Unnat Bharat Abhiyan

India is an agglomerate of rural and urban populations. The majority of the Indian population lives in rural areas and is involved in agribusiness. There is a big gap between the urban and rural sectors, resulting in unequal education, health facilities, and basic amenities. This causes discontent in people living in rural areas and a need for migration to urban areas.

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) is an initiative toward the provision and enrichment of rural India by involving higher education institutes to bring development and change. The initiative is based on the Gandhian vision of being self-sufficient. The concept of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan began from the initiative of IIT Delhi faculty members. The active involvement of several representatives from various technical institutions has provided a great thrust to the initiative.

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan

Under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, the government actively links higher educational institutes with a set of five villages. They work closely with the district administration to develop and implement sustainable and effective solutions aligned with rural needs. Under the guidance and support of experts, the village improves its social and economic abilities.

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0

Some of the important activities taken up under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 include:

• Building a team of volunteers
• Conducted village surveys in the adopted villages.
• Conducted household surveys in the adopted villages.
• Conducted an awareness program on Covid-19 and precautions to combat the spread.
• Swachh Bharat Program, a central government initiative, is implemented in adopted villages.
• Renovation of existing primary schools.

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) strives to make India more inclusive by bringing a revolutionary change in rural development processes through educational institutions.

The scheme promotes procedures that connect higher education institutions with local communities. Therefore, it allows participatory processes and uses modern technologies to address the development concerns of rural India.

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Aims

The program aims at more rapid and long-term changes in rural India by combining human and economic development.

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan intends to link at least five villages with Higher Education Institutions so that these institutions can use their knowledge base to improve the socio-economic conditions of the village communities.

For instance, IIT Delhi adopted the following villages as part of the program:

1. Agarpur
2. Garhi Bajra
3. Garhi Fauji
4. Murlidharpur
5. Nangla Bel

UBA 2.0 is a refined version of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan. The difference is that all educational institutes could participate in the earlier scheme. However, under UBA 2.0, only those institutions which clear the eligibility criteria can participate.

The technical contributions of the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan initiative have profoundly enhanced local living conditions. Innovations in various sectors developed new and old technologies that have benefitted rural India and improved village living conditions.

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Interventions Under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan

Some interventions done under the UBA are:

• Sustainable cultivation of mushrooms by IIT Delhi
• Revamping government schools by IIT Delhi
• Agriculture drone system by Shantiram College of Engineering
• Cloth Bag Making by Fatima College
• Paper bag making by Birla Institute of Technology

Through the program, higher education institutions forge relationships with society and villages, aiding students to develop practical skills and gaining traditional knowledge.

Moreover, the project helps discover new technologies, develop implementation strategies, and personalize technology for developing rural India.

Furthermore, the Government of India plans to use UBA in sensitizing school teachers about the National Education Policy 2020.

Objectives of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan

The aims of the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan are to:

• Involve personnel and students from Higher Education Institutions in identifying development difficulties in rural areas and suggesting long-term solutions.
• Identify and select current breakthrough technologies, refine old ones, or devise a way for bringing new solutions to rural India as needed.
• Allow Higher Educational Institutions to participate in developing policies to ensure the smooth implementation of various government programs at the grass-root level.
• Stress on fieldwork, stakeholder interaction, and design for social good as cornerstones of higher education.
• Bring resources from higher education institutions to rural India and regional agencies.
• Use the rich experience of people with academic success in science, engineering, technology, and management in metamorphosing rural India.

Long ago, Mahatma Gandhi dreamed of self-sufficient village republics, and Unnat Bharat Abhiyan tries to make that dream a reality.

With the support of higher educational institutions, the program aims to accelerate rural development by combining science, technology, innovation, and local resources. It employs decentralized, environmentally friendly technologies to meet the basic needs of rural India.

UBA also promotes sustainable development imperatives by attempting to establish eco-friendly villages and sustainable local employment prospects.

FAQs on Unnat Bharat Abhiyan

Q.1. What is the objective of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan?

The objective of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is to enrich the rural areas of India by connecting them with higher educational institutes for the development and implementation of technologies aligned with rural needs.

Q.2. Which institute of India is the national coordinating institute for the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan?

IIT, Delhi, serves as the national coordinating institute for the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan.

Q.3. When was Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 launched?

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 was initiated in 2018.

Q.4. Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is the flagship program of which ministry?

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is a program under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, aiming to transform rural India with the help of institutes of higher education.

Q.5. Where is the national coordinating institute for Unnat Bharat Abhiyan?

The national coordinating institute of the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is in IIT Delhi. Currently, Prof. Virendra Kumar Vijay is the National Coordinator of the program.

Q.6. What themes are covered under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan?

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan covers various themes like organic farming, water management, renewable energy, the livelihood of artisans, and basic amenities like food, water, shelter, clothing, transportation, communication, health, etc.

Q.7. Who are the beneficiaries of the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan?

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan targets people residing in rural India.

Q.8. How many Institutions of Higher Education participate in the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan?

According to a recent press release, 2600 institutes have adopted 14,000 villages through Unnat Bharat Abhiyan.