Govt launches CSIR technologies for rural development

Minister of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan has launched CSIR Technologies for rural development under a joint initiative between Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) and Vijnana Bharti (Vibha).

Under the initiative, technologies for improved bee hive for quality and hygienic extraction of honey, production of ginger paste, dehumidified drier for food and agri products and agricultural waste management have been launched.

A tripartite memorandum of understanding has also been signed at CSIR to work jointly for post-Covid fast track action plan to create livelihood opportunities in rural areas, particularly for the people who have returned to their native villages in the lockdown period.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, “Appropriate intervention of science and technology can play a crucial catalytic role in bringing equity and equality in the process of development.”

The minister said that “corporates, research agencies, organizations working with medium, small, and cottage level entrepreneurs, voluntary social organizations, NGOs, and socially cognizant citizens need to partner on a common platform to address various problems affecting the lives of millions.”

He added, “the challenges that we would be facing need actions at several levels, and we need to explore and reinvent innovative approaches for actions from different stakeholders that include not just Government agencies but also voluntary social organizations, NGOs, Corporates, Entrepreneurs, academicians & Scientists and constructively supplement these efforts.”

Highlighting that “Unnat Bharat Abhiyan” is a flagship programme of Ministry of Education conceptualised and launched in IIT Delhi, with a vision of transformational change in rural development processes by leveraging knowledge institutions to help build the architecture of an Inclusive India.

“Unnat Bharat Abhiyan now constitutes 45 Regional Coordinating Institutions (RCIs) and 2,614 Participating Institutions (PIs). Till date, a total of 13,760 villages have been adopted under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan," he added.

Harsh Vardhan expressed his confidence that “the agencies known for its knowledge, grassroot presence and technical competency, like IIT Delhi, Vibha and their joining hands with CSIR can prove to be very useful for deployment of indigenously developed technologies by CSIR in rural areas."

He called for “greater synergy among innovative scientific solutions and tradition knowledge systems so that the fruits of this combination reaches to the every person, every village to for betterment of their lives and development of the country.”

CSIR, UBA, Vijnana Bharti have planned to work jointly on a framework for scientific intervention to create sustainable livelihood opportunities in the rural clusters under synergy of science and technology organizations.

The event was organized through online platform on the occasion of CSIR-NISTADS 40th Foundation Day, Delhi..