The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) entered an MoU to work together for livelihood generation among rural, tribal, and farming communities. The MoU was signed by Dr.N.Kalaiselvi – DG of CSIR and Dr.Soumya Swaminathan – Chairperson of MSSRF. Senior officials from CSIR and representatives of MSSRF witnessed the signing of the MoU.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, DG, CSIR expressed that although CSIR labs disseminate technologies developed in the labs to potential users, the outreach, especially in the societal sector, would be enhanced through joining hands with organisations such as MSSRF, which works at the grassroots level.
Dr. Soumya stated that the Foundation, in its efforts to reach out to the tribal and vulnerable communities, is seeking select low-cost, affordable and potential technologies and technical support from CSIR laboratories as a technology facilitating partner under this umbrella MoU, since the tribals or various other such groups are unable to directly approach CSIR labs due to many inherent reasons such as geographical location, language of communication and lack of required resources.
The MoU entails creating a framework and meaningful association for the transfer of affordable, proven and selected technologies with societal relevance available across the CSIR laboratories / institutes and mentoring the SHGs/NGOs/FPOs and other voluntary organisations selected by MSSRF for livelihood generation and empowerment of women, tribal population.
