Centre's Mandate
To introduce Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in NIRD&PR, facilitate
adoption and effective utilisation of ICT by faculty members and other staff members
of various schools and centres of the institute, organise training programmes to
various national and international rural development functionaries on ICTs and,
develop /deploy, install, implement and maintain state-of-the-art hardware and software
infrastructure required for various applications in the institute.
Thrust area & scope
Information Communication Technologies are ever evolving and emerging technologies.
In view of this there is a need to constantly keep ourselves abreast of the latest
ICTs and its applications. ICTs facilitate effective implementation and management
of programmes, projects and schemes. Training for capacity building on various components
and aspects of ICTs facilitates the process of re-engineering and change management.
Digital India Initiative launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi
is giving emphasis and allocated huge money for development of ICT infrastructure
across the nation for enhancing employment opportunities and providing good governance
through digitalisation and thereby better standards of living and quality of life.
Ministry of Rural Development and other Ministries of GOI are conceiving and implementing
several Rural Development programmes namely MGNREGS, IAY, NRLM, NSAP, PMKSY, PMGSY,
IWMP, SAGY, SBM, SSA, NRHM etc., across the nation by earmarking and expending thousands
of crores of Rupees annually. These programmes need to be effectively managed for
ensuring expected results.
Training to various stakeholders of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj on ICTs
and its applications is the need of the hour. Information Education and Communication
(IEC) and awareness building to various stakeholders are also required so that demand
for RD programmes increases and also it facilitates enhanced implementation level
of rural development programmes. ICTs have the potential as good tools for IEC and
awareness building. This helps in higher awareness building, better implementation
of the rural development programmes, better realisation of targets and reducing
gap between targets and achievements.
ICTs also facilitate documentation of various initiatives and innovations that are
taking place in the domain of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. ICT tools and
internet can be utilised primarily for documentation of various initiatives, success
stories and best practices in the domain of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.