CONTENTS:
COVER STORY: Burden of Healthcare among Rural Households in Telangana: Some Reflections from Faizabad Village Study
Hon’ble Minister of State for Steel & Rural Development Visits NIRDPR
NIRDPR Celebrates 75th Independence Day
Online Training Programme on Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Livelihood Models for Rural Communities
Refresher Training on Block Panchayat Development and District Panchayat Development Plan
e-Training Programme on Community Forest Rights and Forest Rights Act
CDC Organises Library Talks on Third Wave of COVID-19: Issues and Challenges
Online ToT Programme on Geospatial Applications for Disaster Risk Reduction (GADRM)
Capacity Building Programme for Charge Officers/Representatives of Gram Panchayat
CEDFI Organises Online Training Programme on Agricultural Value Chain Financing
NIRDPR Gets an ATM Inside the Campus
NIRDPR Gives a Warm Send-Off to Deputy Director General Smt. Radhika Rastogi
SIRD Activities:
Kalptaru Building at HIPA inaugurated
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Releases Two Books
COVER STORY:
Burden of Healthcare among Rural Households in Telangana: Some Reflections from Faizabad Village Study
Illustration: V.G. Bhat
Rural India is gradually catching up with the structural transformation at a varying pace across regions, gender and socio-religious groups. Among the various challenges towards such transformation, one relates to improving the overall health of population and related availability of healthcare services, their access, quality and affordability. The available evidence shows how private costs of health care can push households into poverty, thereby undermining the impact of economic interventions made by the government. COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the capacities of healthcare infrastructure across the world and India is not the exception. But the challenge of inadequate healthcare facilities in India has been haunting for long, particularly in rural parts of the country. Growing dependence on private healthcare has further compounded the inequalities in healthcare in recent years. Though the Government of India’s programmes such as RSBY and more recently Ayushman Bharat provide health security by meeting the hospitalisation costs towards treatment, these hardly meet expenses on ailments not requiring hospitalisation. Post-hospitalisation expenses towards recovery are also hardly met in such programmes. This not only overburdens households in terms of increased costs of healthcare but also often lead to loss in household income due to illness. Since a large majority of workers in rural as well as urban areas are not covered by any medical security associated with their informal nature of employment, the magnitude of such health care burden among households is widespread.
In this piece, we argue that in relatively better-off States in terms of health indicators like Telangana, rural healthcare is a real challenge as households struggle in meeting their healthcare-related expenses due to lack of quality public health services nearby their villages. Public health services infrastructure is often marred by lack of availability of specialists, hospital beds and medicines. This has changed the perspective of healthcare seekers who prefer private healthcare facilities irrespective of its quality and end up paying higher cost for their treatment.
Based on an exhaustive study of rural livelihoods among 272 households in Faizabad village in Medak district of Telangana during the COVID-19 pandemic period in 2020-21, in this brief note, we examine the incidence of morbidity and related expenditure on healthcare among rural households, with an aim to draw the attention of policymakers to concentrate on addressing healthcare needs of the rural population, particularly those facing various forms of social and economic vulnerabilities. It also argues for quality primary as well as secondary public health services nearby the villages to reduce the healthcare burden among rural households.
Before elaborating on our findings, it will be useful to glance through select indicators of health in Telangana. Based on the 23-variable composite index of health by NITI Aayog, the State with a score of 59 ranked at 10th position in 2017-18 — Kerala being on the top (74.1 ) and Uttar Pradesh at the bottom (28.6) among the 21 major States in India (NITI Aayog, 2019). The State witnessed a significant reduction in Maternal Mortality Ratio from 92 in 2013 to 76 in 2017 and in infant mortality from 34 to 29 during the period. Institutional deliveries tremendously increased from 31 per cent to 60 per cent (Government of Telangana, 2020). The State government’s concerted efforts are accredited for such success. According to NSSO 75th Round (2017-18) report on health, the incidence of morbidity, as measured by the proportion of ailing persons in the total population during the last 15 days of the survey, is comparatively lower at 5.4 per cent in rural Telangana as compared to rural India (6.8 per cent) during 2017-18. Gender-wise, women suffer with high morbidity in rural areas (6.9 per cent in Telangana and 7.6 per cent in India). About 3.6 per cent of the rural population in Telangana and 5.1 per cent in India is suffering with chronic diseases such as BP, diabetes, heart problems, thyroid issues, cancer, asthma, TB, eye problems, urinary problems, swelling and pain in the joints/muscles, skin problems, gastro-intestinal related, swelling of the foot, etc. The prevalence of lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases is high among better-off persons (IIDS-SRSC, 2021). About 5.4 per cent of the rural population (4.0 per cent men and 6.9 per cent women) in Telangana reported as ailing, i.e., suffering with any health-related problem during the last 15 days during 2017-18. About 3.5 per cent of the ailing population had to be hospitalised for treatment during a period of one year in rural areas of the State (NSSO, 2017-18).
