Home Science Extension and Rural Development

HOME SCEINCE EXTENSION AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Lesson 26:Intensive Agricultural Era

Limitations

The major short comings of T&V system observed in Indian setting are

1. Factionalism: The selections of contact framers had been mostly biased leading to factionalism among the villages. Since extension workers often met the contact farmers and extended the facilities, therefore, this group had assumed elite status whereby distance between contact farmers and other farmers had increased. The majority felt left out and thus had developed negative attitude which reflected in carrying out developmental activities.
2. Excessive reliance on word of mouth: The system relied on inter personal communication only. The success of transfer of technology depends on a multimedia approach. As this dimension had been neglected by the system, it suffered from distortion/loss of the messages.
3. Repetitive information creates disinterest: The change agents did not take interest in the training programmes. Training programmes had become a ritual.
4. Male orientation: The system reached the male family head only. It neglected the other family members like farm women, youth and grown up children, whose role in agricultural production is substantial and widely recognized.
5. Lack of competency: The system emphasized on technical competency only. Unfortunately that too had suffered the serious causality due to non-seriousness on the part of trainers as well as trainees throughout the system. These change agents lacked economic, social, communication and scientific competencies significantly, hence their efforts of transferring technology had been imperfect.