S. Vishnu Sharma
IIT Madras and AARDO (African-Asian Rural Development Organization) have come together to organise e-training programme on techologies for rural areas and their livelihoods with a focus on creating access to value chains and markets.
The training programme by IIT Madras and AARDO began on 22 March and will go on till 1 April. The event is being organised by Team SIDDHI of IIT Madras.
SIDDHI is the technology and Sustainable Development platform of IIT Madras with an emphasis on social relevance and global impact.
The training programme of IIT Madras and AARDO can be viewed on SIDDHI-IIT Madras YouTube channel ‘ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUFTWSn-mqfTqJjAkGh2Gog’
Speaking at the inaugural session of the programme by IIT Madras and AARDO, Dr. Manoj Nardeosingh, secretary general of AARDO said having 125 participants from 25 countries is very encouraging and this is a testimony to the importance of transferring appropriate technologies to the rural areas of the countries from where the participants are coming from.
‘We are finalizing a MoU to connect IIT Madras and AARDO as well as RuTAG and other institutional networks to leverage and capitalize on their already-developed synergy.’
Speaking further at the training programme of IIT Madras and AARDO, Dr. Manoj said technology transfer is viewed as an engine of growth for rural development.
The AARDO Secretariat has provided a very prominent place for rural technology dissemination and an ecosystem aiming at raising awareness with respect to importance and application of rural technologies, said Dr. Manoj speaking at the programme by IIT Madras and AARDO.
IIT Madras and AARDO conduct great training on rural techologies
We need to speed up and scale up innovations, disruptive as well as contemporary affordable technologies in AARDO Member countries so that we can witness real rural transformation, he said during the event of IIT Madras and AARDO.
The immense scope and potential for development and transfer of innovative affordable technologies and their adaptability have to be fully tapped, added Dr. Manoj at the programme of IIT Madras and AARDO.
The objectives of the e-training programme conducted by IIT Madras and AARDO are:
Ø To provide a forum for sharing innovative affordable technologies among AARDO member countries,
Ø To develop framework and policies for transfer of rural technologies,
Ø To use innovative affordable rural technologies for raising the living standard of rural people,
Ø To create awareness towards replacing traditional/ obsolete technologies with environmentally friendly and climate-resilient technologies.
What will happen during the training programme of IIT Madras and AARDO? Select technologies, solutions and approaches developed by IIT Madras in collaboration with its partner institutions would be showcased during the program.
The course by IIT Madras and AARDO is being held for the benefit of middle and senior-level executives from government departments, ministries, and agriculture engineers and scientists engaged in policy formulation, implementation, planning and appraisals.
IIT Madras director Professor Bhaskar Ramamurthi delivered a lecture on IIT Madras’s contribution to rural development during the training programme by IIT Madras and AARDO.
Rural areas in Asia and Africa are faced with very different types of problems, said Professor Ramamurthi.
There is a good amount of knowledge among the rural population on what needs to be done. No one solution can be applied across continents and geographies.
The best thing one can do is share experience and knowledge. This training program is a step in that direction, said Professor Ramamurthi during the programme of IIT Madras and AARDO.
Professor Raghunathan Rengaswamy, dean (Global Engagement) at IIT Madras spoke about the unique aspects of the programme of IIT Madras and AARDO.
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‘I hope this e-training provides food for though and going forward, we will hopefully be able to actualize and implement some of these technologies developed by IIT Madras in association with partners through technology transfer agreements,’ he said about the IIT Madras and AARDO programme.
The components of the programme of IIT Madras and AARDO are:
i) Innovative Technology for Sustainable Food Production (Post Harvest Technology) – Value Addition
ii) Technologies Enhancing Productivity of Small Farmers
iii) Technologies Facilitating Access to Value Chains and Markets
iv) Technologies Supporting Financial Inclusion
v) Policies and Initiatives Conducive to Development and Transfer of Technologies from Lab to Farm
vi) Technologies Facilitating Collectivization, Bulk Purchase of Inputs and Traceability
vii) Intellectual Property Right (IPR) and Technology Transfer
viii) Developing Institutions for Rural Technologies
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