Morbidity and Healthcare Expenditure–Survey Results
The study village is a socially diversified unit having STs, SCs, OBCs, General Castes and Muslims. About 54 per cent of households in the village are OBCs, who largely belong to OBC-D category. Another one-fourth of the households are SCs, followed by 15 per cent STs and a lowest 8 per cent GCs. About 2 per cent households are of Muslims. Most of the GCs and Muslim households are landowners and have comparatively better economic conditions. SCs and STs largely depend on their casual wage labour. Median per capita income is lowest among OBC-A households (Rs. 21,600), which is almost four times lower than the GC households. STs with a per capita median annual income of Rs. 34,366 are at the second lowest place, followed by OBC-D, SCs, OBC-B and GCs at the top. There exists within as well as between-group inequalities in the village. Within-group inequality is relatively higher among GC households. This is significantly linked with the land ownership pattern in the village.
As regards health facilities in the sample village, the nearest Primary Health Centre (PHC) as well as private health facility is available at a distance of over 10 km. Approach to these facilities is possible through private transport such as autorickshaws and personal vehicles. The PHC is least preferred for healthcare due to non-availability of specialists and lack of faith in the facility by a large majority of the village population. As regards the prevalence of morbidity, about 5 per cent population in the village suffered with ailments during the last 15 days of the survey date. This ratio is marginally high among the male population but with significant intra-group and inter-group variations across social groups. The male population of OBCs and female population among STs suffered with the highest incidence of ailments in the village.
Over 7 per cent of the population in the village is suffering with chronic diseases. This ratio is almost double when compared to the State’s average for rural areas in Telangana. As per the records of ASHA workers, 17 persons were suffering from TB, five with filariasis/elephantiasis and two from AIDS. Most of them belong to poorer households. While there are no substantive differences among men and women in the prevalence of chronic diseases at the aggregate level, one finds significant variation across gender and social group of the sample population. For example, over one-tenth of the ST women suffer with chronic diseases, it is almost nil among those belonging to General Caste (GCs). This low figure could be due to underreporting in the case of many GC women as they were not active in coming forward to provide information and participate in village-level discussions. Similarly, a highest 16 per cent of OBC-A male population is suffering with chronic illness, whereas it is least at 2.33 per cent in the case of SC population. Within-group comparison shows females suffering with a relatively high prevalence of chronic diseases as compared to males among the ST and SC communities.
Expenditure on healthcare as percentage of total household expenditure
Associated with high morbidity, expenditure on healthcare is widespread, as nearly 80 per cent of the households incurred such expenditure. Overall, about one-tenth of total expenditure is spent on healthcare by households, which is quite substantive. By including only those households reporting expenditure on healthcare, the share marginally rises to 12.5 per cent. The share of such expenditure in total household expenditure is highest among OBC-B, followed by OBC-A, SCs, GCs and lowest for STs (Table 1). The literature points that if health expenditure in lower 40 per cent income quintiles of households exceeds 10 per cent of their total household expenditure, it is generally termed as ‘catastrophic health expenditure, which very often pushes households into poverty (Sakthivel and Karan, 2013). Viewed this way, the prevalence of catastrophic health expenditure is widespread in the village, which requires immediate attention.
The burden of healthcare, expressed in terms of median per capita health expenditure, is highest for STs (Rs. 1400) as compared to SCs (Rs. 400), OBCs (Rs. 621) and GCs (Rs. 971). The differences in mean and median per capita expenditure on healthcare suggest higher healthcare expenses by few households in the village. Some among them are in a better position to avail expensive healthcare services mostly in the private sector. But some have weak economic condition but had no other option to reduce their healthcare expenses. The morbidity events put excessive financial risk on households and cause their impoverishment, particularly when most of the patients have to depend on private healthcare.
Table 1: Expenditure on health care (in Rs.)
| Social group | % of households reporting medical expenditure | % share of medical expenditure in total HH exp. (all HHs) | % share of medical expenditure in total HH exp. (only for those reporting medical exp) | Per capita mean expenditure (Rs.) | Per capita median expenditure (Rs.) |
| ST | 80.5 | 6.8 | 8.0 | 3,002 | 1,433 |
| SC | 78.1 | 12.3 | 14.0 | 4,610 | 400 |
| OBC | 80.8 | 11.4 | 13.5 | 6,175 | 621 |
| General | 66.7 | 7.7 | 11.5 | 9,694 | 971 |
| Total | 79.0 | 10.4 | 12.5 | 5,553 | 667 |
In-patient healthcare and expenditure
About five per cent of the sample population suffering with any ailments had to be hospitalised for different types of treatments during the reference period of one year prior to the survey. This has been comparatively more among males and STs. A lowest percentage of the SC population was hospitalised. This has been due to their poor economic conditions as they have been delaying their treatment related to hospitalisation (Table 2). Almost all of the hospitalisations were in private clinics and private hospitals, which understandably cost more to patients. The average days of hospitalisation was quite high — about 19 days. It was about 25 days in the case of male patients and about 11 days for female patients. SCs and GC patients had to stay for more days in hospitals for their treatment. These high values of average days of hospitalisation are subject to significant variations in the individual days of hospitalisation. There were few people in the village who had to be hospitalised more than once in the reference year for their treatment. The prevalence of hospitalisation is fairly high in the village as compared to the rural average of Telangana, and thus involves a huge amount of expenditure on health.
