IIT Kharagpur and NCDC MoU to Promote Sustainable Developments in Cooperatives, Agriculture and Allied Sectors

April 20, 2021, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kharagpur and the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) have signed an MoU towards greater collaboration in issues and areas related to the development of cooperatives, agriculture and allied sectors and to the holistic approach towards sustainable development.

The scope of the MoU will involve the advancement of training, action research, studies, policy analysis, policy advice, consultancy, monitoring, evaluation, system development and technology development. Both organizations will collaborate and supplement the utilization of resources and facilities on matters pertaining to ‘Formation and Promotion of Farmer Producer Organisation‘, with a focus on sustainable business, capacity building, training and skill development of stakeholders.

Furthermore, skilling of youth through trainee/student exchange program including providing internship opportunities to students or alumni will be pursued under the SAHAKAR MITRA -NCDC Scheme on Internship Program (SIP).

A Joint Working Group will also be set up to monitor various activities under the MoU and suggest necessary measures for its development.

“IIT Kharagpur has been working in various skill development and sustainable development projects through various programs and outreach initiatives at the Dept. of Agricultural and Food Engineering and Center for Rural Development and Innovative Sustainable Technology. Keeping in mind the need to strengthen the rural workforce and build sustainable solutions for them would require more exposure of the students and researchers as well as the target groups and end-users. We believe this collaboration with NCDC will augment a holistic growth towards Atmanirbhar Bharat,” said Director Prof. V K Tewari.

Earlier in March this year, Mr. Sundeep Kumar Nayak, IAS – Managing Director of the NCDC, visited the Agricultural and Food Engineering (AgFE) Department and interacted with the faculty members. It was decided to take the discussion to next level of formal engagement between the Department and the NCDC. The Managing Director and Prof. R. Banerjee (Head of AgFE Department) agreed to join forces so that the relevant innovations could potentially be appropriated and eventually disseminated to empower rural India through cooperatives and FPOs.

Agricultural and Food Engineering Department of IIT Kharagpur, is the only department of its kind in the country’s IIT System. Since its inception in 1952, the AgFE Department has been serving the nation through high-standard research and development, teaching, and outreach. The Department is adequately experienced in the creation and dissemination of appropriate rural technologies through its recent flagship initiatives. Rural Technology Action Group, Design and Innovation Centre (DIC), NABARD-Agri Business Incubation Centre, and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana-Agri Business Incubator are such existing platforms at the AgFE that have successfully translated research ideas into meaningful prototypes that address agricultural and rural issues