DA News Update

Development Solutions Branch (DSB)

l Mr. N.Krishnan, Chief General Manager of NABARD, UP RO Lucknow, visited TARAgram Pahuj in Jhansi and interacted with farmers and members of the women’s Self Help Group.
 

TARA Livelihood Academy (TLA)

l Conducted two 15-day courses for Presidents and Secretaries of Watershed Committees from in November and December 2011 at TARAgram, Orchha under the Rajiv Gandhi Watershed Mission, Bhopal (MP). A total of 90 participants have taken part in the training.

l Organised a 13-day Soft Toy-making course which ran from November to December of 2011 at Bhojla Village under the NABARD-Micro Enterprise Development Programme (MEDP). Around 45 women’s Self Help Group members and girls have participated in the training.

l Organised a 12-day Handmade Paper Product Making course, beginning on December 7th, 2011. The course was held at Village Gopalpura under the NABARD-Micro Enterprise Development Programme (MEDP). Around 35 women’s Self Help Group members and girls have participated in the training.

l Organised a 12-day Food Processing course, which ran from November 30th until December 13th 2011, at Raksha Village, under the NABARD-Micro Enterprise Development Programme (MEDP). Around 60 Self Help Group members, including women and girls, have participated in the training.

l A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with DPIP Panna for providing training in Cutting and Tailoring to 100 women at block Shahnagar (MP) under DPIP, Panna.

l The TARA Livelihood Academy (TLA) team has made a presentation for DPIP, Tikamgarh on providing training in various trades such as poultry farming, construction and tailoring.
 

Innovation Systems Branch (ISB)

l Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (DA) and the Debate Consortium have been identified as a "National Resource Cell for District Planning" (NRCDP) by the UNDP and the Planning Commission (Government of India). The NRCDP has been set up under the Capacity Development for District Planning project. The NRCDP will act as a centre for excellence for developing a knowledge base on decentralised planning, technical and capacity building support and finding states for making innovative use of ACT/GIS-based applications in decentralised planning. The NRCDP will be working in 7 UNDAF (United Nations Development Assistance Framework) States in association with the State Planning Department.

l Development Alternatives showcased its work on climate change adaptation and mitigation co-benefit options during COP 17 in Durban, South Africa.

l An inception workshop was organised on the 29th of November at the R&D campus of DA at Ghittorni, Delhi. The topic of the workshop was Access to Safe Water for Bottom-of-the-Pyramid Strategies for Disseminating Technology Research Benefits. Participants from academia, industry, civil society and social entreprises engaged in discussions on delivery models to ensure access to safe water.
 

Communication Solutions Branch (CSB)

l Under the Noida Power Company Limited (NPCL) programme, a TARA Akshar+ course was successfully completed by 122 women, and a graduation ceremony was held in NPCL’s office in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh, on 26 December 2011, to celebrate this achievement.

l Radio Bundelkhand was given a special mention award at the Manthan Award recognising Digital Inclusion for Development in South Asia, 2001.

l CLEAN-India (Dindigul project) received the JCB - Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) - APTDC 2nd runner-up Award for Excellence in Solid Waste Management, 2011. The award was handed out by the Governor of Andhra Pradesh for the community initiative taken up through the CLEAN-India project that involved students in setting up a waste management system in an enterprise mode. The undertaking included the sale of vermi-compost and city farming (vegetables grown on kitchen waste). A video on the project can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrFoGm82_a0 

l The preliminary round of the Rural Reality Show - Kaun Banega Shubh Kal Leader, for creating understanding of adaptation measures for climate change amongst rural communities in Bundelkhand was completed. Forty groups from five zones covering 100 villages have emerged as the winners of the preliminary round and are ready to participate in round two.

    Back to Contents