The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) along with the Ministries of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has agreed to link all Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) with rural development processes under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA). In this regard, a Tripartite Agreement between MHRD, Ministry of Rural Development and Ministry of Panchayati Raj was also signed on 12th January 2017 as an attempt to bring about substantial improvements in the formulation and delivery of developmental Schemes in the rural areas.
It is envisaged that representatives of Higher Education Institutions interact with local bodies and community in selected village clusters and provide knowledge inputs into the Gram Panchayat Development Plants.
MHRD, Department of Higher Education has formulated this scheme and first phase is under implementation in several parts of the country. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has been designated as the Coordinating Institute.
The MHRD has advised all the HEIs which are funded by the Central/State Government and all institutions approved by the regulatory bodies, to adopt clusters of backward Gram Panchayat/villages in their vicinity and apply their knowledge and expertise to improve the infrastructure in the Gram Panchayats (GPs).
HEIs in the districts are expected to carry out detailed field study, participate in conceptualising & preparation of community-level development plans along with the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj personnel by providing technical, managerial inputs and by suggesting innovative solutions to the issues faced in the day-to-day lives of the households therein, in the areas of livelihoods, energy security, environment and basic living amenities.
The institutions have been advised to continue their engagement with chosen Panchayat and offer assistance to the Rural Developments and Panchayat Raj personnel. The programme is to be implemented over the next two years, with additional clusters. No time frame can be assigned for coverage of all districts in the country, at present. Fund (Budget Estimate) allocated to the UBA during 2016-17 is 10 Crore.
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