Realizing its social responsibility, the University has established
the Centre for Integrated Rural Development (CIRD) with the aim
of bringing about integrated rural development through active
dissemination of available knowledge, data and knowhow to the
farming community.
Though the focus of the Centre is on human and community
development, yet it also aims towards technology transfer to the
farmers for the improvement in agricultural production and quality
of life. The Centre would focus on injecting new technological
inputs in agricultural and agro based industries related to
biotechnology, biodiversity, eco-technology, etc., and also
encouraging the farmers to grow tree-born oil seeds for biodiesel
production.
Many districts in Andhra Pradesh consist of dry land belt. The
technologies developed by the Centre will help several farmers to
fruitfully utilize their lands for cultivation of tree born oil seeds for
production of biodiesel. It helps increase the income of rural
population and also the landless families will be benefited by the
pods containing the oil seeds by supplying them to oil mills. The
growth of medicinal plants and herbal drug production will
supplement the income of the villagers.
The Centre would act as a catalyst to improve the quality of human
life in rural India through its pilot demonstrations and extension
programmes. The approach is based on the principle of social
inclusion in access to technologies to bridge the gap between
the rich and poor.
To sum up, the Centre would strive to promote, plan, undertake,
develop and support projects/schemes aimed at all-round
development, creation of employment opportunities, promotion of
self-reliance, generation of awareness, organization and
improvement in the quality of life of the people in rural areas. |