1. Title of the Practice
GRI-CARES
Gandhigram Rural Institute - Community Advancement through Rural Extension Services
2. Objectives of the Practice
With its mooring in the grassroots development programmes of the Gandhian movement, the Gandhigram Rural Institute has followed a three-pronged educational system, namely, instruction, research and extension for the holistic development of its students right from its inception. To enable students understand social realities better and initiate appropriate action plans to resolve problems and to translate research outcomes into practice, the Institute undertakes extension programmes. In fact, these programmes serve as vehicles that carry the instruction and research components to the marginalised and disadvantaged sections of the society, with a view to bridging the rural-urban divide.
3. The Context
Being primarily a land of villages, industrialisation and urbanisation have had positive as well as a negative impact on India. Positively, the country has emerged as a developing country with significant growth in per capita income, improved standards of living, infrastructure development, improved access to education, employment, modern healthcare and better connectivity. On the contrary, there exists income disparity, wealth imbalance, social inequality, ever-increasing cost of living, unemployment, underemployment, loss of green cover and poor waste management.
The Institute strives to bridge the gap through a multitude of extension activities including Village Placement Programmes (VPP) where students stay in remote villages for a specified period of time to understand rural realities and eventually become transformative change agents. The strategy adopted has been: think globally, act locally to link micro realities with macro perspectives.
4. The Practice
The extension activities of the Institute are carried out through five major
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vehicles:
- Village Placement Programme (VPP)
- Research Based Extension Activities
- National Service Scheme (NSS) and Shanti Sena
- Unnat Bharat Abhiyan
- Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK)
The Village Placement Programme (VPP) is the flagship extension programme of the Institute and is rural-centric and action-oriented. During their rural stay, the students
During the assessment period, 66 rural camps, 12 health camps, 26 veterinary camps, 38 awareness camps, 22 technology demonstrations, 42 awareness rallies and 28 science teaching programmes were organised by the Institute. Regular follow-up actions are undertaken by the departments through periodic visits to service villages.
Research at GRI has sustained the Institute’s connection with rural realities identified through extension. During the period under report, 48 extension-based research projects to the tune of Rs. 4.66 crores have been carried out, focusing on rural issues such as water and energy conservation, value addition of food products and nutrition in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
GRI has 19 units of the National Service Scheme (NSS), with 1900 volunteers. During 2019–2024, the NSS units of GRI organised more than 150 programmes including rallies, capacity building programmes, blood donation camps, exposure visits and career guidance for school children, tree plantation programmes, awareness programmes, observances of days of national importance, polio vaccination drives and eye camps. 35 special camps, involving 1750 volunteers, were organised during the assessment period.
The Shanti Sena of the Institute has organised 24 programmes in villages promoting peace and harmony.
The Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, an initiative of the Government of India, is aimed at the active participation of universities and colleges to address local needs, promote sustainable practices, and apply academic research to real-world problems through societal participation. In fact, UBA is a validation of the GRI model of Extension followed since 1956.
GRI is a Regional Coordinating Institution (RCI) of UBA, coordinating the activities of 159 participating institutions, including four universities, covering 11 districts in South Tamil Nadu. As a Participating Institution of the UBA, the Institute has conducted more than 50 programmes in partnership with KVK and the rural development departments of both Central and State governments, focusing on the thrust areas of UBA.
The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) unit of GRI has organised more than 600 programmes during the assessment period benefiting 16432 farmers. 216 field level demonstrations have been carried out and 5 Kisan Melas have been organised. Nearly 850 soil health cards have been distributed to the farmers.
5. Evidence of Success
The rural connect of GRI is quite strong and has been emulated by other institutions. The Institute’s pioneering extension work has attracted national attention through the formulation of a mandatory course on Community Engagement.This is a UGC initiative with expertise drawn from GRI.The Ministry of Education of GoI has recognised GRI as a Regional Coordinating Institution and one of the four institutions identified for UBA related training programmes.
The Ministries of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Jal Shakti have recognised the Institute as a National Level Monitor (NLM) for monitoring rural development programmes across eight states, namely, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
NSS volunteers of GRI have received awards in national camps, including Republic Day camps.
The KVK at GRI has won six awards for its agricultural extension programmes during the assessment period.
An analysis of the extension programmes carried out by different departments clearly indicate an enhanced concern for the community, improved nutritional status and habits among pre-school children, awareness among the rural masses about Government welfare schemes, better employment opportunities for the rural youth and the desire to adopt organic farming.
GRI truly cares for the rural populace.
6. Problems Encountered and Resources Required
Firstly, inadequate financial support from governmental agencies and lack of interest from non-governmental agencies and the corporate sector have forced the Institute to depend on internal resources to conduct rural extension programmes. Separate funding for research on rural related issues is an immediate necessity.
Secondly, students participating in rural extension programmes experience practical problems during their rural stay. However, this helps the students understand the realities of rural life in a better manner.
Thirdly, the major expectations of the villagers are financial in nature that cannot be fulfilled by the Institute. Hence, there is a decline in the participation of villagers in certain pockets in the extension activities of the Institute and this demotivates the students and the faculty.
Fourthly, the growing awareness regarding the need to connect with the rural masses has pushed the mainstream institutions to compete for the same space with GRI.
7. Notes (Optional)
GRI has integrated extension into the curriculum but extension remains a standalone component in many institutions. GRI has considered extension as an integral componentsince its inception. But the UGC included extension as one of the components of higher education only in 1976.
The extension programmes of GRI serve as vehicles of dissemination about government initiatives, especially with regard to development and rural reconstruction. The multipronged strategy of GRI in taking its mission of empowerment of the rural masses through its extension programmes can be replicated at the national level. GRI will lead such an initiative and guide sister institutions in replicating this highly successful model.