Table 2: Social group and gender-wise percentage of population hospitalised during last year
| Variable | Male | Female | ST | SC | OBC | General | Total |
| Percentage of persons hospitalised in the respective population group | 6.0 | 4.5 | 7.9 | 2.7 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.2 |
| Types of facility ( per cent using Govt. facility) | 3.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.2 | 0.0 | 1.8 |
| Duration of treatment days (average) | 24.8 | 10.7 | 19.7 | 27.1 | 16.1 | 21.5 | 18.8 |
| Average expenditure per hospitalised person (Rs.) | 82347 | 27983 | 16593 | 41429 | 72884 | 131250 | 59048 |
| Per hospitalised patient expenses covered by employer, insurance policy, etc. | 4000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4000 | 4000 |
The average expenditure per person on hospitalisation has been nearly Rs.60,000 with a huge variation between gender and social groups. Such variations are largely associated with the average days of hospitalisation. Hospitalisation-related expenses are largely met by sample households from their own savings. However, about one-fourth of the hospitalised persons had to borrow money by paying interest to meet their health expenses.
Health indicators for the rural population in Telangana are better than the average for rural India. However, such averages need to be carefully generalised at a more disaggregated level. This is revealed in our analysis of health status and health expenditure at the village level. It emerges clearly that the prevalence of morbidity among rural households is high and they suffer with the lack of quality public healthcare infrastructure near their village. They largely depend on private healthcare providers, who are not located nearby the village. The prevalence of chronic diseases is also high. This along with other morbidities result in substantive health-related expenditure and inflict upon financial insecurity. The existing health insurance policies are important but not sufficient to meet the costs of pre-and-post-hospitalisation healthcare, which drain out a substantive income of households and increase their financial vulnerabilities. Such high morbidity and associated expenditure can be reduced with the expansion and improvement of public healthcare facilities in nearby villages. The government is facing a challenge as people have lost faith in primary public health facilities. The dependence on private sector is a compulsion for them in such a situation, the government has to ensure that public health facilities such as primary health centres and district hospitals do not suffer with the scarcity of specialists, diagnostic facilities and medicines. For attracting specialists and other paramedical staff in PHCs and district hospitals, other infrastructure such as residences, schools and markets are essential along with healthcare-related infrastructure.
This note is based on a study on “Livelihoods, Institutions and Socio-economic Development: A Longitudinal Study of Faizabad Village in Telangana”, undertaken by the author under the aegis of S.R. Sankaran Chair (Rural Labour), National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad. The views expressed are of the author’s own.
Rajendra P. Mamgain
Professor & Head, Department of Economics
Doon University, Dehradun
Former Head, S. R. Sankaran Chair, NIRDPR
Hon’ble Minister of State for Steel & Rural Development Visits NIRDPR
Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste, Hon’ble Minister of State for Steel & Rural Development, Government of India, visited the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad on 25th August, 2021.
During the visit, the Minister interacted with the admin & academic staff of the Institute. Dr. G. Narendra Kumar, IAS, Director General, NIRDPR presented a souvenir to the Minister.
Shri Faggan Singh Kulaste also visited the Rural Technology Park on the Institute premises. The faculty of the Centre for Innovations and Appropriate Technologies for Skills and Jobs explained various environment-friendly technologies implemented in the park, to the minister. He also interacted with the participants of the training programme on mushroom cultivation.
NIRDPR Celebrates 75th Independence Day
The National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad celebrated the 75th Independence Day on 15th August, 2021. Dr. G. Narendra Kumar, IAS, Director General, who was the chief guest, hoisted the national flag. Addressing the audience, Dr. Narendra Kumar said that NIRDPR has been at the forefront of rural development initiatives since its beginning. He further made a mention of the various centres of the Institute that were performing well, adding to the growth of the nation. He spoke about the Memorandum of Understanding signed by NIRDPR and the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, the implementation of the school system in the Institute and various measures taken to increase the efficiency of the centres.
