DA News Update

Innovation Systems Branch (ISB)

l DA in collaboration with the Science for Equity, Empowerment and Development (SEED) division of the Department of Science and Technology, GoI, brought out a publication titled ‘Technology Innovations for Green Enterprises – A compendium of Scalable Solutions’.

l DA participated in a consultation workshop during the ‘Fifth Global Environment Outlook (GEO-5) for Asia and the Pacific Region’, organised by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) from 16-17 September at Bangkok, Thailand.

l Under the initiative, ‘Micro-entrepreneurial Models and Services for the Socio-economic Development of the Working Poor in India’ that links credits for housing with eco-building materials, 11 loans have been sanctioned for Mador in the Budelkhand region, Madhya Pradesh.

l A theme paper on "Priority Sectors for Green Growth" was prepared for the TARAgram Yatra 2010. The theme paper describes green economy and inclusive growth and identifies the priority sectors for green growth.
 

Development Solutions Branch (DSB)

l DA set up a milk collection unit at village Mador, in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh under the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Project. The local SHGs played a crucial role in making this unit successful with the milk collection touching 200 litres within a span of one week and increasing the average income by Rs two to Rs three.

l A graduation ceremony for 150 women under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Jhansi and Tikamgarh was organised on 1 September at TARAgram Pahuj for successfully completing the TARA Akshar+ course.

l The self help groups (SHGs) of Wadi initiated a number of income generation activities under the ACC Wadi project, through bank linkages and loan procurement. These include setting up of a bangle store, kirana (general Merchants) store, a general store and a tailoring shop.
 

l The TARAgram Yatra concluded with the release of the ‘TARAgram Declaration 2010’ at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library on September 21. Unveiled by Shri Digvijay Singh - General Secretary, All India Congress Committee and Dr Ashok Khosla - Chairman-Development Alternatives, the Declaration comprised key messages emerging from the five-day event on critical green economy issues and practical solutions on green jobs, green investments and adaptation for livelihood security, relevant to practitioners and policy makers.
 

TARAhaat
l The TARA Akshar+ Programme concluded at the Malakhera village of Alwar district in Rajasthan in the month of September with a 100 per cent success rate.

l TARAhaat has been awarded a grant from Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) to enhance livelihood generation opportunities of rural women, using ICT-based numeracy module, developed by TARAhaat.

TARA
l The first Vertical Shaft Brick Kiln in Bangladesh was inaugurated on 30 August in the premises of M/S Conforce Ltd, at Savar, Dhaka. The World Bank provided support for the above through an ESMAP grant. Technology transfer was locally managed by Practical Action, Bangladesh. International technical expertise was provided by Skat Consulting, Switzerland and TARA, India.

l TARA attended the third meeting of the "Core Group" of Fly Ash and Blast Furnace Slag utilisation conducted by the Department of Industry, Government of Orissa at Bhubaneswar in which a road map was prepared to undertake a study on promotion of ash utilisation for livelihood creation.

l The DA Group "Waste Testing and Utilisation" laboratory has been made operational at TARAgram Datia, Madhya Pradesh.

l A consortium of Greentech Knowledge Solutions Pvt. Ltd., India; Skat Consulting, Nepal; and TARA, India has developed a manual on "Field Testing Guidelines for Testing Coal Quality".

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