(a) whether the Government has set up the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Rural Industrialisation;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the various courses/training programmes devised for imparting training to set up village industries by the Institute so far?
MINISTER FOR MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SHRI MAHABIR PRASAD)
(a) & (b): The Government has set up the “Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Rural Industrialisation
(MGIRI)†at Wardha, Maharashtra by completely overhauling and revamping the then existing
MGIRI, which had come into existence in 2003 after the erstwhile Jamnalal Bajaj Central
Research Institute, was rechristened as MGIRI. The MGIRI, Wardha is registered under the
Societies Registration Act, 1960 and seeks to provide high quality scientific, technological
and management inputs to strengthen rural industrialization and to enhance opportunities of
meaningful and productive employment in rural areas in the khadi and village industries
(KVI) sectors. The MGIRI is presently being run in project mode in technical collaboration
with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The promotion of rural industrialization would be helped greatly through capacity-building
and technology upgradation in KVI, generating more employment opportunities in rural areas
with higher productivity and incomes for artisans. The specific objectives behind setting
up MGIRI are to:
(i) set up a strong two-way linkage between itself and the rural industrialists and
technical experts in professional institutes so as to facilitate quick availability of modern
science, technology and management inputs for rural industrialisation,
(ii) create a science and technology hub for KVI sector by developing strong linkages and
interface with other institutions in the field of rural industrialisation,
(iii) build a database of technologies available in KVI sector,
(iv) facilitate setting up of rural industrial estates and clusters with necessary
infrastructural facilities like power, specialised tool rooms, testing and marketing
facilities,
(v) undertake and sponsor projects capable of giving substantial fillip to larger and
increased market penetration to selected products of village industry,
(vi) conduct specialised human resource development programmes in generic areas such as
Total Quality Management, creativity and innovation, rural entrepreneurship development,
(vii) provide training to trainers of the training centres of KVIC and Khadi and Village
Industries Boards of State/Union Territory Government, and to
(viii) promote innovation through pilot studies and field trials through research, extension,
education and training
(c): The following programmes /courses have been conducted by MGIRI for dissemination of
technology development under village industries.
i) Quality assurance for Khadi Technologies.
ii) Designing different craft items out of handmade paper.
iii) Improved Kilns and Power operated Potters Wheel.
iv) Decorative Pottery making and Value addition.
v) Bio-manure/Microbial Diagnosis.
vi) Bio-mass briquetting and its utilization.
vii) Quality control of value added food and herbal products.
viii) Conversion kit for Biogas Engine.
ix) Soap and Detergent testing.