Dr. G. Narendra Kumar, IAS, Director General, NIRDPR distributing prizes to the winners of various sports competitionsThe speech was followed by a march-past by the security wing of the Institute and a patriotic song rendered by the students of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Vidyashram. The prizes to the winners of various sports competitions held as part of the Independence Day celebrations were awarded on this day. Other dignitaries who graced the occasion included Smt. Radhika Rastogi, IAS, Deputy Director General, NIRDPR, Shri Shashi Bhushan, Director (Financial Management) & Financial Advisor and Lt. Col. Ashutosh Kumar, Registrar & Director (Admin).
Later in the day, Shri Joginapally Santosh Kumar, Hon’ble MP, Rajya Sabha visited the campus and took part in the plantation drive of medicinal plants organised on the campus. Marking the occasion, a total of 75 medicinal plants belonging to 20 different varieties were planted on the day. The MP also attended a meeting with NIRDPR admin staff and faculty members. Shri T. Prakash Goud, MLA, Rajendranagar constituency, was also present.
Smt. Radhika Rastogi, IAS, DDG, Lt. Col. Ashutosh Kumar, Registrar & Director (Admin)
Online Training Programme on Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Livelihood Models for Rural Communities
A preponderant majority of the rural population are now struggling for a sustainable livelihood opportunity. In rural areas, the livelihood opportunities are not only shrinking but also are unsustainable. Creation of livelihood avenues in massive numbers and ensuring their sustainability will be crucial to address the problem of poverty and inequality in rural areas. Lack of entrepreneurial skill, especially among rural youth, women and marginalised communities, is one of the most important reasons for this situation. There is an urgent need to infuse entrepreneurship spirit among the rural youth by undertaking awareness, capacity building, hand-holding programmes and imparting improved technologies in the rural areas. In view of these, the CIAT&SJ and CEDFI, NIRDPR conducted a 4-day online ToT on ‘Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Livelihood Models for Rural Communities’ from 16th – 19th August, 2021.
Dr. S. Jyothis, Professor & Head, CWEL, NIRDPR delivered the inaugural address, where he emphasised the relevance of sustainability not only from the point of view of individual entrepreneurs but also from the perspective of environmental and climate changes. In view of the pandemic and intense and prolonged lockdown, the whole discussion on rural enterprise development needs to be revisited. A multi-pronged approach needs to be designed to address the diverse issues and concerns relating to sustainability. The ToT was designed to appraise the participants on key pathways towards sustainable rural enterprise development. It includes: 1. Formalisation (Foster formalisation of enterprises and their workers), 2. Platformisation: Digital empowerment of enterprises, 3. Technology, innovation and incubation, 4. Access to shared services, collectives, 5. Training and capacity. In addition, many enterprise promotion models currently implemented in India, such as CRP-driven, mentorship-led, finance and incubation support-led and so on were discussed.
A total of 42 participants from 17 States and UTs, who were carefully shortlisted from 300 applications received via the online registration process, attended this ToT. The participants were faculty members from SIRDs, ETCs, RSETIs, officials and young professionals from SRLM, bank officers, CRPs and representatives from NGOs and CSR affiliates. The following sessions were arranged to discuss various dimensions of sustainable rural entrepreneurship and livelihood models:- 1) Sustainable Rural Enterprise Development: Possibilities and Pathways 2) Implications for Gender in the Context of Rural Entrepreneurship and Livelihood 3) Technology, Innovation and Progress: An Opportunity for rural Entrepreneurs 4) Strategizing Rural Entrepreneurship friendly Ecosystem 5) Appropriate Technologies and Livelihood Models: The initiatives at the Rural Technology Park (RTP) 6) Value Chain Analysis: Opportunities and Challenges
7) Collectivisation and Agripreneurship for Sustainable Agribusiness in Rural Landscape in the context of FPOs and 8) Enterprise Promotion through Local Institutions, Panchayats, GPDP. Detailed discussions were made on various enterprise promotion schemes and programmes announced especially during the pandemic. Due care was taken to conduct each session on an interactive platform and participants were encouraged not only to ask questions but also to share their experiences. Detailed online feedback was collected from the participants on Google Forms. Based on the feedback from the participants and resources persons, it may be concluded that the said programme was satisfactory in all respects and the objectives and goals envisaged in the programme were duly realised. The four-day online ToT was jointly coordinated by Dr. Ramesh Sakthivel, Associate Professor & Head, CIAT&SJ and Dr. Partha Pratim Sahu, Associate Professor, CEDFI.
