Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, CSIR-CFTRI aim to empower rural women

Empowering rural women through science & technology initiatives for rural development showcased at CSIR-CFTRI event in Mysuru.

Ranjana Agarwal, director, CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (NIScPR), New Delhi on Thursday said the empowerment of rural women of India through the Science and Technology initiatives was behind the launch of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA). “Through the UBA, we are hoping for more transfers of technologies from the CSIR labs, including the Mysuru-based CFTRI, for achieving rural development,” she added.

She was speaking at the inaugural technology demonstration—“Technology Showcasing and Networking Meet of CSIR-CFTRI Food and Millet Technologies—” organised jointly by CSIR-NIScPR, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA)—National Coordinating Institute, IIT-Delhi and Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA)—on the CFTRI campus here.

She said the larger idea of the programme is to make villages sustainable, encouraging entrepreneurship and providing opportunities for livelihood in villages. If livelihood opportunities are created in villages, the people need not have to migrate to cities in search for livelihood, thereby turning the villages self-sustainable, she felt.

The technologies have been showcased for the stakeholders, including NGOs, SHGs, and MSMEs, with the prospect of realising the goals of the abhiyan.

In her welcome address, CSIR-CFTRI director Sridevi Annapurna Singh spoke about the CFTRI and its technologies. She also spoke on the technologies that changed the face of the food industry and added that some of its technologies were game changers.

Sam Cherian, chairman and managing director, Schevaran Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., Mysuru was the chief guest. Vivek Kumar, National UBA Coordinator spoke virtually on UBA and on the collaboration of UBA CSIR-CFTRI.

P.K. Singh, project director, of UBA, gave an overview of the UBA, and Yogesh Suman, chief scientist, CSIR-NIScPR, gave an overview of the event. Rajeev of Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA), New Delhi was present.