Diary of a Rural Manager!

The circular economy is rapidly emerging as a transformative approach to sustainability, reshaping how we design, produce, utilize and consume resources. A highly insightful course on this topic is offered by Dr. Gordana Kierans on Udemy .  Key Learnings from the Course:  Definition : Products and services that maximize use and reuse of materials and other resources can be both growth opportunities and sustainability measures. [ Source ] 1. Circular economy is opposite of linear economy as it focuses on preserving resources rather than consuming them for growth. 2.  Circular innovation applies to diverse sectors like textile sector, e- waste, coffee processing, food wastage, packaging, electronics, toys, automtive industry, sportswear, and more. 3.  The Circular Cities Network was launched in 2016 by 12 pioneering cities with t he aim to move cities towards circular systems that reuse, recycle, and reduce waste and resource consumption Business Models Closed-Loop Rec...

The training titled "Effective Capacity Building for Agri-institution Personnel: Tools and Techniques," organized by MANAGE (National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management),  wa s aimed at enhancing the competencies of agricultural extension personnel. Dr. Srinivasacharyulu Attaluri, Deputy Director (Knowledge Management) at MANAGE, is a key resource person involved in such capacity-building initiatives. Brief: The agricultural landscape is undergoing rapid transformation due to the rise of agri-startups that introduce novel approaches for capacity building by Training Institutions while working with farmers in India. MANAGE, EEIs, SAMETIs, SAUs, ICAR Institutes, and KVKs all conduct capacity building, skill development, and technology transfer activities for extension personnel and farmers. They deliver similar content independently, leading to duplication and overlapping of the efforts too. Book Recommendation : The recommended book, titled " What Every Exten...

The word “training” is a cliched jargon used in the corporates. There is another buzz word used for this in the development sector. That word is termed as "Capacity Building" (CB) and it is an endless process. Development professionals and government believe that we have this new knowledge, and we need to teach communities how to do stuff. I have seen such special sessions focused on  inauguration, speech and a boring lecture where participants are waiting for the lunch. Most of the times, workshop had limited interaction and few important questions raised regarding project. The worse use of "CB" word doesn't stop there. It has extended into "empowerment" for poor or "sensitization" for educated government officials. Makarand Sahasrabuddhe  has aptly said: “Many a time capacity building is just a euphemism for cramming 30 people in a room for a few days and trying to kill them with power-points and flipcharts and group work (that also takes...