Introduction

EVOLUTIONAND ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY

The establishment of a separate Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University in Karnataka was envisioned by the then proactive Hon’ble Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister ShriH.K.Patil. The proposal for establishment of the university was placed before both Houses of the Legislature in the Chief Minister’s Budget speech 2013-14 and the same was approved. The State Government constitute an Expert Committee under the Chairmanship of ShriS.V.Ranganath, Former Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka to study the issue involved in the implementation of the proposal of Government. The Expert Committee consisted of the following members:

Sl. No.	Name	Designation
1.	Shri S. V. Ranganath IAS Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Karnataka	Chairman
2.	ShriR.B.AgawaneIAS Former Principal Secretary to Govt.of Karnataka	Member
3.	Dr.S.A.Patil Ex-Director, IARI, New Delhi	Member
4.	Dr. A.N.YellappaReddy IFS (Retd.)	Member
5.	Prof.BinayakumarPattanaik Director, ISEC, Bengaluru	Member
6.	Dr.C.S.Patil Dean, Karnataka Law University, Hubli	Member
7.	Dr.PrakashBhat CEO & Secretary, SCOPE, Dharwad	Member
8.	Prof. H.B. Walikar Former VC, Karnatak University, Dharwad	Member
9.	Dr.Arun R. Patil Managing Director, Agadi Sunrise Hospital Pvt. Ltd. Lakshmeshwar	Member
10.	Smt.NeetiSharma Sr.Vice President & Co-Founder, Teamlease Service Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru	Member
11.	Dr.L.G.Hiregoudar Programme Co-ordinator& Head, KVK, Hulkoti	Member
12.	Shri K.N. Janardhan, Chief Project Co-ordinator, National Academy of RUDSETI, Bengaluru	Member
13.	Shri Syed Jamal, Former Administrative Officer, Karnataka Examination Authority, Bengaluru	Member-Secretary

The Committee deliberated on several subjects and issues towards which the Rural Development University should contribute decisively for improving the lives of people living in rural Karnataka. Most of the problems faced by rural people such as hunger, malnutrition, entrenched poverty and unemployment, class and gender inequalities, loss of land and livelihood continue unabated in rural areas. Despite ample opportunities in the industrial and service sector in urban areas, unemployment continues to be a major problem for rural youth as they lack the necessary skills and training required for the jobs and services arising out of new economic developments.

The Committee visited several institutions for study, such as Institute of Rural Management (IRMA) Anand, National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Hyderabad, Gandhigram Rural Institute, Dindigul, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Mumbai etc. The Committee felt it necessary to create, through the proposed Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University, a committed, dedicated professional manpower and a human resource to address various issues involved in Rural Development. Thus four additional Schools were proposed.

Based on the report of the Expert Committee, the Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University Act, 2016 was enacted for establishment of a unitary University for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj in the State of Karnataka for teaching, training and research on sustainable Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Institutions. This Act was enacted with an intention to strengthen the local-self governance system and to give impetus for study and research for comprehensive rural development in the State of Karnataka. Thus establishment of a university was one of the ambitious programs of the Government of Karnataka, headed by the then Hon’ble Chief Minister ShriSiddaramaiah. The university was established under the able guidance of the then farsighted Hon’ble Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Shri

H. K. Patil with the support of Dr. N. Nagambika Devi, the then Principal Secretary to Government, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department. The University has initiated academic programmes from the academic year 2017-18.

VISION

The Vision of the University is to act as a centre of excellence to transform rural society by the creation of a dedicated, committed human resource which participates in the rural development process to ensure sustainable rural development and broad-based improvement in the quality of life of rural population.

MISSION

The Mission of the University is to impart education and training to various stakeholders for rapid economic growth and sustainable development that reduces poverty and creates employment opportunities, access to essential services in health, education and skill development, leading to inclusive growth through the democratic mechanism of Panchayat Raj Institutions, where people decide their own welfare and economic and socio-political development.

OBJECTIVES

1. Continuous pursuit of excellence in teaching, learning and research.

2. To evolve, promote and impart higher education for development of techno-managerial cadres to take up emerging challenges for the transformation of rural areas, through inclusive growth and integrated rural development.

