IIT Kharagpur in rural push

The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, (IIT-KGP) has lined up four courses for rural development this year to facilitate skill development among the rural youth as well as create self-employment opportunities.

These programmes are sponsored by the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) of DST, New Delhi; TRYSEM Programme of District Authorities; MNES, Government of India; the Ford Foundation; and a few NGOs.

These courses will train rural youths in operating and maintaining electrical and mechanical gadgets, like pumps and engines.

They will also equip students to operate and maintain machines used for harvesting like tractors, oil crushers, de-husking machines, ploughing and processing tools, grinder, oil expeller-starch extractor, seed drill-sprayer, duster, thresher, power tiller, stationery engines, etc.

S C Mahapatra, associate professor for rural development at IIT, says, "Every year, we draw up a number of new courses for rural development. So far, nearly 2,000 rural youths have been educated and trained at IIT. Of the students, more than 45 per cent are now either entrepreneurs or engaged in other organisations. At present, the NSTEDB of DST-sponsored training courses are in continuation with the mandate of training 400 rural youths."

The four courses that IIT has drawn up, scheduled to begin from November this year, will train 200 rural youths. "We will select students from rural areas in West Bengal," he adds.

According to Mahapatra, an IIT survey pointed out that because of a lack of awareness and education, as much as 50 per cent of the fertilisers used are wasted every year.

"So if the local youth could be trained in which crop needs what pesticides and fertilisers, and also trained in the amount to be used depending on soil fertility, it could immediately save Rs 2,000 per year per farmer," he notes.

The courses are also expected to educate students in organic farming, following which students can set up agro-clinics to guide farmers. Among other benefits, the courses will also train students in operating, handling and maintaining storage cell batteries and dry batteries.

This, in turn, can become a good self-employment opportunity in rural areas which have limited or no electricity supply.