The Ministry of Rural Development held a meeting of national‑level rural training centres.

The Ministry of Rural Development recently held a national‑level meeting with heads of rural training centres, programme coordinators and officials of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The main objective of the meeting was to enhance the quality and reach of training programmes in rural areas and to incorporate new technological innovations into the training curricula. All participants emphasized the need for skill‑development courses suitable for rural farmers, women’s volunteer groups and youth.

The ministry reported that in the previous year more than 12,000 people were trained at rural training centres in the fields of agriculture, animal husbandry, basic health care and digital literacy. The meeting decided that future training modules will give special attention to drone‑based crop monitoring, water management and micro‑financial services. In addition, a proposal was presented to provide financial resources and technical assistance to the training centres through partnerships with state governments and the private sector.

During the meeting the ministry also clarified that, through rural training centres, farmers can be taught the latest agricultural technologies as well as entrepreneurship and marketing skills, thereby strengthening the rural economy. At the close of the meeting, ministers, recognizing rural training centres as a key pillar of the National Rural Development Strategy, decided to conduct a comprehensive review of the centres’ efficiency and effectiveness in the next quarter.