3. To start courses leading to award of Doctorates, Post Doctorates, Post-graduates, graduates, Diploma and certificate holders with an interdisciplinary and integrated base to design solutions for the complex and diverse issues of rural development.

4. To establish regional centers of rural development at each region with more emphasis on skill development leading to increased employment opportunities.

5. To establish centers of learning using outreach sources-such as progressive farmers and industry houses etc, establishing pilot demonstration units on selected activities of rural development at track record rural persons, Village Panchayats, TalukPanchayats and ZillaPanchayatsetc, and also establish technology parks and Bio-village resource centers of learning.

6. To create chairs and institute studies on special aspects of rural development such as social customs, drinking water, Bio-fuel and energy, foods and nutrition, value chain, skilling and goods manufacturing units, packaging, branding and marketing, networking of required urban services and facilitating them through rural broadband online links, etc,

7. To invite guest lecturers from national and international proven track record institutions, which can facilitate rural development and also people with rural wisdom and experience.

8. To organize Orientation Programmes for the new recruits of Government departments, provide training in collaboration with the State Government to personnel engaged in rural development; organize Refresher Courses to the officers and other staff of the Government departments; organize training programmes for the elected representatives of various democratic institutions.

9. Organizing conferences, workshops and seminars etc., on annual basis to update what is happening in rural development for future planning and improvement in the rural development studies and programmes.

10. To undertake basic, applied and strategic intensive research on all and Regional-organizations, Universities and facets of rural development per se by involving university faculties, students and rural communities through a networking approach involving International, National Institutions.

11. Identify problems of the rural sector requiring science and technology inputs and solve these within the paradigm of sustainable development involving the faculty and students of this university and rural community.

12. To do in-depth research on probable disasters of various magnitudes which can affect rural society, evolve measures and means for their mitigation to avoid all types of losses and distress.

13. To function as a centre of excellence for extension, skilling and entrepreneurship through use of modern information and communication technologies to work towards integrated rural development.

14. To design and provide virtual academy consisting of four way information between scientific institution consortiums (Laboratory-to-Laboratory), between institutions and users (Laboratory to

15. land) between traditional rural knowledge base to technical experts (Land-to-Laboratory) and for lateral learning between rural families (Land-to-land).

16. To help create special institutional structures and schemes for nurturing leadership and managerial skills among the youth in regional, village and community level leading to entrepreneurship with special focus on the most backward regions/villages/communities.

17. To provide all-round opportunities for trainings, skilling and providing incubation facilities for entrepreneurship development in such of the essential branches of learning leading towards service providing, employment and wealth creation through promotion of a classless, casteless and creedless society achieving the goal on integrated and sustainable rural development on Gandhian Ideology (Gram Swaraj).

18. To promote access to rural services for underprivileged segment, children, women, elderly and disabled people through a common village resource and service centers and enable social Justice and equitable status in the society.

19. To promote women empowerment by equipping them to greater access to knowledge and resources, and autonomy in decision making leading to social, economic and political prosperity.

20. To preserve and enrich the cultural wealth and practical wisdom of rural society by generating a sustainable technology base by blending appropriate modern science and technology with traditional knowledge.

21. Improve agriculture economy through judicial use of natural resources by adopting integrated farming approach (Agri-Livestock-Horti-Silivi-Seri, etc), processing and value addition (Secondary agriculture) and linking farmers produce and products to multilevel markets.

22. To promote establishment of Bio-resource centers to aim at Judicious natural resource management, Bio-diversity conservation, soil fertility and renewable energy management, seed banks, custom hire services, organic farming, agroforestry, fodder banks, traditional herbal medicines, health and nutritional aspects, rural enterprises and markets through community participation and management.

23. To promote urban centric rural services, and eco-tourism etc., to establish better harmony to avoid rural – urban divide leading towards rural economic prosperity and better quality of life.

24. To design and develop projects and plans for individual rural family, community, village and panchayat levels on pilot basis for increasing employment opportunities and income of rural masses (both on farm and off farm and non-farm enterprises) to reduce the gap with that of urban population.

25. To educate rural masses on economic development and poverty alleviation through microfinance and microenterprises creation with effective technological interventions.

26. To promote creation of self-help groups, farmer producer groups, Agribusiness centers, community credit societies and ensure access to Government projects, programmes and subsidies through formal financial institutions for adopting newer technologies towards achieving inclusive growth.

