Impacts of Climate variability on Agriculture in Kerala

The study revealed that southwest monsoon rainfall in Kerala has been declining while increasing in post monsoon season. The annual rainfall exhibits a cyclic trend of 40-60 years, with a significant decline in recent decades. The intensity of climatological droughts was increasing across the State of Kerala through it falls under heavy rainfall zone due to unimodal rainfall pattern. The moisture index across the State of Kerala was moving from B4 to B3 humid, indicating that the State was moving from wetness to dryness within the humid climate.The study confirms that a warming Kerala is real as maximum, minimum and mean temperatures and temperature ranges are increasing. The rate of increase in maximum temperature was high (1.46°C) across the high ranges, followed by the coastal belt (1.09°C) of Kerala while the rate of increase was relatively marginal (0.25°C) across the midlands. The rate of increase in temperature across the high ranges is probably high because of deforestation. It indicates that the highranges and coastal belts in Kerala are vulnerable to global warming and climate change when compared to midlands.Interestingly, the trend in annual rainfall is increasing at Pampadumpara (Idukki), while declining at Ambalavayal across the highranges. In the case of maximum temperature, it was showing increasing trend at Pampadumpara while declining trend at Ambalavayal. In the case of minimum temperature it is declining at Pampadumpara while increasing in Ambalavalal.The paddy productivity in Kerala during kharif / virippu is unlikely to decline due to increasing temperature on the basis of long term climate change, but likely to decline to a considerable extent due to prolonged monsoon season, followed by unusual summer rains as noticed in 2007-08 and 2010-11.All the plantation crops under study are vulnerable to climate variability such as floods and droughts rather than long term changes in temperature and rainfall.

A study of the information seeking bebavior of science and technology teachers and researchers of Cocbin University of Science and Technology and University of Kerala in the cbanged library environment

Information communication technology (IC T) has invariably brought about fundamental changes in the way in which libraries gather. preserve and disseminate information. The study was carried out with an aim to estimate and compare the information seeking behaviour (ISB) of the academics of two prominent universities of Kerala in the context of advancements achieved through ICT. The study was motivated by the fast changing scenario of libraries with the proliferation of many high tech products and services. The main purpose of the study was to identify the chief source of information of the academics, and also to examine academics preference upon the form and format of information source. The study also tries to estimate the adequacy of the resources and services currently provided by the libraries.The questionnaire was the central instrument for data collection. An almost census method was adopted for data collection engaging various methods and tools for eliciting data.The total population of the study was 957, out of which questionnaire was distributed to 859 academics. 646 academics responded to the survey, of which 564 of them were sound responses. Data was coded and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software and also with the help of Microsofl Excel package. Various statistical techniques were engaged to analyse data. A paradigm shift is evident by the fact that academies push themselves towards information in internet i.e. they prefer electronic source to traditional source and the very shift is coupled itself with e-seeking of information. The study reveals that ISB of the academics is influenced priman'ly by personal factors and comparative analysis shows that the ISB ofthc academics is similar in both universities. The productivity of the academics was tested to dig up any relation with respect to their ISB, and it is found that productivity of the academics is extensively related with their ISB. Study also reveals that the users ofthe library are satisfied with the services provided but not with the sources and in conjunction, study also recommends ways and means to improve the existing library system.

IA Critical Study of the Impact of Institutional Finance on Agriculture in Selected Villages of Ernakulam Revenue District

Vast changes have taken place in the field of institutional rural credit in India since the nationalisation of nineteen commercial banks in 1969. The supply of institutional finance to cultivators amounted to 63.2 percent of the total credit in 1981 compared to 31.2 percent in 1971. Insti tutionalisation of agricultural credit envisaged two objectives in general. One was to emancipate cultivators and farmers from the clutches of indigenous financiers and money lenders. The second was to make farmers financially capable of adopting the new technology or improved practices in agriculture so as to increase their agricultural production and thereby contributing to the development of agriculture in India. Though vast literature on Institutional Credi t and agriculture is available, no indepth and serious work examining thoroughly the cause of credit diversion has been undertaken so far. The present study is an attempt to fill up this gap. The study will be helpful to lending insti tutions, viz. Co-ope:r-atives, Commercial banks and various other insti tutional agencies in connection with their lending activity_ Also, the study will help government in .formulating proper policies that will insure a preferential treatment in favour of the most needy category of farmers and cultivators with respect to agricultural credit disbursement

Refinance operations of the national bank for agriculture and rural development-the kerala experience

NABARD has completed 14 years of operation.ln the light of its experiences and achievements, the performance ev.ilu.ilion of the National Bank need to be looked into.This could provide certain criteria for its strength and weakness which may help in consolidating the institution for better utilisation of its potentialities. It is also noteworthy that no evaluative study on the National Bank has been conducted in Kerala. The Major objective of this study is to evaluate the role of NABARD in catering to the long-term agricultural requirements of Kerala for 1982 to 1992.This is done by analysing the quantum and quality of NABARD's schematic refinance. The qualitative indices like (1) the efficiency of loan recovery, (2) the impact or financial viability of NABARD refinanced schemes, (3) the credit gap, (4) the commitment-disbursement gap, and (5) the imbalances in the NABARD refinance form the core of the study.Hypotheses were formulated inorder to study and analyse these qualitative indices. The study is presented in eight chapters