Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 26: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu, in its role as a Regional Coordinating Institute (RCI) for the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA), a flagship program of Ministry of Education, organized an Orientation, Interaction, and Review Workshop for Participating Institutions (PIs) from Jammu province and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
The workshop saw the participation of 30 representatives—20 in person and 10 online—from 18 participating Institutions (PIs) actively engaged in rural development initiatives under UBA.
The event was inaugurated by Prof Meenakshi Rajeev, Regional Coordinator, UBA–IIT Jammu, who welcomed Kanav Sharma, AGM, NABARD, as a guest of honor. Sharma highlighted NABARD’s grassroots initiatives and emphasized the shared commitment of all stakeholders to rural empowerment. He also shared success stories from projects in Samba, Kathua, and surrounding regions.
Dr Sameer K Sarma Pachalla presented various activities carried out by IIT Jammu under UBA and about several new initiatives being taken up. This was followed by a national progress update from Prof P K Singh, Project Consultant, UBA–NCI, IIT Delhi.
Later, Dr Meenakshi Chaudhary, Senior Project Scientist, UBA–NCI, conducted a session on project formulation and introduced the 15 Subject Expert Groups (SEGs) available for domain-specific guidance.
Er Alankrit Mahajan from LEAD Jammu shared insights on academic-NGO collaboration and encouraged student-led initiatives for rural transformation. Several PIs including Aditi Khajuria from Dogra Degree College, Suman from MIER College, Dr Bharat Bhushan Jindal from SMVDU, Dr Deepak Pathania from SPMR College of Commerce presented their works and efforts under UBA.
A highlight of the event was an exhibition by five IIT Jammu-supported Self Help Groups (SHGs), who showcased and sold their products. The exhibition received a positive response and witnessed good sales.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr Meenakshi Rajeev. Participation certificates and mementos were distributed by the RCI.
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