Web-based analysis of Krishikosh as a digital information service in Agricultural Universities of Punjab and Rajasthan

Background: Krishikosh is one of the main institutional archives of Indian agricultural research, which can afford open access to scholarly product of the National Agricultural Research and Education System (NARES).Objective: The current research paper assesses the adoption of Krishikosh, its online platform, and rates of usage in eight agro universities in Punjab (N=2) and Rajasthan (N=6).Methods: Web-based institutional research was conducted and it looked at library infrastructure, membership in the CeRA consortium, digitization of theses, and access to digital resources. The data were obtained through institutional websites, repository records and published literature (N=167).Results: Krishikosh contains 266,288 documents of 106 institutions, with 77.79% (193,089 documents) being theses. Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Ludhiana is one of the sampled institutions that have a developed infrastructure, which has an estimated 6,000+ theses and systematic training programs. Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agricultural University (SKRAU) Bikaner, with 3,624 digitised theses (706 PhD + 2,918 M.Sc.), and Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University (SKNAU) Jobner with more than 3,000 materials, are leading in the state of Rajasthan. Punjab and Rajasthan have almost 100% participation in CeRA consortium respectively. The level of user awareness is still low at 44.19%, and the level of satisfaction of the aware users is 46.52%.Conclusion: The two-university aspect of Punjab gives it the advantage of resource concentration and an organized training structure, while the six-university aspect of Rajasthan gives it specialization in the region, but faces challenges in coordination. Among the recommendations we can note the introduction of mandatory policies regarding the deposit of theses, regular training courses, coordinated consortia of digital libraries, and better mobile optimization.