Refresher Training on Block Panchayat Development and District Panchayat Development Plan
The Centre for Panchayati Raj, Decentralised Planning & Social Service Delivery, National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, organised two three-day online refresher training programmes on Block Panchayat Development and District Panchayat Development Plan in August 2021. The first training programme was conducted from 16th to 18th August, 2021, whereas the second programme was from 23rd to 26th August, 2021. The training was organised for the State-level Master Trainers of the States and UTs. The fundamental objectives of these programmes were to enable the State Level Trainers to deepen the understanding of the context and importance of planning at Block Panchayat level and District Panchayat level and to deepen their understanding of the guiding principles, focus, steps and methodology of preparation of quality Block Panchayat Development Plan (BPDP) & District Panchayat Development Plan (DPDP) and scope of linkage among Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP), BPDP and DPDP and challenges of making the BPDP and DPDP initiative successful.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. C. S. Kumar, IAS, Additional Secretary, MoPR. He highlighted that convergence of 29 subjects with GPDP is not possible at the initial stage. As a result, all States and UTs should focus on basic needs such as agriculture, primary healthcare, education, nutrition, PDS, etc. This implies that Sustainable Development Goals’ compiled convergence should be first.
These training programmes covered the following topics: i) Context and importance of planning at Block Panchayat and District Panchayat levels ii) Steps to be taken by the States and UTs for BPDP iii) Scope and methodology of Spatial Planning in the context of BPDP iv) Collection and consolidation of data with a focus on the data emanating from GPDPs, Census, SECC, Mission Antyodaya, GIS, line departments and the primary data of the Block & District Panchayats themselves v) Guiding principles, focus, steps and methodology of preparation of quality BPDP& DPDP
vi) Scope of linkage among GPDP, BPDP and DPDP and challenges of making the BPDP and DPDP initiative successful.
A Q&A session was conducted in the end. The questions were addressed in detail and participants were provided with all reading materials related to the programme to learn further.
Few participants shared their feedback on these training programmes. Shri P. Roy, Faculty Member, BRAIPRD, SIPRD stated that the course was useful in the current situation. “The design and other materials were excellent as well and some exposure to the live demonstration from 2-3 Blocks/ ZP could be incorporated,” he said. Another participant, Shri Binuraj, Faculty, KILA, expressed that the training was very informative and created a positive learning environment for refresher training.
These training programmes were coordinated by Dr. Anjan Kumar Bhanja, Associate Professor, CPRDP&SSD, NIRDPR, with support from the project management unit team for model GP clusters.
e-Training Programme on Community Forest Rights and Forest Rights Act
The Centre for Natural Resource Management, Climate Change & Disaster Management (CNRM, CC & DM), National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj organised an e-training programme on ‘Community Forest Rights and Forest Rights Act’ from 23rd -27th August, 2021 for the government officials, academicians, elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions and organisations engaged in livelihood security of the forest-dwelling community. A total of 129 participants from all parts of the country took part in the programme.
The objectives of the training programme were:
- To sensitise the participants on the premise and salient features of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and subsequent rules for implementation of Act.
- To familiarise on institutional mechanisms with a clear focus of role and responsibilities of Gram Sabha and forest rights committees.
The programme was inaugurated by Dr. G. Narendra Kumar, IAS, Director General, NIRDPR, Hyderabad. He emphasised on the need for proper implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 as it provides for the restitution of deprived forest rights including both individual rights to cultivated land in forest land and community rights over common property resources. He further added that community forest rights under the Forest Rights Act are crucial for securing the livelihoods of the forest communities and strengthening the local self-governance of forests and other natural resources.
Dr. Chandra Sekhar Kumar, IAS, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India delivered the keynote address. Dr. C. S. Kumar, in his address, opined that the implementation of Forest Rights Acts has generated a huge sense of ownership amongst forest dwellers over their land and natural resources but more needs to be done to translate the intended benefits to favour the right holders through organising regular capacity building programmes for the multiple stakeholders associated with the implementation of Act.
Dr. Naresh Chandra Saxena, IAS (Retd), Former Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India delivered the valedictory address in which he stressed on building a holistic perspective of the delivery mechanisms of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 to facilitate the speedy realisation of envisaged benefits to the right holders.
Dr. Subrat Kumar Mishra, Associate Professor, CNRM, CC & DM, NIRDPR and Course Director rendered the vote of thanks to participants, resource persons and delegates of the training programme.
CDC Organises Library Talks on Third Wave of COVID -19: Issues and Challenges
As a part of the Amrit Mahotsav activities, the Library division of the Centre for Documentation Development and Communication, National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad organised an online Library Talk on ‘ Third Wave of COVID-19: Issues and Challenges’ by Dr. Ashish Chauhan, Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, on 12th August, 2021.
Dr. Akanksha Shukla, Associate Professor & Head, CDC welcomed the guest and participants to the session. The session began with the opening remarks of Dr. G. Narendra Kumar, IAS, Director General, NIRDPR. He spoke about the dire consequences of COVID-19 deaths that pushed many into poverty. “The first wave had not much impact on rural areas, but the rural population has been widely affected by the second wave. It is a public health challenge and the concern is to ensure the combined safety. When compared to urban areas, the vaccination rate is low among rural population,” Dr. Narendra Kumar noted. He also sought measures to alleviate poverty.
