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| About IRTC |
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| >> A Brief History
The Integrated Rural Technology Centre (IRTC) in Mundur, Palakkad, is a research, development and training centre set up by the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad. KSSP is the premier people’s science movement in India.
KSSP was established in 1962 with the objective of taking science to the people. Ever since 1980, the KSSP has been involved in R&D activities related to rural technology. The first was a very modest attempt to develop a fuel efficient smokeless Chulha. This turned out to be a phenomenal success, and the ‘Parishad Aduppu’ became synonymous with smokeless Chulha in Kerala. Gradually the research and extension work spread to allied areas like low cost housing. Soon KSSP realized that it would need a regular scientific team with its own facilities to organize serious and sustained R&D work.
It was about this time that the Department of Science & Technology (DST) from the Government of India came forward to provide a Core Support Grant to set up such a Centre under the STARD Program of their Science and Society Division. Thus IRTC was born, in 1987, and became registered as a separate autonomous institution in 1995. |
| >> Major Area of Involvement
IRTC has taken up a number of research projects in areas like Wood Burning Stoves, Energy Conservation & Management, Small Hydel Investigations, Electronic Ballasts, Pump as Turbine, Solid Waste Management, Bio-methanation, Low-cost Construction Techniques, Land & Water Management, Sustainable Farming Practices, Panchayat Resource Mapping, Local Area Planning, Income Generating Activities for Rural Women, like rabbitry, mushroom culture, spawn production, aquaculture, fish seed production, and Education.
IRTC has collaborated with various institutions like Engineering Colleges, Polytechnics, R&D Institutes, Universities, Industry and NGOs in the implementation of these programmes. The vast network of KSSP, with over 3,000 units and 50,000 members, has been fully utilised in this effort. |
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>> Rules And Regulations Of Society
Here you can download the "Memorandum of Association of the Society for Integrated Rural Technology Centre". |
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Adapt technologies known elsewhere into forms which will not be rejected by the society
Diffuse innovative practices and technologies and scientific culture among the masses in a big way
Work out local level development plans
Take new technologies out of our R&D institutions for field trials
Identify and promote local inventiveness
Develop integrated S&T packages and management models for strengthening local economies
Encourage young scientists, research scholars, students and rural innovators to work for rural development |
| Major Research Areas |
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IRTC has taken up a number of research projects in areas like Wood Burning Stoves, Energy Conservation & Management, Non-conventional Energy Sources like Small Hydel Investigations and Biomass gasification, Solid Waste Management, Low-cost Construction Techniques, Land & Water Management, Panchayath Resource Mapping, Local Area Planning, Education, Women and Technology issues and Income Generating Activities for Rural Women, like rabbitry, mushroom culture, spawn production, aquaculture, ornamental fish culture and fish seed production. IRTC has collaborated with various institutions like Engineering Colleges, Polytechnics, R&D Institutes, Universities, Industry and NGOs in the implementation of these programmes. The vast network of KSSP, with over 3,000 units and 50,000 members, has been fully utilised in this effort.
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