.  This means a larger population in an ever-shrinking landholding, resulting in growing population  pressure and widespread underemployment. Farmers are frequently harmed by inefficiencies in  the transportation system. This makes them reliant on middlemen, reducing any profit (Business  World, 2022). In India, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) have arisen as a new type of  aggregation model. The Central Sector Scheme for "Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer  Producer Organisations (FPOs)" has been approved and launched by the Government of India.  Initially, one FPO is assigned to each block. So far, 7059 new FPOs produce clusters have been  assigned and formed. This study analyses the status of farmer producer companies promoted by  various agencies in India and in particular, a case study about the FPC promoted in Coimbatore  district of Tamil Nadu.

Social reform and social justice are important in the context of a fair and inclusive sustainable  development in a caste and class divided economy. Economic development can be described  in terms of output and employment. Structural change almost always corresponds to a change  in the sectoral shares. The process affects output and employment. The processes of changes  are crucial for generating sufficient wealth to improve human well-being. The changes could  also generate inequality. Government policies are essential to counteract upward pressure on  inequality and spread the benefits of development wider, from dynamic, modern activities to  other sectors of the economy. To echo Lewis, this means ‘trickle-along’ rather than trickle-down  will be the fundamental perspective to justify the development with justice. Government of Bihar  has introduced vigor in promoting social reforms and social justice in the economy.  The growth process in Bihar is due to stepped-up development expenditure which was almost  doubled. This growth is to garner resources for public investment either for service delivery  or for economic transformation. The nature of structural transformation can be visualized by  the movement of workers from lower-productivity to higher-productivity activities which has  long been regarded as an essential feature of rapid and sustainable growth. It will shift towards  integrated and inclusive governance and the emergence of functional, societal accountable public  institutions at all levels. Mission-oriented science and innovation do not end at proposing the  implementation of transformative action, but must be actively engaged in the tracking, analysing,  understanding and course-correcting of changes set in motion, so that the dynamics of change  can be nudged in overall desirable directions. The present study aims at analyzing the complex  issues around implementing the policies of inclusive sustainable development with social justice  and social reforms.

Academic libraries and information centers play important roles as sources of valuable records,  which help to meet the information needs of the society. In modern settings, these centers are  often equipped with state of the art information technology (IT) resources in order to facilitate  information acquisition, dissemination and access to resources domiciled in remote repositories  which where beforehand not possible. This paper demonstrates that effective use of Information  Technology (IT) will enhance the current operations of university library and assist the library  users to carry out their various activities in the library.  The strength of the academic library lies in the strength of its services through which it  can ensure effective use of its information resources and play its role in fulfilling objectives of  education.

This study aims to explore the entrepreneurial skills of undergraduate students at a state  agricultural university in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Entrepreneurial skills play a vital  role in identifying opportunities, acquiring resources, and taking decisive action for success.  Enterprise education focuses on developing an enterprising mindset and skills across various  contexts, enhancing employability and benefiting individuals, the workforce, the community,  and the economy. Understanding the entrepreneurial skills of undergraduate students can  provide valuable insights for improving skill levels and promoting entrepreneurship. This  research investigates the socio-personal, economic, psychological, and communication  characteristics of the students, as well as their risk orientation. Additionally, the study examines  the relationship between independent variables, such as motivation, self-confidence, and self efficacy, and entrepreneurial intentions. The findings from this study will contribute to designing  more effective entrepreneurship education programs and support systems, as well as informing  government policies to encourage entrepreneurial activity among undergraduate students.

Clean and safe potable water is the basic necessity for sustenance of healthy human life. Ground  water considered to be the safest among various sources of water, ironically, has been polluted  with variety of contaminants. In the present preliminary assessment, an attempt was made to  verify the drinking water quality of samples collected from Chetak Vihar colony, Jamdoli, Jaipur.  Parameters studied includes gross sensory examination and biochemical attributes of water like  pH, chloride, total hardness, fluoride, nitrate, iron, and residual (free) chlorine contents present in  the samples. The parameters were compared with the Indian Standard Specifications for drinking  water (IS10500-1983). All the parameters evaluated were in the prescribed limit except, for total  hardness, and nitrate contents of one sample. The values of total hardness and nitrate content  were comparatively higher in one of the samples i. e. 625 mg/L, and 100 mg/L, respectively.  The increased total hardness and nitrate content above the recommended level may leads to  severe health complications in humans and animals and is a matter of great concern from the  public health point of view. Therefore, we suggest regular screening of drinking water samples  particularly for possible contaminants with a need to take appropriate measures to safeguard  human and animal health.