27. To improve social, psychological and physical health through promotion of community entertainment programmes, festivals, Jatras, and other cultural outfits and institutions, rural sports-games Yoga- meditation, rural health clinics, better food and nutrition management.

28. Providing continuous inputs to primary, secondary and vocational education system to enrich the contents of courses and studies aimed at rural need orientation aimed at inclusive growth and integrated rural development.

29. To provide consultancy on all aspects of rural development.

30. To undertake monitoring and evaluation of national, state, district, taluk and panchayat level rural development programmes, share ideas and experiences for their effective implementation.

31. To assist the Government in formulation of policies, governance, management and execution of rural development programmes through Panchayat Raj Institutions.

32. To take up any other activity assigned by the Government.

33. Prepare students for leadership, develop their managerial potential through enlightened learning, field work and by participating with community.

34. Promote and preserve academic freedom, ensure diverse ways of learning, develop mastery over professions and channelize faculty and students talent towards dedicated rural development work and community services.

35. Promote feeling among students that “we should learn together, grow together and work together with people. Make efforts to bridge the “Trust Deficit gap” between people and change agents.

36. University shall have open door policy for field practitioners, NGO’s, innovators, renowned social workers, to be invited to supplement the teaching efforts of its Faculty.

37. As part of “Advocacy”, Faculty members to engage themselves in research projects on cutting edge issues of rural development process and come out with solutions and advise Government in formulating development policy framework.

The University’s Vision of Rural Development through the institutions of Panchayat Raj, isin consonance with Mahatma Gandhijis Vision of Gram Swaraj, We,at the University, have adopted a unique blend of (abbreviated as ARTE), leading to comprehensive and sustainable Rural Development through the institutions of Panchayat Raj.

The University started functioning from 2016 and the academic activity from the year 2017 with five Post Graduate Programmes. During the academic year 2018-19 two more and during 2019-20 three more Post Graduate Programmes were commenced. During 2020-21 three Post Graduation Diploma Programmes and two Diploma Programmes were introduced.

National Education Policy 2020 has been implemented in the University by instituting 4 years under Graduate Programmes and started 5 Programmes viz, B.A. Honors in Rural Development and Governance, B.Sc. Honors in Public Health and Social Work, B.Sc. Honors in Agribusiness and Food Processing, B.Sc. Honors in Gioinformatics and Computer Scieces and B.com honors in Innovation and Startups.

The academic activities executed by five schools of study with young, energetic and qualified faculty memebers of the University from various disciplines, are duly supported and guided by senior and eminent teachers, Honorary visiting and Emeritus Professors. The contribution from the mature and experienced Executive Council and Academic Council who spearhead the University’s pursuit to excellence, is immensely motivating and I heartily acknowledge their pivotal role, support and guidance.

To foster and support the academic base, two centres namely 1. Centre for Research, Innovation and Evaluation and 2. Centre for Training, Publication and Supervision have been established. These centres undertake activities related to Research, Innovation, and Training in the myriad areas of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj. Heads of these centres of Research Fellows about 70 support staff and the other human resource of the University.

Rural Immersion is an inbuilt activity in the course curriculum of the University where students spend 4 weeks in villages along with rural study is being carried out. This will sensitize and provide the participants exposure to life skills, culture, traditions, values and lifestyles of the rural community.

Major Accomplishments<

The university, within a span of 7 years, has many accomplishments to its credit. Prominent among them are:

1. ARTE- Adopting Academics, Research, Training and Extension to bring in a Comprehensive and Integrated Approach to rural transformation.

2. Putting sincere efforts to promote the ideals of Mahatma Gandhiji The creation of a replica of Sabarmati Ashram in the heart of the in the campus is a step in this direction. The ashram was built to commemorate the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to Gadag on 11 November 1920.The Ashram has become the centre of inspiration to the University fraternity in paricular and the entire community at large. Scores of people throng the Ashram from far and near to experience the serenity and solitude of this hallowed memorial and get inspired with the Gandhian values and principles which are propagated through this centre.

