Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD-PR) have signed an memorandum of understanding (MoU) on May 15, 2019 at the Amritapuri campus. They have agreed to work together on sharing knowledge, transfer of technologies and training in the areas of e-Learning, skill development, rural technologies, sanitation, energy conservation and outreach programs.

Sri. Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma), Chancellor of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, graced the occasion and wished that the MoU will blossom into a significant social impact initiative for rural India.

Dr. W. R. Reddy (IAS), Director General, NIRD-PR, shared, “NIRD-PR’s reach in rural areas, when combined with compassionate research and rural technologies of Amrita, can bring major transformation in the rural landscape of India.”

“Amrita’s unique Live-in-Labs® program requires students to go to rural areas, understand their challenges and build research-based solutions,” said Dr. Venkat Rangan, Vice Chancellor, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.

Swami Jnanamritananda Puri, Mata Amritanandamayi Math, remarked, “Amrita SeRVe project, launched in September 2013, ushered in sustainable development in village clusters across India, with a series of changes that starts from basic needs to a state of true empowerment.”

The National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD-PR), an autonomous organization under the Union Ministry of Rural Development, is a premier national centre of excellence in rural development and Panchayati Raj. It builds capacities of rural development through inter-related activities of training, research and consultancy.