There is a need for innovation, digitisation and value chain development to drive rural transformation, according to Shaji KV, Chairman of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
Speaking at the 40th TA Pai Memorial Lecture on Founder’s Day of TA Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), a constituent unit of the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), in Manipal, he urged the students of TAPMI to come up with solutions to challenging problems and build a better future for rural India.
He discussed the challenge of achieving rural transformation in India, highlighting the issues of inequality between rural and urban sectors and the importance of investment in rural infrastructure and non-farm sectors on the occasion.
An award ceremony was held at the event to recognise long years of service at the institute. Prof M Durga Prasad, Prof Aparna Bhat, Prof Vidya Prathap, Jayakrishna HR and Ananth Pai K were felicitated for completing 10 years; and Prof Raghunath Rudran was felicitated for completing 20 years in the organisation. Sreenath Shenoy and Narendra Shettigar were felicitated for completing 30 years in the organization. The awards were presented by U Satish Pai, Chairman of Manipal Media Network.
The Dr TMA Pai Gold Medal for research excellence was presented to Madhu Veeraraghavan, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Management, Law, Humanities and Social Sciences) of MAHE and Director of TAPMI, by HS Ballal, Pro-Chancellor of MAHE.
TA Pai Foundation Day lecture is organised every year to acknowledge the contribution of late TA Pai, who laid the cornerstone of TAPMI in 1980. On this occasion, leaders and eminent citizens of the country share their vision, expertise with the students of TAPMI and other Manipal institutions to inspire them on contemporary topics, said a statement by TAPMI.