Agriculture farm enterprises comprise of cultivation of multiple crops such as field crops (cereals and millets), horticultural crops (fruits, vegetables, flowers and plantation crops) and commercial crops (cotton and sugarcane) etc., along with sericulture (mulberry), livestock, poultry etc. Diversification in agriculture reduces income risk to farmers and increases the returns. This study was conducted in the selected 3 taluks/blocks of Kolar district in Eastern Dry Zone of Karnataka. Agriculture and allied enterprises comprising dairy and livestock, sericulture and crops such as tomato, cabbage, carrot, mango, beans, potato, marigold, cotton, ragi etc. was a common practice in the study area. Different sources of income of the sample farmers and the risk involved in them were analyzed and tabulated. The least risk was in sericulture at 64. 55 percent in Malur taluk followed by 57. 73 percent in Mulbagal and 7 percent from Srinivasapura taluk. It showed that income from sericulture was significant and a rise led to the decrease in income risk for farmers. The cost and returns of sericulture enterprise is divided into two parts namely mulberry cultivation and silkworm cocoon rearing. The average area under mulberry cultivation was 1. 88, 1. 42 and 2. 00 acres growing V-1 variety of mulberry in Malur, Mulbagal and Srinivaspura taluks, respectively. The total cost per crop of mulberry was lowest at Rs. 46875 in Mulbagal taluk followed by Rs. 58137 in Malur taluk and Rs. 58822 in Srinivaspura taluk (2016-17 prices). On an average, four crops were taken up in a year. The average shed size for rearing silk worms was 1400 sq. ft. in Malur taluk, 375 sq. ft. in Mulbagal talukand 600 sq. ft. in Srinivaspura taluk. The total cost of rearing one cycle of silkworm was Rs. 66354, Rs. 65621 and Rs. 60786 in Malur, Mulbagal and Srinivaspura taluks, respectively. Average cocoon yield was 280, 300 and 240 kgs with a total return of Rs. 61600, Rs. 54000 and Rs. 38400 in Malur, Mulbagal and Srinivaspura taluks, respectively. On an average, 2 rearing in Malur, 4 and 5 rearing in Mulbagal and Srinivaspura taluks were taken up. The total net return per year was Rs. 34044, Rs. 84418 and Rs. 57318 in the respective taluks. The return per rupee of expenditure was 1. 38, 1. 64 and 1. 43 in Malur, Mulbagal and Srinivaspura taluks, respectively. Therefore, sericulture income has lower Coefficient of Variation because of the stability in the flow of income. Thus it can be inferred that inclusion of sericulture enterprise along with crop cultivation leads to stability in farm income.

This study delves into the intricate landscape of perception of students of a state agricultural university towards viral social media content, offering insights into gender, mass media ownership, extent of use, sources of viral social media content, perception of students regarding viral social media content, as well as benefits and constraints. The respondents consisted of 60 post graduate students of a state agricultural university, with a slight majority of female students (56. 67%) and 43. 33 percent male students. The prevalence of smartphone ownership (95. 00%) and digital device usage (65. 00% for laptops/desktops) underscores their reliance on technology. Internet usage was widespread, with 85. 00% of students accessing it regularly. Our investigation revealed that YouTube serves as the primary source for viral social media content (85. 00%), followed by WhatsApp (68. 33%) and Instagram (66. 66%). Students exhibited diverse perceptions, with 71. 66% holding a neutral view, while 15. 00% leaned towards a negative perception, and 13. 33% maintained a positive outlook. Noteworthy benefits of viral content included its role in raising awareness (85. 00%) and fostering creativity (70. 00%). However, constraints were evident, notably the spread of false information (86. 66%) and concerns regarding addiction (65. 00%). These findings emphasize the paramount importance of promoting critical media literacy and responsible content sharing among students. In an era characterized by digital media dominance, this research enriches our understanding of how students navigate and engage with mass media and viral content, spotlighting both the opportunities and challenges they