3. The involvement of the members of the faculty and students is being enhanced through a multi-disciplinary approach for implementation of multifaceted rural based Demonstrable, Sustainable and Scalable nitiative (DeSSI). This project provides rural orientation, exposure and hands-on work experience to the participants. The DeSSI project includes 1. Agro-farming, 2. Model Nursery Project with more than 4000 nos of ornamental, flowering and medicinal plants, farm pond, shade net and Green House 3. Apiculture (Bee keeping) Integrated Livestock Farming Project 5. Processing and value addition to farm produce by Food Science and Technology Department. These initiatives integrate all the activities involved in agribusiness right from procurement of inputs, land preparation, farming, crop protection, harvesting, value addition sales and marketing of agriculture produce.

4. Cultivation of Biodiversity Park with more than 50,000 plants of various species spread across an area of 75 acres of plain and hilly terrain.

5. A demonstrable Biofuel Extraction Unit, being established in collaboration with Karnataka State Bioenergy Development Board.

6. Need-based Skill Development programs, conducted in the training centre, leading to Entrepreneur Development, Employment Generation, and NGOs, self-help groups of women form the prime target groups.

7. Entering into the MOU with organisations of Regional, National and Interational repute to foster collaboration in areas of mutual and common interest while some more are in the pipeline. Prominent among them are the MOUs with ICRISAT, NIRDPR, GRAAM, CMDR, KILA, MGNCRE, MYRADA and IRMA.

Library

The University Library, a curated collection of sources of information, opened in August 2017 by inheriting document collection of about 6961 books and several periodicals accessible to students and members of the faculty for reference and borrowing. Since then it has been contributing to the Academic excellence of the University. The Library has been automated using Easy Lib, a library automation software through which all the operations of the library like Circulation, Cataloguing, ID card processing, OPAC scanning etc. are performed. As on today, the library has 9900 + books with 4890 titles, journals and More than 110 periodicals of national and international repute. It also provides perpetual access to 582 e-books. Five computers have been installed with 100 mbps speed of internet connection for accessing e-Books, e-Journals. The library is Wi-Fi enabled.

Conference / Seminars / Webinars conducted by the University

Several Offline and Online conferences, seminars, workshops and Webinars have been organized, Prominent among them are:

• A three-day International Conference on ‘SWARAJ-Native Models of Self-Governance’.

• Two-day National Conference on “Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj: A Journey in Karnataka State”.

• Two-day NationalConference on “Senior Citizen Issues and Interventions”

• Webinar on Integration of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) in collaboration with NIDM.

• National Level Webinar on “Management of Pandemics’ in Collaboration with IIPA-KRB.

Dignitaries’ Visit to the University<

The University welcomes and receives dignitaries from various walks of life, who have shown keen interest in the activities of the University and have been appreciative of the multifaceted activities going on at the university. They have shared their thoughts with the members of the faculty and students in the process.

Prominent among them are Hon. Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, Hon. Chief Minister Shri. Siddaramaih, Chairman Legislative Council Shri. Basavaraj Horatti Deputy Chief Minister Shri. D K Shivakumar, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Shri. Priyank Kharge, Law, Parliamentary affairs and Tourism Minister and Gadag District Incharge Minister Dr. H K Patil, Senior ministers of Karnataka Govt. Dr. Rajendra Singh, Water Conservationist and Environmentalist, Dr. Ashok Dalawai IAS, CEO, National Rainfed Area Authority, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Govt of India, Prof. S.A.Patil, Former Vice Chancellor UAS Dharwad and Director ICAR, Sri. Ramanagouda Nadagouda , Senior Scientist ISRO and Spacecraft Director IRSAT-2BRI, Dr. Y.B. Ramakrishna, Member Working Committee of Biofuels Govt. of India and Sri. Anant Hegde, Chairman Bio-Diversity Board, GoK. Etc.

Khadi Day:University Promotes Khadi Products and also Every Friday of the Week the Officers, Faculty and Students wear Khadi as part of the Khadi Product Promotion.

Swadeshi Day:

Swadeshi Day: is observed on every Saturday wherein all the staff and students of the University take part in field activities which promote self-reliance and co-operation.

Desi Mart

Desi Mart has started functioning at the University’s RaithaBhavan Complex to promote marketing of the products manufactured by organizations promoted by KVIC, Central and State Government Organizations, Cooperatives and NGOs.

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