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Scientific and technical empowerment of villagers has helped Jamsetji Tata National Virtual Academy (NVA) come closer to the Gandhian ideal of developing rural India, M.S. Swaminathan, founder chairman, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, observed at the 11th convocation ceremony of the Academy here on Monday.

With 74 NVA fellows from nine States graduating this year, Prof. Swaminathan said India’s poor ranking in the World Hunger Index could also be addressed if the information fellows could spread the message of importance of bio-fortified food to fight malnutrition in their respective villages.

The MSSRF had recently set up a garden displaying genetically bio-fortified plants, which he urged the fellows to take ideas from.

Nancy J. Anabel, who heads the IEC team at MSSRF, said that the Academy plans to train at least one million fellows, to ensure that one man or woman from each of India’s over 6,00,000 villages was represented.

Trained in computer skills and equipped to function as channels of valuable information pertaining to health, sanitation, social welfare and entrepreneurship, the rural information fellows passing out of the Academy have addressed many developmental challenges in their respective villages..Read more

 

Source web page: The Hindu