JAMSETJI TATA NATIONAL VIRTUAL ACADEMY

FOR RURAL PROSPERITY (NVA)

Jamsetji Tata National Virtual Academy for Rural Prosperity (NVA) endeavours to bring together the experts and grassroots level communities in two-way communication with the objective that knowledge should reach every home and hut.

 

The main aim of the programme is to empower vulnerable people to make appropriate choices and achieve better control of their own development and to build skills and capacities of the rural poor with a view to enhancing livelihood opportunities.

 

Creation and updating of relevant content to suit local needs is a key factor in the programme. The information provided should be demand-driven and relevant to the day-to-day life and work of rural women and men.

 

With the generous support of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, Tata Education Trust, ISRO, IDRC, CIDA, Microsoft, Tata Releif Committee, NASSCOM Foundation, Maharashtra Foundation, BASF and Rotary Club of Coimbatore, the NVA has set up 15 Village Resource Centres (VRCs) and 72 Village Knowledge Centres (VKCs) in Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Maharashtra (Vidarbha Region), Orissa (Koraput) and Rajasthan. All the VRCs are connected through ISRO uplink and downlink satellite.

 

MSSRF-IDRC Village Knowledge Centre (VKCs) in a fishing hamlet  in Pondicherry Union Territory has rescued people from certain deaths during the Tsunami December 2004, and has played a key role in post-tsunami relief. The Public Address system network in some of the villages with Knowledge Centres has helped in tsunami relief materials reaching the communities in an effective way.

 

With the help of several partners, the MSSRF has set up coastal grid of VKCs in the tsunami affected areas. The main aim is to convert the tsunami tragedy into an opportunity for the information and knowledge empowerment of fisher and farming communities in areas of importance to their lives and livelihoods. This network of Coastal Knowledge Centres will help to change for the better, human security in all its dimensions in coastal areas.

 

MSSRF, Sarvodaya and Practical Action (previously called ITDG) are doing a research project on “Strengthening Resilience in Tsunami-affected Communities of India and Sri Lanka” project which covers the mangrove & non-mangrove bioshields, livelihoods, VRCs and VKCs in the Tsunami affected villages with the generous support of IDRC and CIDA.

This web site explains the activities of Village Resource Centres (VRCs) and Village Knowledge Centres (VKCs) including the process of setting up of VRCs and VKCs to our partners. This web site also contains the services provided by  VRCs and VKCs.

Web site designed and content provided by senthil@mssrf.res.in

editing by

Prof P C Kesavan, DAE-Homi Bhabha Chair

pckesavan@mssrf.res.in &

Dr L Vedavalli, NVA, veda@mssrf.res.in

Jamsetji Tata National Virtual Academy for Rural Prosperity (NVA)

M S Swaminathan Research Foundation

3rd Cross Street, Institutional Area, Taramani, Chennai 600 113, Tamil Nadu, India

Phone: +91 44 22542791, 22542698, 22541229 | Fax: +91 44 22541319

chairman@mssrf.res.in; executivedirector@mssrf.res.in; senthil@mssrf.res.in; nva-coordinators@mssrf.res.in; nva-vrcs@mssrf.res.in; informatics@mssrf.res.in; nva-advisors@mssrf.res.in

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