Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Wednesday, Nov 21, 2007
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version
Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Wednesday, Nov 21, 2007 ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version |
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Agri-Biz & Commodities
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Agricultural Institutions Industry & Economy - Rural Development States - Tamil Nadu TN farm varsity & IIT-M to help rural innovators
G. Gurumurthy Coimbatore, Nov. 20 The Tamilnadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has initiated a rural innovation network project that would identify and nurture grassroots innovators and innovations which in turn would support people in improving their living conditions in rural areas. The project is to provide technical and business mentoring besides financial support to potential innovators at various stages, namely conceptualising the ideas addressing basic human needs and social developments, leading to developing the design and prototype building, testing and preparing business plans for such innovative products and possibly establishing viable enterprises for production of these products, according to Dr K. Palanisami, Director, Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development Studies (CARDS), TNAU. Experimental ProjectThe CARDS has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, (IIT-M) and the rural innovations network (RIN), Chennai, to undertake the rural innovation network project as an experimental project in Tamil Nadu at an annual outlay of Rs 2.5 lakh. The project is an initiative of the Lemelson Recognition and Mentoring Programme (L-RAMP) being implemented through the IIT-M and RIN for which the US-based Lemelson Foundation, extends financial support. Special InitiativeThe TNAU project focuses on innovations and innovators related to agriculture, water, energy and animal husbandry. Students of various TNAU’s campuses would also be covered under this programme through a special initiative called ‘My Idea Programme’ that mentors students’ innovations.
Under this, the students would be given cash prizes for the first three screened innovations. Dr Palanisami said that five innovative ideas from rural personalities including three farmers from Dharmapuri, Thanjavur, Namakkal, Madurai and Chennai have been screened by the IITM through the initiatives of the department of agricultural extension and rural sociology, TNAU. Their innovations are mini-weeder (by Mr Kumar from Dharmapuri), a novel sprinker (by Mr Lakshmanan, scientist from CLRI, Chennai), Water lifting device (by Mr N. Sakthimaindan from Nannilam, Thanjavur), pocket manuring stick (by Mr Raju, from Pettapalayam, Namakkal) and electronic rat-trap (by Mr Mohanasundaram from Madurai). Under the student innovation project, Arun Prakash and Swaraka (for designing solar collectors), C. Juscikumar and A. Kannan (for banana powder) and V. Sakthi and D. Sharmila (for extraction of pepper oil through cryogenic grinding) won prize awards. More Stories on : Agricultural Institutions | Rural Development | Tamil Nadu
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