Experts advocate for Regional Cooperation for Rural Development in Asia- Pacific region
The Inaugural Session of the International Seminar on “Rural Development in Asia – Pacific Region – with Special reference to North East India and its Bordering countries’’ in online platform due to Covid-19 pandemic on 24th August, 2020.
National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR), North Eastern Regional Centre, India is organise the international seminar during24-28 August, 2020 jointly with Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development, Comilla, Bangladesh in collaboration with Centre for Studies on Bangladesh and Myanmar, Dibrugarh University, India; College of Natural Resource, Royal University Bhutan; Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh and Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Academicians, policymakers, practitioners from 5 neighboring countries of North East India and from all the states of Indiawill present total 154 papersbe presented in the seminar.
In the beginning, Prof. R.M.Pant, Director, North Eastern Regional Centre, Guwahati welcomed all the academicians, university scholars and other participants to this august gathering on virtual platform.
Dr. Jayanta Choudhury, Associate professor, NIRDPR-NERC and Seminar Convener whiling highlighting the objectives of the seminar informed that Asia and the Pacific today is home to about 70 per cent of the world’s rural population and thereforeemphasised for more regional collaboration and cooperation among academic institutions, Civil Society Organisers and Governments.
Dr. Phanchung, Director, Research and External Relations (DRER), Royal University of Bhutan arguedfor technological interventions as need of the hour for the better quality of life in rural areas. He further stated that academicians and research institutions must contribute to the well-being of rural population through their innovative ideas and research outcomes. Besides, he focused on education for the rural disadvantaged for empowering rural ecosystem. He further quoted the importance of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge sharing centre serving the eight regional member countries of the Asia Pacific regions. Such consortiums need to address the well-being of hilly regions of north east and neighbouring countries.
Dr. MasudalHoq Chowdhury, Additional Director, General, Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD), Comilla, Bangladesh briefed the participants about significance of BARD in organizing International consultancy research for the upliftment of the rural poor and their well-being through guiding academic and research scholars for identifying the innovative avenues for rural ecosystem. He also shared the experiences of Comilla Model, DTBC and the concept of ‘My House My Farm’ as a poverty alleviation programme. He also stated the importance of a policy for Rural Development is the policy for the any Nation. He appraised the importance of ICT revolution and Globalization amidst the post Covid -19 Pandemic. He invited the Academicians, Researchers and Scholars to work jointly in collaboration for the common cause of poverty alleviation.
Chief Guest of the inaugural programme Prof. Dr. Md. GiashuddinMilah, Vice Chancellor, Bangabandhu Sheikh MujiburRahamanAgricultural University (BBSMR), Bangladesh in his address focused on the rural development processes which enable rural life in economic development. He emphasized on few common constraints faced by the neighbouring countries such as poverty, social, educational, health, agricultural, trafficking and infrastructure issues. He focused on sustainable agriculture for small and marginal as a pathway for betterment of rural population. He extended his universities full cooperation and support to all the Academia and research scholars and institutions.
Dr. V. Suresh Babu put vote of thanks with an expectation that the participants will emanate few policy strategies and way forward for addressing the common issues of rural development among the neighboring countries.