Later, Dr. M. Padmaja, Senior Librarian introduced the guest of honour Dr. Ashish Chauhan. Dr. Ashish Chauhan, who completed education at the Christian Medical College & Vellore Hospital, Tamil Nadu, is Sr. Consultant and Diabetologist in Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee hills. While working in Bhaskar Medical College, he had sensitised students in learning the true needs of the patient. Dr. Ashish Chauhan has the passion to promote a concept of changing the attitude of health care professionals from being a curative physician to a preventive one.
The speaker presented his inputs on the third wave of COVID-19. He recommended opting LIC, general insurance and also COVID insurance for the benefit of individuals, and suggested employers to offer insurance to all employees.
Dr. Ashish Chauhan further wanted those who have tested positive for coronavirus to understand the situation and act accordingly rather than getting depressed.
He suggested keeping workplaces clean and hygienic, promoting good respiratory hygiene and regular hand wash, and wearing mask a habit. Dr. Chauhan suggested the participants to avoid crowded places for 100 days, take doctor consultations strictly online, and avoid delay in seeking medical assistance even in the case of experiencing mild symptoms. A Q&A session was conducted at the end of the talk and the doctor responded to the questions put forth by the participants. The session ended with a vote of thanks.
The Senior Librarian also extended greetings to all on the occasion of the National Librarians Day, which fell on the same day (12th August). The National Librarians Day is observed in remembrance of Prof. S. R. Ranganathan, who had spearheaded library development in India and is known as the Father of Library Science in India. He was a great mathematician who later turned his focus into the field of Library Science.
Online ToT programme on Geospatial Applications for Disaster Risk Reduction (GADRM)
The Centre for Natural Resource Management, Climate Change & Disaster Mitigation (CNRM, CCC & DM), National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, organised a five-day online training programme on ‘Geospatial Applications for Disaster Risk Reduction’ from19th – 23rd July, 2021.
Dr. Kiran Jalem, Assistant Professor & Programme Director highlighted the five-day programme schedule and objectives of the training programme. The topics covered in the training programme were Overview of Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and the Relevance of Geospatial Technologies, International Cooperation for Promoting Space Technologies in Disaster Management, Spatial Decision Support System for DRR using Space-Based Observations, Disaster Management and Vulnerability Risk Assessment using Geoinformatics, GIS Applications for Governance, Use of UAVs (Drones) in Disaster Management, Role of Ecosystem Services in Averting Natural Disasters, Applications of Remote Sensing Data and GIS in Flood Inundation Mapping and Damage Assessment, Geospatial Approach to Drought Risk Mitigation & Management, Landslide & Avalanche Hazard Risk Mitigation & Management using Geospatial Technology, Forest Degradation, Forest Fire Monitoring and Damage Assessment using Geospatial Technology, Geospatial Approach to Public Health-related Disasters and Chemical Hazard Risk Mitigation & Management using Geospatial Technology.
A total of 316 participants, including officials from rural development, panchayati raj and other sectoral departments, engineers, scientists from technical & scientific organisations, faculty members and research scholars from training and research institutes and from colleges, State & central universities, representatives from NGOs & CBOs, practising disaster managers, technical experts & professionals, faculty of SIRD/Panchayati Raj Master Trainers, etc., registered online for the programme. The programme consisted of an online quiz to test the trainee’s knowledge of the sessions. Of the 297 participants attended, 195 were awarded e-certificate after successful completion of the course by meeting the criteria of 50 per cent marks and 75 per cent attendance. As per the feedback received from the participants, the programme was a success as they found it beneficial. As many as 201 trainees gave feedback and the overall performance score given by the participants is 90 per cent.
Capacity Building Programme for Charge Officers/Representatives of Gram Panchayat
SAGY – SAMARTHYA, a capacity building training programme on the planning process and effective implementation of the programme for the charge officers and representatives of Gram Panchayats of SAGY – II (2019-24), was organised online by NIRDPR from 29th -31st July, 2021 for the South Indian States including Goa and Odisha. This programme was sponsored by SAGY Division of Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India.
Dr. G. Narendra Kumar, IAS, Director General of NIRDPR delivered the keynote address. In his interaction with trainee officers, he spoke about the crucial role of the charge officers in designing the Village Development Plans which would fulfil the aspirations and expectations of the villagers. He expressed that the charge officers should create a positive environment to access the link between the villages and the functionaries/district officials. “A number of rural development schemes and programmes are being implemented in the village and there is a need to ensure proper convergence of the same with a view to bringing the required awareness among the villagers by the charge officers for better implementation,” he said.
