1. International Referred Research Journal,October, 2011,ISSN-0975-3486, RNI: RAJBIL 2009/30097, VOL-III *ISSUE 25
Research Paper
National Information System For
Agricultural Science In India
October, 2011 * Patil Tushar Malharrao
* Ph.D.Research Scholar, JJT University, Jhunjhunu Raj.
Introduction: cerned with agricultural information.
India is predominantly an agricultural coun- The ICAR has established a current research informa-
try. Agriculture contributes about 45 per cent of India's tion system by creating Research Information Unit in
GNP and about 50 per cent of exports. Management of 1967. To provide a central source of information on
agricultural sector, however, is complicated by several the nature, location and status of current research,
staggering problems traceable to the vastness of the projects conducted in the country. In 1974, the Govt.
country, excessive diversification of agricultural prod- of India nominated ICAR to act as the national input
ucts, highly centralized land holdings and consider- centre for the supply of bibliographic information to
ably varying geology and hydrology over the land mass. AGRIS through its Research Information Centre
It is true that agriculture is an applied science but it has (ARIC) and it is located at the IARI building adjacent
interconnections with pure sciences, its scope is vast to the IARI campus. This centre is a significant step
and boundary lines are not clearly marked; its ramifi- towards the bibliographical control of agricultural lit-
cations run into almost all physical and biological erature but it has yet to come up to its optimum opera-
sciences and even the social science. tion. Indian input in the AGRIS system is barely 50%
The agricultural information has many as- of the national output. Thesis material which is not
pects many levels and has many peculiarities. The covered by ARIC, is covered in the Thesis Abstract
information is needed on the farmer's field and must published by the Haryana Agricultural University since
reach there, and the information must be in such a 1975. The ARI sends about 40 items every month for
package that it can be utilized at once. The primary inclusion in the AGRINDEX prepared by the AGRIS
information that is produced as a result of research is covering about 200 Indian journals, annual reports,
used by the agricultural scientists working in the labo- technical bulletins, books and conferences proceed-
ratory. The extension workers chief occupation is to ings. The ARIC in return receives AGRINDEX mag-
interpret the scientific facts in a language which the netic tape free of cost. The Centre is also the National
farmers can understand, he, therefore, is mostly inter- Input Centre for Current Agricultural Research Infor-
ested in repackaged information which he can easily mation System (CARIS) of FAO.
transmit to the farmer. So great scientific details are Proposed National Agricultural Information Sys-
not important to the extension worker; he needs prac- tem:
tical solution to farmer's problems. A large number of India does not have anything to call an agri-
planners and managers, in the government depart- cultural information system. Also there is no orga-
ments and outside also need to use agricultural infor- nized effort to co-ordinate, collect, collate and dis-
mation of many types. The ministries of finance, of seminate agricultural information in India. As agri-
agriculture, of irrigation and power, and the Planning culture is the life of our country, the agricultural infor-
Commission etc. Are the main consumers of agricul- mation is too precious and it requires a concerted effort
tural information. for lasting and perpetual effect. A national informa-
Present Information Systems : tion system should be developed which not only en-
There are about nearly 200 libraries into eh sures steady and continuous flow of information from
field of Agriculture in India. All the research organi- lab to land but also encourages and utilizes feed-back.
zations mentioned earlier have libraries, whose col- Thus it is stressed here for a possible organization of
lections vary to a great extent. Also they have their agricultural information system for India.
documentation and reprographic units. Also attempts National Agricultural Library (NAL) :
have been made towards the bibliographical control of In order to establish the national agricultural
Indian agro-biological literature. The Indian Science information system, there should be a strong National
Abstracts published by INSDOC since 1965 the Bio- Agricultural Library at the top under the direct control
logical Abstracts and the Indian Journal of Animal of the Department of Agriculture, Govt. of India. It is
Sciences are predominantly research journals con- supposed to organize, co-ordinate and direct a na-
7 RESEARCH AN ALYSI S AND EVALU ATION

2. International Referred Research Journal,October, 2011,ISSN-0975-3486, RNI: RAJBIL 2009/30097, VOL-III *ISSUE 25
tional agricultural information system. It is very es- computerized data banks and systems.
sential necessity in view of the very complex nature of 8. It will have a translation facility so that agricultural
scientific and technical information production and literature produced in European Languages, Japanese
dissemination. Its main functions should be as fol- and other South-East Asian languages, can be trans-
lows. lated into Indian languages. It will also translate In-
1. It should be a national repository of all national dian languages to one another.
agricultural literature produced in India in any insti- 9. It must have a strong research and development
tute, university, organization, society or association. department, for carrying out periodic surveys of agri-
A copy of all these will also be preserved here. It should cultural information systems in the countries, identify
be authorized under copyright act to receive two cop- lacunae and weakness, improve upon existing arrange-
ies of every agricultural publication produced in India. ment and plan for future requirement.
2. It should require process and maintain all relevant 10. The National Agricultural Library will arrange for
world literature in all languages, books, journals, the- training personnel required for the agricultural infor-
ses, reports, conference proceedings etc. concerning mation system.
agriculture, affecting agriculture and of use to agricul- Conclusion :
tural scientists. India need a two tier agricultural information
3. It should maintain a record of nation's holdings in network i.e. the National Agricultural Library at the
the field of agricultural information. Through union top and the ICAR institutes and agricultural university
catalogues, union lists and other tools it will have an libraries at the public level. The university libraries
up-to-date information on the holdings of different will act as the component of the National Agricultural
libraries in India. Library for the state in which they are situated and also
4. It will serve the nation's leadership through normal they will take the role of the national agricultural li-
and special library and information services, like cir- brary, such as, being the repository of agricultural
culation, reference, referral photocopy, documenta- publications of the state, centre of information on
tion, etc. It will also help individual libraries in their holdings of all state libraries, etc. with the co-opera-
SDI services and other needs. tion of government established public libraries and
5. It will be the main source of information to the district libraries, this agricultural information network
government and its department and its departments is expected to reach the largest number of the popula-
and be their adviser in decision making, planning and tion. This network is essential for providing agricul-
management activities. tural information to all sections of the users, from the
6. It will co-operate with other national information remote farmer to the agricultural scientists to the plan-
systems like the National Medical Library, NISSAT, ner. Hence the Government of India, through, ICAR
ICSSR, etc. should take responsibility of the agricultural informa-
7. It will co-operate with other international systems tion system in the country.
like the AGRIS, INIS, CAB, MEDLARS and other
R E F E R E N C E
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Shipra Publications, New Delhi. p 188. 3. Report on Strategy for development of an Agriculture research information System, ARIS for ICAR
in co-operation with ISNAR. 4. CHOTEY LAL. Growth of Agriculture Libraries in India in the post independence era. DESIDOC Bulletin of
Information Technology. 18.2; 1998; 18. 5. JAIN (SP) and GORIA (S). Status of Agriculture Libraries in India : A critical Analysis. Annals
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