Perceived Appropriateness of Information and Beneficiary Characteristics under Kisan Mobile Sandesh

Abstract

Research was conducted in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh to assess the role of Kisan Mobile Sandesh (KMS) in providing agricultural information to farmers. An ex-post-facto research design was adopted, and a total of 117 registered beneficiaries were randomly selected from 12 villages across two purposively chosen blocks. Data were collected using a structured, pre-tested interview schedule and analyzed with the help of percentages. Findings revealed that the majority of beneficiaries were young (58.12%), educated up to higher secondary level (46.15%), and dependent solely on farming (70.94%). Nearly half (49.57%) had medium landholdings and more than half (55.56%) belonged to families with more than five members. Most respondents fell into the medium annual income group (47.01%). Regarding psychological and behavioral variables, a higher percentage of beneficiaries reported high perception towards KMS (45.30%), medium cosmopoliteness (49.57%), high economic motivation (43.59%) and high information-seeking behavior (41.88%). With respect to message appropriateness, 45.30% of beneficiaries considered the information appropriate, 32.48% most appropriate and 22.22% less appropriate. Differential perception analysis further indicated that beneficiaries with higher perception were more likely to rate messages as appropriate or most appropriate. Overall, KMS was found to be an effective ICT-based extension tool in bridging knowledge gaps, improving access to timely information and supporting informed decision-making in agriculture.