Annual Report 1999-2000

Societal Programmes

Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP)

A total of 14 new projects have been sanctioned during the year. In majority of projects, the emphasis has been on creating sustainable livelihood base through use of locally available resources and materials. The socio-economic activities of scattered and cluster based tribal population is essentially based on traditional agriculture and, therefore, improvement in agricultural operation was given top priority simultaneously regenerating the rapidly deteriorating natural environment of these regions. Details of some projects are given below:-

• Food security in tribal drylands of District Dewas, Madhya Pradesh: Samaj Pragati Sahyog, Bagli has undertaken a participatory project on ensuring food security for tribal population in Bagli Tehsil. The important inputs include varietal trials, optimisation of input package, types of seeds (indigenous seeds of maize, wheat, cotton, Jowar, Tuar etc.) nursery propagation, biodiversity conservation, moisture conservation through farm buding with appropriate drainage. The organisation has carried out a programmme of widening, deepening, repair and construction of wells for virtually every family. Combined with creation of Self Help Groups and massive savings effort through micro-credit and linkages with banks, it has led to a decline in indebtedness and freedom from the clutches of money lenders-traders.
  
• Creation of livelihood base in Yavatmal District of Maharashtra: More than 100 hectare of land belonging to tribal community in two villages has been brought under intensive bunding. Contour trenching has been done in 40 hectares. Gully plugging has been carried at 200 spots. The villagers have voluntarily joined the project activities and it has started delivering results in form of increased agricultural production.
  
• Sacred groves- Information base for resource conservation: Vikah Mitra- Bastar based group has studied the sacred groves ( locally called Devkot ) and found that each cluster/village has a religious piece of land in which no villager will cut the plants. Rather, it is considered to be highly religious to nurture and add to the vegetation. The group has been trying to co-relate and expand this kind of activity for regeneration of natural resources.
  

As a part of research and development, SESS, New Delhi has been working on the extraction of tanning material from naturally occurring plants such as Harda and Accacia. The project has been developed based on the fact that 30% of the tanning material is wasted in the traditional vegetable tanning process, the efficiency of process ( tanning ) is very low and on the top of all these, India has been importing 100% tanning material. The industrial sector has closed its ventures as the process was not found feasible and economically profitable and sustainable. The group has been doing R&D work on production of particle size of raw material, optimising the heating temperature ( 40-80° C) and finally the process of agitation. The final process of extraction of vegetable tanning material is expected to enhance the economic conditions of tribal people as the village level tanning units are proposed to be set up around the forest regions where bulk of raw material is available. Essentially, the project is meant for processing of forest produce for socio-economic upliftment of tribal population settled in and around forest.

Food security of Jarwas and Onges of Andaman: The dwindling population of primitive tribals has been of significant concern under any programme of tribal development. DST has made special efforts in collaboration with state administration to initiate programmes that would benefit these tribes. The Waves- a Tamil Nadu based voluntary organisation, to has installed Fish Aggregation Devices in the island so as to make available increased fish catch for the primitive communities. Further efforts will be made to improve the health, reproductive capacity to bring about increase in their population.

Integrated tribal village development programme: Three projects are being implemented under this program, the details of which are as under:-

The main objective of the scheme is to apply the Science & Technology for the benefit of Scheduled Caste population. Areas of S&T intervention includes socio-economic studies of scheduled caste population, functional capability development (Training), technology upgradation, waste recycling and solid waste management. During the period under report, 30 projects were sponsored focussing on the training programme for scheduled caste for economic independence in different parts of the country. Most of the training programmes were imparted in the rural areas in sectors such as computers, masonry, household electrical appliance, desktop publication, two wheeler repairs, cardboard making, radio-TV/tape and agricultural appliances.

Highlights of some of the projects are given below:

• Under a project implemented by Manjare Trust, training in secretariat skill and nursing was given. The women belonging to lower strata of society were given training on use of instruments like BP apparatus, thermometer, stethoscope, etc.
  
• GIS based cartographic presentation of scheduled caste population and resource base of Snarsan block, Haridwar was implemented by HARITIMA. Geographic distribution of SCs and their resources are of paramount importance in fixing of the priority areas while framing the policy and plans for their welfare and development.
  
• Project on capability development of SC youths in computer application was implemented in resettlement colonies of east Delhi. Many scheduled caste youth got employment after successful completion of their training. A few of them are being helped for loan from various resources for setting their own training centres as process for self-employment.
  
• Few scheduled caste women were selected and a cooperative was formed. Under one project being implemented at Munchirai block in Kerala and they had been trained and given goat. They were motivated and assisted to form pits to make manure for biodynamic kitchen gardening producing various crops.
  
• In a project being implemented by Energy Research Application, New Delhi, a char-cake making machine has been developed for using agricultural residue. The application for patenting has been processed. This is an efficient agro-waste cake-making machine to replace existing mould and to improve economic viability of small-scale cake production system. This would enhance the earning capacity of neglected class of scheduled caste.
  
• A project about sustainable development of agriculture with low-external input and following ecological principle of farming towards maximum return with less drudgery was sponsored in Mysore district of Karnataka. The area chosen by the organization "PRAGATHI’ was mostly populated by scheduled caste population having waste/fallow/ barren and under utilized land Nursery raising and crop rotation training was given to them.

This programme is aimed at giving opportunities for pursuing innovative research ideas for solving day to day problems faced by the weaker sections of the society through application of S & T and to exchange ideas with scientists working in the voluntary sector.

During the year under reference 10 projects were sanctioned. Highlights of some of the projects are given below:

• An approach to concern some rare medicinal plants in Pathalkot
  

235 Plant species have been identified of which 10 are rare medicinal plants and one is insectivorous and these have now been preserved in herbarium.

• Assessment of mushroom production technology at Jabalpur
  

Many tribals including five primitive tribal families have been trained and motivated to avail of loans/finances under different Government schemes. Different value added such as instant mushroom soup powders, badi etc. have also be made.

The project is expected to result in self-sustaining units for 15 beneficiaries.

• Training of educated housewives in tissue culture
  

58 women have been trained. Some efforts have also been made for standardising protocols for selected species of floriculture, horticulture and medicinal plants.

• Development of low cost tissue culture technology for multiplication of multi-purpose tree species of economic value
  

For cost effective micro propagation several type of media modification are done such as replacement of sucrose with commercial sugar, agar with sago palm, distinct water with filter water, autoclave with pressure cooker and ponds with polythene bags.

Some of the other important areas covered are:

• Cultivation of promising aromatic plants and production of essential oils.
  
• Development of organic farming technology for higher and sustainable vegetable production.
  
• Vermi Composting
  
• Designing and developing appropriate tools and machines for manufacturing bio-briquettes produce pressure on energy sources.