New Delhi: Apex advisory body, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the government and NABARD on Saturday launched the RSVC-AMRIT platform to strengthen technology-led rural development and accelerate the adoption of appropriate technologies in rural areas, according to an official statement.
On the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, Principal Scientific Adviser Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood launched the digital platform which is a step towards strengthening the RuTAGe Smart Village Centre (RSVC) ecosystem.
Developed by NABARD in collaboration with the PSA’s office, the AMRIT platform is designed to serve as the digital backbone of the RSVC ecosystem, supporting technology discovery, validation, deployment tracking, collaboration, monitoring and knowledge management.
In addition, the platform will progressively bring together innovators, technology providers, startups, validators, accelerators, implementation partners, funding agencies, academic institutions and rural communities on a common platform.
Addressing the launch event, Sood said the platform would support the complete lifecycle of the RSVC initiative and help connect various stakeholders involved in developing and deploying technologies for rural communities.
The initiative aims to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the dissemination of appropriate technologies closer to the last mile.
NABARD Chairman Dr Shaji Krishnan V said India has a rich ecosystem of scientific institutions, innovators, startups and technology providers, but connecting appropriate technologies with specific rural needs remains a challenge.
The platform seeks to bridge this gap by linking rural requirements with innovations, institutions and implementation mechanisms, according to the government.
The RSVC initiative facilitates the transfer of affordable and appropriate technologies from research institutions, innovators and startups to rural communities through village-level technology hubs.
Moreover, these centres cover areas including agriculture, rural enterprises, renewable energy, education, assistive technologies, water and sanitation and citizen services.
However, NABARD currently supports eight RSVCs and expects AMRIT to evolve into a national repository of rural innovations, technologies, best practices and collaboration opportunities.
(IANS)
