He r E x c e l l e n c y t h e
President of India, Smt. Pratibha
Devisingh Patil delivered the
Golden Jubilee Lecture on the
occasion of the Golden Jubilee
Celebrations of the National
Institute of Rural Development
on December 30, 2008. Her
Excellency in her address
observed that the National
Institute of Rural Development
has over the last fifty years
carved for itself a prominent
place amongst the premier
institutions of the country and
has emerged as a well-known
training organisation for rural
development managers and
built for itself a reputation as a
Centre of Excellence. While
lauding the important role played
by the Institute in the evolution of
rd
the 73 Constitution Amendment which paved the way for the
creation of the Panchayati Raj
System and restructuring of rural
development programmes, Her
Excellency stated that NIRD will
augment its training
infrastructure for extending
capacity building support in various aspects of integrated rural development to the representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions, especially women. Her Excellency underscored the importance of food security and optimum utilisation of land resources and advisedthat NIRD should encourage the development of farmer-friendly machines. Her Excellency observed that rural communities face many and opportunities and institutes should provide creative answers to these challenges and convert them into opportunities for the development of rural India. According to Her Excellency an important assignment will be to make technologies available for developing rural communities and in this context she mentioned the efforts made by the NIRD towards creating a Technology Bank (TeBank).
Dr. Raghuvansh Prasads Singh, Hon'ble Union Minister for Rural Development, underscored the important role played by the NIRD as a Think Tank of the Ministry and in training and capacity
building support to the rural
development functionaries for
successful implementation of
the rural development programmes.
He stated that stated that the Government is planning to eradicate rural poverty by 2015 and highlighted the implementation of the NREGA programme and other efforts for women empowerment, health insurance, Right to Information, Self-Help Group movement, etc. made by the Ministry of Rural Development.
Shri Chandra Sekhar
Sahu, Hon'ble Union Minister of
State for Rural Development,
while speaking on this occasion
observed that the NIRD is
undoubtedly the institution of
excellence in the field of training and research in rural
development. He advised that
the Institute must endeavour not only to sustain past performance
but to strive every day to improve
upon it further into an
organisation of international
excellence. He mentioned that
overall development of rural
India is the primary concern of
the present UPA Government and special thrust is laid on the
sustainable all-round
development of the rural
sector. Training and capacity
building are crucial to the
Ministry's efforts and NIRD has
fulfilled its mandate in
providing the required support
to the Ministry.
Dr. Rita Sharma,
Secretary, Rural Development,
Ministry of Rural Development,
Government of India,
presented the welcome address. Shri Narayan Datt
Tiwari, Governor of Andhra
Pradesh, and Shri Chinna
Reddy, Minister for Rural
Development, Government of
Andhra Pradesh graced the
occasion. Shri B. K. Sinha,
Director General, NIRD
proposed a vote of thanks.
During the visit, Her
Excellency the President of India
has unveiled the statue of
Mahatma Gandhi and planted a
sapling on the NIRD campus. Her Excellency also laid the
foundation stone for the PG
College and Hostel.
A p h o t o e x h i b i t i o n
depicting the history and
activities of NIRD was organised
on this occasion. A Rural Crafts
Mela and Book exhibition was
also organised in connection
with the Golden Jubilee
celebrations of NIRD during
January 2-5, 2009.
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