ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD admission and fellowship) · India · National Testing Agency for ICAR
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersHow new knowledge reaches farmers: extension principles, models and history, teaching and communication methods, diffusion and adoption, ICT, training, gender and evaluation.
In the exams: agricultural master's entrance examinations, extension (heavy); agricultural extension PhD entrance and fellowship examinations (heavy); agricultural development bank officer recruitment, agricultural extension (present); agricultural scientist eligibility tests, extension (heavy)
ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF core group 18 Agricultural Extension
Programme planning steps, PRA tools and evaluation types; T&V, ATMA structure and SREP, KVK mandate, FFS and market-led extension; training models (Lynton and Pareek, Kirkpatrick, Borich); measurement of adoption, knowledge and attitude (Likert, Thurstone, Guttman); diffusion models; gender frameworks; Bennett's hierarchy and the logframe; ICT initiatives such as Kisan Call Centres.
How our questions for ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF spread across the units of Agricultural Extension Management & Communication. Difficulty: 0 easy, 16 medium, 28 hard.
| Diffusion and adoption of innovations and adopter categories | 9 | |
| Monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment: Bennett's hierarchy and the logframe | 8 | |
| Capacity development and training | 5 | |
| Extension models: training and visit, farmer field schools, pluralistic, market-led and public-private extension | 4 | |
| Programme planning and evaluation | 4 | |
| Gender mainstreaming | 3 | |
| Concepts, principles and philosophy of extension | 2 | |
| History of extension in the USA, Japan and India | 2 | |
| Early community development and intensive agricultural district programmes | 2 | |
| Communication models and barriers | 2 | |
| Extension teaching methods and audio-visual aids | 2 | |
| Cyber-extension and ICT | 1 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
In ATMA, the Strategic Research and Extension Plan (SREP) is prepared mainly through:
A. Participatory rural appraisal with farmers and line departments
SREP is a participatory district plan built with PRA, from which annual block and district action plans are drawn. It is designed as bottom-up, the opposite of a uniform national template.
Adoption of a new variety in a district has a mean adoption time of 7 years after release and a standard deviation of 2 years. A farmer who adopted 4 years after release falls in which of Rogers' categories?
D. Early adopter
Mean − 2 sd = 3 years and mean − 1 sd = 5 years. Adoption at 4 years lies between them, which defines early adopters. Innovators adopt before 3 years; early majority between 5 and 7 years; late majority between 7 and 9 years.
In a Bass diffusion model, the market potential is 10,000 farmers, the coefficient of innovation p = 0.03 and the coefficient of imitation q = 0.38. If 2,000 farmers have already adopted, how many new adopters are expected in the next period?
B. 848
New adopters = (p + q × F) × (M − N) where F = 2000/10000 = 0.2. So (0.03 + 0.38 × 0.2) × 8,000 = 0.106 × 8,000 = 848. 3280 ignores the cumulative fraction; 1060 applies the rate to all 10,000 instead of the 8,000 not yet adopted; 240 ignores imitation.
In a study, adoption index scores have a mean of 52.4 and a standard deviation of 14.8. Respondents are classed low (below mean − SD), medium and high (above mean + SD). A farmer scoring 66.0 is classed as:
B. Medium
Mean − SD = 37.6 and mean + SD = 67.2. A score of 66.0 lies between them, so it is medium. It is above the mean but not above 67.2; the median is not needed for this rule.
In Bloom's taxonomy as revised in 2001, the highest level of the cognitive domain is:
A. Create
The revised order is remember, understand, apply, analyse, evaluate, create. In the 1956 original, evaluation was highest and synthesis came before it, which is why 'Evaluate' and 'Synthesis' tempt candidates.
Five extension officers rate the importance of a competency as 5, 4, 5, 4, 5 and their own ability as 2, 3, 3, 2, 4 (each on a 1-5 scale, in the same officer order). Using the Borich model, the mean weighted discrepancy score (mean discrepancy × mean importance) is:
A. 8.28
Discrepancies = 3, 1, 2, 2, 1, mean = 1.8; mean importance = 4.6; MWDS = 1.8 × 4.6 = 8.28. 1.80 is the unweighted mean discrepancy; 5.04 weights by mean ability instead of importance; 41.40 uses the sum of discrepancies instead of their mean. Higher MWDS means higher training priority.
According to Herzberg's two-factor theory, which factor is a motivator rather than a hygiene factor for extension staff?
B. Recognition for achievement
Herzberg's motivators (achievement, recognition, responsibility, the work itself) create satisfaction; hygiene factors (pay, working conditions, supervision, policy) only prevent dissatisfaction.
In the Targeting Outcomes of Programs (TOP) model of Bennett and Rockwell, programme planners:
C. Work down the hierarchy from desired social, economic and environmental conditions
In TOP, planning moves down from desired SEE conditions to the practices, KASA, reactions, participation, activities and resources required; evaluation moves up.
In a logframe, the column 'means of verification' records:
C. The data source used to measure each indicator
Means of verification states where indicator data will come from (survey, records). External conditions go in the assumptions column.
Propensity score matching differs from a randomised controlled trial mainly because matching:
D. Controls only for observed characteristics, not unobserved ones
Matching pairs participants with similar non-participants on observed traits; unobserved differences such as motivation remain. Randomisation balances both observed and unobserved traits on average.
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