The DG further highlighted the importance of charge officers in taking the future visionary development plans of the village ahead from the existing position to ensure proper and effective implementation of the programmes/schemes by taking the necessary monitoring steps.
Dr. Lakhan Singh, Assistant Professor and Programme Director, CHRD, NIRDPR presented the course structure/design. He informed that the Institute, so far, has trained more than 2,500 functionaries involved in the implementation of the programme. The clientele group mainly consists of charge officers of SAGY Gram Panchayats, Presidents and Members of PRIs, etc. The course was attended by 131 officials from seven States of Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Odisha.
The objectives of the programme were (i) to orient the participants about the importance of SAGY programme and its role in creating model villages, (ii) to equip the participants with the strategies of SAGY scheme for effective implementation, (iii) to impart the skills and techniques of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) for effective planning, and (iv) to demonstrate various successful rural development models to the participants.
The sessions delivered in three days included Transforming villages into Model villages: Experience sharing, Successful models of rural development, Overview of SAGY, Use of Mission Antyodaya data for planning purpose, Observations from the post-project evaluation study of SAGY, Entry Point activities of SAGY, Resource envelope, Utilisation of resources through convergence, The VDP framework of SAGY: Baseline surveys, PRA tools and techniques, Experience learning from field visits of SAGY Gram Panchayats, Provisions in MIS for SAGY: uploading of baseline survey and village development plan, and finally feedback and action plan from the participants.
To deliver the sessions, reputed and experienced resource persons including Shri R. Elango, Managing Trustee, Trust for Village Self-Governance, Former Gram Panchayat President, Tamil Nadu, Mr. Ram Pappu from Mission Sammriddhi, Dr. C. Kathiresan, CPRDP &SSD, Dr. R. Ramesh, CRI, NIRDPR, Dr. S. S. Sarkar from Tejpur University, Prof. R. Suryanarayana Reddy, former Consultant from NIRDPR and Ms. Roop Avtar Kaur, Director (SAGY) and her team from MoRD, New Delhi were invited.
Ms. Roop Avtar Kaur, Director, SAGY Division, MoRD presented the status of SAGY in the seven south Indian States for whom this training programme was organised. In addition, she also presented in brief about SAGY and some of the good performing SAGY GPs to motivate the charge officers and representatives of Gram Panchayats.
As the programme was conducted online, the resource persons were requested to make their session more interesting and participative by using documentary films, charts, success stories, case studies, charts, photographs, live demonstration of the website, slide show, lecture method, question and answer session, etc., and all these methods were successfully used by resource persons to enable the participants to get benefit out of them.
Dr. R. Murugesan, Prof. & Head, CHRD, in his valedictory address, interacted and took the feedback from the participants about the programme. He motivated all the Charge Officers to implement VDP activities efficiently and timely. He thanked all the State Governments for nominating participants for this programme and also to the SAGY Division of MoRD for their continuous support for organising this programme.
At end of all the sessions, participants were asked to evaluate the programme. The feedback highlights that more than 92 per cent of the participants reported improvement in their knowledge, skill and change in their attitude because of this programme.
The programme was coordinated and conducted by Dr. Lakhan Singh, Assistant Professor, Centre for Human Resource Development, National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad.
CEDFI Organises Online Training Programme on Agricultural Value Chain Financing
Agriculture is the backbone of our nation, as more than half of the population directly depends upon agriculture. According to a study, three out of four farmers would like to shift from agriculture to other non-farm activities. Between 2005 and 2018, the rural male population employed in agriculture witnessed a decline of 12 per cent from 67 per cent to 55 per cent, whereas the same saw a spike in the manufacturing sector by 8 per cent from 15 per cent to 23 per cent. In the tertiary sector as well, rural male employment increased by 4 per cent from 18 per cent to 22 per cent. The challenges of Indian farmers are smaller landholdings, imperfect markets for input/products leading to lower value realisations; lack of access to credit markets; absence of extension services and technical know-how; obsolete technology and non-integration of value chain activities in the agriculture sector.
In view of the above background, CEDFI conducted an online training programme on ‘Agricultural Value Chain Financing’ from 13th -16th July, 2021.
Contents of the Programme included
- Agricultural Value Chains – An Overview;
- Credit Appraisal of Agri-Business Projects;
- Role of technology in agriculture;
- Role of Gender in farm-based livelihoods;
- Commercial Viability and Financial Sustainability of FPOs;
- MSMEs and Agri-Value Chains;
- Agri-Value chains in respect of Fruits, Flowers and Vegetables;
- Opportunities in Dairy, Poultry and Fisheries;
- Farm based Livelihoods & Agri Value Chains –Discussion on Govt. schemes;
- Ecosystem to promote agro based enterprises;
- Agri-preneurship.
