FAARD Organization launched by Dr. Panjab Singh (ex-VC)
Chronicle Editor @ Sep 28, 2008
view in one page and print
Dr. Panjab Singh is a world renowned agriculture scientist. He was vice-chancellor of Banaras Hindu University from May 2005 to May 2008. Currently he is involved with FAARD (Foundation for Advancement of Agriculture and Rural Development) foundation. The foundation, which was started 3 years ago, with New Delhi as its main office, has opened another office at Varanasi. Dr. Panjab Singh will work from Varanasi office. The organization looks after upliftment of rural poor by involving in improving rural agriculture, education and employment of rural youth, among others.
We are forwarding the message received from Dr. Panjab Singh:
(Dr. Panjab Singh)
Having completed my studies in India and USA, I have been with the Government of India for long four decades (1968-2008) and served in Universities, Institutes and other Scientific Organizations, both at the national and international levels. This indeed has given me a wide range of experience of working with various systems within and outside the country. Today I look back 40 years of my past life with great satisfaction. Having acquired this, I now consciously plan to devote next 10-15 years with rural masses specially the weaker ones (deprived of Education, Economy and Social Status) and attempt to bring them up through social and technological interventions. I feel that a lot needs to be done and believe that a lot can be done. What we need to do is to identify areas of interests and set priorities and work on partnership mode with the rural population. My dream would be to make them technically and socially competent and empower them to earn their own respectful living in their rural settings.
Foundation for Advancement of Agriculture and Rural Development (FAARD), popularly known as FAARD Foundation which I am associated with has its focus on these issues and intends to train, habitat and sustain young men and women with different enterprises of their choice. We need to built on human capital and use them as light house in generating and using indigenous and non-indigenous technology/knowledge. Approach will be to inculcate technological entrepreneurship and enhance productivity for sustained livable income.
Our mission is to "Improve living status of Rural Population in their own settings through Technological Interventions following a holistic approach towards Agriculture and Rural Development".
Our objective is to increase productivity and income through appropriate and gainful engagement/employment (self or by others) indigenously. The approach will include:
- Establishment of education and training institutions in rural settings for imparting non-formal education especially to weaker sections of the society and women for building their entrepreneurial skill and competence.
- Assessment of technological needs, identification of technologies, refinement, localization and dissemination among rural messes for increasing agriculture productivity and income.
- Promotion of measures to check degradation of rural environment and natural resources (Land, Water, Biodiversity etc.) and improve their management through technological and social interventions.
- Promote Self Help Groups (SHGs) and help set up Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) by generating resources from Govt., Private Sectors and Society and use it on non-profit mode to promote employment and income increase.
- Help provide market access, improve product quality through technological interventions, make inputs and resources available for agriculture and agro- industrial development.
- Organize need based trainings, workshops, seminars, field days, exhibitions and technology demonstrations on selected sites for acquainting rural masses with latest technological development.
- Provide consultancy services in areas like agriculture, livestock development, environment, hygiene, health, resources management, product quality, value addition, market interventions, education, ICT etc. for holistic development.
- Create ICT network and impart training for capacity building of rural educated youth and preparing them to avail new job opportunities.
FAARD Establishment
FAARD started functioning from its office at Ahimsa Bhawan, F-125, Lado Sarai, Mehrauli, New Delhi in year 2005. In 2008 it has opened a branch office at Saraswati Kunj, Naraianpur (Dafi) – Varanasi. We are in process of setting a separate office in Varanasi with reasonable infrastructure. We also intend to build an institution of rural importance in the rural setting to generate rural youth potential and provide guidance to them on plethora of avenues available today. The foundation right now has a ten member Board of Trustees and will have an Advisory Board with about 25-30 members from different walks of life from India and abroad. We are building a third tier of rural work force as core groups, and self help groups (SHGs) and networking FAARD activities with governmental and non-governmental organizations, farmers organization and others existing in the region.
For additional info, contact Dr Panjab Singh at: panjabsingh03@yahoo.com
Email to FAARD Foundation at: faardvaranasi@gmail.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional links
1) Biography of Prof. Panjab Singh on the website of Banaras Hindu University
2) Biography of Prof. Panjab Singh on website of Institute of Agricultural Sciences, BHU
3) IIM-Lucknow: Programme on Leadership for Innovations in Agriculture organized (inaugurated by Dr. Panjab Singh)
4) Meeting of BHU alumni with Dr. Panjab Singh in New Jersey in September 2007
_____________________________________________________________________
Leave a comment
(if you having troubles, try posting your comment on this page or send an email to chronicle @ itbhuglobal.org)
Copyright © 2008-2013 by ITBHU Global Alumni Association
Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi 221005, UP
Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi 221005, UP