IIT Madras & African-Asian Rural Development Organization conduct e-training program on Rural Technologies

Chennai: Indian Institute of Technology Madras is partnering with African-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO) to organize an e-training program on technologies for rural areas and their livelihoods (farm and non-farm) with a focus on creating access to value chains and markets.

The training program, which began today (22nd March 2021), would be conducted till 1st April 2021. The event is being organized by Team SIDDHI, the technology and Sustainable Development platform of IIT Madras with an emphasis on social relevance and global impact.

Select technologies, solutions and approaches developed by IIT Madras in collaboration with its partner institutions would be showcased during the program. The course 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.

The event can be viewed on the SIDDHI-IIT Madras YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUFTWSn-mqfTqJjAkGh2Gog

Addressing the inaugural session held today (22nd March 2021), His Excellency Dr. Manoj Nardeosingh, Secretary-General, 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 AARDO and IIT Madras as well as RuTAG and other institutional networks to leverage and capitalize on their already-developed synergy”

Further, Dr. Manoj Nardeosingh 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.”

“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…The immense scope and potential for development and transfer of innovative affordable technologies and their adaptability have to be fully tapped,” added Dr. Manoj Nardeosingh.

The objectives of this e-training program 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.

Delivering a lecture on ‘IITM’s contribution to Rural Development and Social Entrepreneurship,’ Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras, said, “Rural areas in Asia and Africa are faced with very different types of problems. 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.”

Speaking about the unique aspects of this program, Prof. Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean (Global Engagement), IIT Madras, said, “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”

The components of this course include:

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