Resource Persons/Faculty for the programme included CEDFI’s in-house faculty members and a pool of subject experts from NIRDPR contributed to the programme. A wide range of training methodologies like lectures and interactive sessions (through PPTs), case studies, PPTs and discussions, were used during the programme in consonance with the objectives, duration and expectations of the participants.
Besides, the participants submitted evaluation quiz tests related to the topics covered in the sessions by the experts. In total, 311 nominations were received from across the country and 93 were shortlisted by the centre. The participants were officials working as State Nodal officers, faculty of Universities, Agri-business graduates, bank officers, Agriculture Extension Officers, etc.
The Participants’ overall feedback on the training programme was 4.58 out of a 5-point scale i.e., 91 per cent. The programme was coordinated by Dr. M. Srikanth, Associate Prof., & Head, CEDFI and Dr. P. P. Sahu, Associate Prof., along with Shri Chandan Kumar, Research Assistant, CEDFI.
NIRDPR Gets an ATM Inside the Campus
The State Bank of India NIRD Rajendranagar branch functioning on the premises of the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad has launched ATM facility for the benefit of the participants and residents. The ATM was inaugurated by Dr. G. Narendra Kumar, IAS, Director General, NIRDPR on 2nd August, 2021. Smt. Radhika Rastogi, IAS, Deputy Director General, NIRDPR, Shri Shashi Bhushan, Director (Financial Management) & Financial Advisor and Lt. Col. Ashutosh Kumar, Registrar & Director (Admin), staff of NIRDPR and the State Bank of India branch attended the inaugural function.
NIRDPR Gives a Warm Send-off to Deputy Director General Smt. Radhika Rastogi
National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad organised a farewell to Smt. Radhika Rastogi, IAS, Deputy Director General, NIRDPR following her appointment at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie as Joint Director.
The farewell gathering organised on 30th August 2021 at the Vikas auditorium on the campus was attended by Dr. G. Narendra Kumar, IAS, Director General, NIRDPR, Shri Shashi Bhushan, Director (Financial Management) & Financial Advisor, Lt. Col. Ashutosh Kumar, Registrar & Director (Admin), School Heads, Centre Heads, faculty members and other staff of NIRDPR.
The Director General, Registrar & Director (Admin), faculty members and other staff recollected their association with DDG.
Later, addressing the gathering, Smt. Radhika Rastogi spoke at length about the observations she made during her nearly three-and-a-half year-long tenure at NIRDPR. She urged the staff to put in more efforts to make the Institute a centre of excellence at the international level.
The Director General and Director (Financial Management) & Financial Advisor presented Smt. Radhika Rastogi with a souvenir.
SIRD Activities
Kalptaru Bhavan at HIPA inauguarated
Shri Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, inaugurated the Himachal Pradesh Institute of Public Administration’s (HIPA) Kalpataru Bhavan, on 25th August, 2021. The building was constructed at a cost of Rs. 4.34 crore to add classrooms, faculty rooms, boarding and lodging facility in the institute with a view to strengthening the existing infrastructure.
Shri Vivek Bhatia, IAS, Director, HIPA welcomed the Chief Minister and other dignitaries. He informed that all the modern teaching aids were provided in the building besides having the facilities to meet the requirements of people with disabilities. He added that the building with flexible classroom settings has state-of-the-art facilities.
Addressed the trainees of the Himachal Administrative Service, Shri Jai Ram Thakur wanted all officers of the administrative services to work with dedication and commitment so as to live up to the expectations of the public. He called upon the officers of the Himachal Pradesh Administrative Services to come up with innovative ideas to formulate programmes and policies for the welfare and uplifting of every section of the society. They could thus contribute to the development of the State, he pointed out.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Sandeep Bhatnagar, Secretary, Rural Development and Training, stated that training is a crucial factor for trainees to gain better insights and understanding of the functioning of the government. He added that HIPA has qualified and trained in-house faculty, which is a very necessary and important element in imparting training to the officers joining government services.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Releases Two Books
Shri Jai Ram Thakur, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh released two books – ‘Citizen Empowerment’ and ‘Stepping Stones’ – published by SIRD, HP. The book ‘Citizen Empowerment’ was authored by Dr. Rajeev Bansal, Joint Director, SIRD, HP and Dr. Manoj Sharma, Assistant Professor, NIT, Hamirpur, HP. It is a research study done in collaboration with NIT, Hamirpur, HPon the evaluation of e-governance services provided to citizens by the government.
‘Stepping Stones’ authored by Dr. Rajeev Bansal, Joint Director, SIRD, HP is a compendium of case studies on rural development and panchayati raj, to be used in the training sessions for capacity building on decision-making. To disseminate the knowledge widely, the books have been placed on Amazon, the e-mart.
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