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The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has supported 46 innovative projects, through its Nabard-SDC Rural Innovation Fund (RIF), as on February 2014. The fund was set up jointly with the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation (SDC). These projects were sponsored so as to create more jobs in the rural areas of Tamil Nadu.
According to Nabard, RIF supports innovative, risk-friendly projects in the farm, non-farm and micro finance sectors that have the potential to promote sustainable livelihood opportunities in rural areas.
Of the 46 projects, some have been scaled up after completion of pilot projects. Besides creating jobs in the rural sector, these projects also address issues related to environmental pollution, reducing drudgery in farm and non-farm operations, increasing productivity, and access to improved conditions of living.
These projects include a demonstration-cum-training centre for converting mango peel waste into compost. Under the programme, Sharaz Farm Academy in Krishnagiri takes up around 25,000 tonnes of mango peel waste generated from fruit pulp factories in Krishnagiri district. This waste has high protein but low fibre content, and takes longer to decompose.
The preservation of this high protein content is one of the prime objectives. The innovation consists in making organic manure from mango peel waste. Around 1,250 members from SHGs and farmers clubs are being trained in this method of organic conversion.
The local communities have been able to set up a commercial venture, as there is a huge demand for the organic manure. The project was scaled up with 25 demonstration plots covering 25 villages for converting 3,125 tonnes of mango peel waste into organic manure in Krishnagiri district.
Another interesting project involved giving vocational training in the rural villages by Pan IIT Alumni Reach for India (PARFI), a social enterprise whose mission it is to enhance the incomes of the underprivileged. This organisation trains school drop-outs, and the venture has been prompted by unemployment in tribal and backward districts, as well as non-availability of skilled labour in industry.
The agency provides vocational training to rural youth aged 18-32 years and training is provided in a Gurukul set-up with assured placement on completion of the training. The training cost is recovered from the trainees in six equal monthly instalments on placement.
Under this, two Gurukuls were set up - one at Kancheepuram for welding and another at Villipuram for construction-related industries - with the capacity to train students who had dropped out. The drop-outs who were enrolled in the Gurukul were placed in leading companies such as Hyundai, TVS and others with a monthly salary of Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000.
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is one of the sunrise sectors offering opportunities for the rural population. The RIF supports the Pondicherry Multipurpose Social Service Society, which trains girls and boys in the rural areas.
In the agriculture sector, which is facing tremendous cost pressure due to input cost, Nabard supports the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, which has taken up a project to reduce input costs and increase farmers' productivity, through the use of information technology.
The foundation helps farmers by giving them weather reports, information on agricultural practices and pest management, as also market prices of produce, through audio and short message advisories. The service is also extended in the form of helpline services and conducting thematic fortnightly phone-in programmes.
To boost women entrepreneurs, Avinashilingam University for Women in Coimbatore has established the Women's Technology Park (WTP) to train rural women and transform their lives. Training is provided for SHG women in food processing, home care products, cultivation of medicinal plants, vermi composting, textile printing, jute bag making, file making and artificial jewellery. The park has also provided technological solutions to problems faced by women entrepreneurs.
So far, training has been imparted to 881 on-campus and 213 off-campus SHG women to improve their livelihoods. Training infrastructure and long-term back-up facilities were provided at the doorstep to improve the standard of living of rural women. The project has identified emerging opportunities with the potential to create employment, incomes and small businesses for rural women.
