SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Jan 21: IIT India School of Mines (ISM) Dhanbad today organised a workshop in the remote Karmatand block of Jamtara district to transform the lives of scheduled tribe people through tailormade intervention.
Prof Rajni Singh, dean of media and branding of IIT ISM said that In the workshop, members of the IIT (ISM) team under Prof Rashmi Singh comprising associate professor Niladri Das, Susmita Biswas, Ranjit, project assistants and Virendra Kisku interacted with the rural folks and explained them about the different government schemes meant for the benefit of common people.
“The aim of this initiative is to develop an optimal scientific mechanism that can give them feasible options for effective resource allocation and savings,” said Prof Rashmi Singh.
Prof Singh said that this was 5th workshop organised today by IIT ISM in Karmatand block, the workplace of great social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
She further added that one more workshop will also be organised as part of the series in the Fatehpur block of Jamtara.
“We launched the initiative during July last year with the aim of improving the economic well-being of scheduled tribe people of the Jamtara District,” said Prof Singh and added that the aim of the exercise is to encourage farmers (ST) to evolve as “farm-based entrepreneurs” who are equipped to make informed financial decisions.
The over six-hour workshop conducted in the training room of the Kamatand block office, which began at around 11 a.m. in the morning and continued till 4.30 p.m. witnessed meaningful interaction between the IIT (ISM) team led by Rashmi Singh, Assistant Professor of Management Studies department. Over 200 participants, more than 60% of whom were women.
Savitri Murmu, a women participant of Udaipur Village while interacting with IIT (ISM) team took details of the ways of launching a pickle-making unit and as part of the self-help group (SHG) along with the other women of her village and ensuring the packaging and marketing of pickles made by them.
Urmila Murmu, a resident of Mohanpur Village said, “We learnt a lot of things about launching our own entrepreneurship ventures by first constituting the SHG.”
