Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India and Chairperson of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology & Innovation Advisory Council, Prof Ajay Kumar Sood, today chaired a high-level review meeting of Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG) 2.0 at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar campus.
The two-day annual review meeting assessed progress of the projects carried out by IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati, IIT Roorkee, IIT Delhi, ICAR NAARM and SKUAST-K.
RuTAG 2.0 is a national initiative aimed at addressing technology gaps in rural areas through innovative, affordable, and scalable solutions. By leveraging the expertise of premier academic and research institutions, RuTAG strives to improve the quality of life in rural India while promoting sustainability and inclusivity.
The inaugural function of the review meeting was also attended by the Scientific Secretary to the Government of India, Dr Parvinder Miani; Vice Chancellor SKUAST-K, Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai; Commissioner Secretary, Science and Technology, Government of J&K, Saurabh Bhagat; Staff and Scientists of Office of Principal Scientific Advisor; all the principal investigators of RuTAG 2.0 projects from IITs and NAARM; officers of SKUAST-K; Directors of the Development Departments of J&K Government; and various industry representatives from Kashmir. Director Research, SKUAST-K, Prof Haroon R Naik presented the welcome address.
Prof Ajay Kumar Sood, in his address, said the time for ‘Jugad’ is over and the technologies developed under RuTAG 2.0 must adhere to all the quality standards and must be internationally competitive and sustainable. He said RuTAG 2.0 must empower rural youth by providing grassroots innovations so that they don’t have to move to cities for livelihood.
Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, Vice Chancellor of SKUAST-Kashmir, provided an insightful overview of the university’s achievements and its vision for advancing rural technologies. He called for greater interdisciplinary collaborations to achieve impactful outcomes.
Dr Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary in the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to GoI, also spoke on the occasion.
At the event, the unveiling of the RuTAG 2.0 logo, release of a book, Technologies Developed by SKUAST-K’s Division of Food Technologies, and a success story also took place.
