North-East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST) will make all possible efforts to reach out to about 500 villages of north-east India through its various entrepreneurship and skill development programmes in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic. This information has been given by Dr. G Narahari Sastry, Director of the institute. He was addressing the CSIR-NEIST fraternity on the occasion of the National Technology Day through e-mode.
Some of these programmes include CSIR-AROMA Mission, Rural Women Technology Park, Science and Technology Interventions in the North-East Region (STINER) and other similar societal missions of the institute to facilitate innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. NEIST, based out of Jorhat, Assam, and a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has taken up this initiative in concurrence with institute’s theme “Year of Revitalizing NEIST for Strengthening North East” for the year 2020.
Keeping in tune with the national theme for the day that is ‘Rebooting the Economy through Science, Technology and Research Translations acronymed as ‘RESTART’, the institute had lined-up its various activities for the National Technology Day. Notable among these was the entrepreneurship development programme for rural women under the STINER project. The programme was attended by 10 aspiring women entrepreneurs from CSIR-NEIST colony apart from online participation of other entrepreneurs from all over the state of Assam along with CSIR-NEIST staff members.
“Social entrepreneurship oriented towards the social, cultural and environmental needs of the society will be in great demand in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic in the nation”, said Dr Danish Tamuly, Director on Board of North-East Agriculture Technology Entrepreneurs Hub (NEATEHUB), Atal Incubator Centre (AIC) of Assam Agriculture University (AAU). He exemplified the importance of innovative ideas in churning out a profitable venture.
CEO, NEATEHUB of AIC-AAU, Dr. Karthikeyan emphasized on the changing scenario in the business ecosystem and assured that NEATEHUB (AIC-AAU) is ready to provide all necessary support in CSIR-NEIST endeavor on societal entrepreneurship. Dr. Mantu Bhuyan, Principal Scientist and Principal Investigator of the STINER project, elucidated on the scope and opportunities available under the project for budding entrepreneurs and underscored the technical facilities such as incubation and training facilities that would be made accessible to the needy.
“The optimal use of technology depends on what use we put it in and accordingly it can be a boon or a bane. Our aim should be to serve the society by positive and constructive intervention of science and technology. In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, people are looking forward to the scientific community with high expectations and we need to uphold by living up to their expectations”, said Dr. Sastry. (India Science Wire)
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