Introduction: Science and technology have immense potential for improving the quality of life in rural India by providing services such as weather forecasting and medical care and generating employment opportunities.
Indian being a predominantly agrarian economy, India needs agro-meteorological advisories for the farming community. National center for medium-range weather forecasting and Development of agro –Advisories, a multi-disciplinary project, has been designed to fulfill this objective. A high-resolution analysis forecast system has recently been installed. In addition, graphics software has been developed to plot daily outputs of the model indicating significant weather systems based on medium-range forecasts; experimental agro advisories have already been started from state agricultural universities at
Anand, Hissar, Ludhiana, Pantnagar, Trichur, Bikaner, Faizabad, Jabalpur, Kanpur, and Raipur.
A major initiative is being taken to launch land and water management programs on an all-India basis, based on the success of the watershed development projects now in advanced stages of completion. Under a project entitled “optimization of small–scale irrigation technology for the marginal farmers,” a device has been developed on a clay emitter system for irrigation, which is a simple fabrication and does not demand any pumping unit with any additional accessories. The water movement is governed by the diffusion pressure deficit principle, thereby saving the utilization of water.
Many people are suffering from polio and other diseases, making them dependent on rehabilitation aids for their mobility. Because of the functional difficulties, the metallic calipers have very high rejection rare. Under its program programmer Fibers and composites, DST has developed lightweight polymeric Floor Reaction Orthosis with several distinct advantages.
In the field of medical devices, a blood bag for storing blood has been developed. Over 2 million bags are produced every year. The know-how has also been transferred to Egypt. A heart valve production pilot project is underway, and trials on human beings have been completed. Further, a hydrocephalus shunt has been developed to help brain surgery.
To tap the skills available in engineering colleges for imparting training to the unemployed, a scheme called mass Employment Generation through science and Technology has been started. Through this program, it has become possible to generate nearly 20,000 jobs of sustainable nature. Some of the new activities identified include cutting and polishing artificial diamonds and fiber-reinforced plastic products.
For up-gradation of skills of the women in fields like poultry and quail farming, training in the conservation of soil and moisture by planting specific types of plants, involving them in the identification of water resources and maintenance of conventional and non-conventional devices of drinking water and for weaving square and round coir mats and development of improved looms in hill areas,28 projects have been approved.
Under the project of “Development of the Tribal people in Devarajan Hills, Yarcaud, salam district, Tamilnadu,” income generation activities like rabbit rearing, beekeeping, housing, etc., have been introduced. Similarly, a project on “Technology transfer to tribes of Kolli Hills and Salem district in Tamilnadu “has been initiated to improve the standard of living of tribal families through the application of science and technology in areas of food, shelter, clothing, household equipment, drinking water, sanitation and income generation . The establishment of a model farm, awareness camps, science, and cultural education are some of the activities taken up under this project.
A pilot project called “Cost reduction techniques using locally available material “to provide low-cost houses to poor sections of the society has been successfully implemented. The program involves on-the-job demonstration –cum-training for unskilled workers, masons, artisans, engineers, architects, etc.
Further, a cost-effective method of producing Marco concrete roofing, which can be laid over a light structure, has been standardized at Development Alternative in Delhi. This new system costs only one-third of the conventional asbestos roofs. There has been an excellent response from entrepreneurs for setting up small-scale units to manufacture these roofs at the village level.
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Satellite meteorology services have also been provided . The INSAT-2 ground receiving system has been installed and commissioned in synchronism with the operationalization of the INSAT -2 spacecraft. A novel feature is that the earth station or the system has been indigenously designed. It can process both INSAT-1 and INSAT -2 signals. Good quality pictures from INSAT -2 are being received regularly for assisting forecasters.
The various developmental programs have thus demonstrated the successful application of science and technology in the service of the small farmer and towards rural upliftment.
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