Building IITB’s capacity to engage in regional development challenges

CTARA, IIT Bombay29th December 2015

The basic argumentMaharashtra’s Development Demands

Civil amenities (water, energy, transport etc.), livelihoods, SMEs

Need for Knowledge, New Practices, New ResearchNew Job Profiles, Avenues for Professionals

The role of University and Higher EducationKnowledge Structures, Key Areas

Scope for building IITB’s capacity to fulfill this role

Severe stress in key areas

Basic issues of • Water• Energy• Health• Livelihoods

This stress is rampant in our own neighborhood – Thane, Palghar, Raigad

IITB is well-positioned to provide impactful knowledge inputs

CTARA programs and entities

MTech & PhD programmes

TDSL

TDSC

UBA

Rutag

Training of IITB students: exposure to the development space, tools, protocols and skills

Delivering solutions: knowledge inputs required to directly address the basic needs of the bottom 80%

Background on TDSC• Technology and Development Solutions Cell• Formed: January 2014

Objectives

1. Address professional service requirements of regional bodies like municipal

corporations and GPs

2. Develop service model for the bottom 80% that engages young engineers

3. Formulate development protocols and case studies for dissemination to

regional colleges

4. Provide a launching pad for entrepreneurial careers in the development

sector

TDSC Projects – Past and Present

Watershed interventions in Kurlod-Botoshi, Mokhada taluka

Aroehan (NGO), Siemens CSR

Analysis of water and energy losses in Parbhani city’s water supply system

Parbhani Municipal Corporation

Design of a rural water supply system for Tembha village, Shahapur

Sir Dorabji Tata Trust

In-house R&D

• Low-cost water level sensor

• App for collecting and analysis of survey data

Upcoming

Jal Yukt Shivar audit in Palghar district

PWS audit and consulting in Thane district

Solid waste management and ESR pilot study in Parbhani city

What is RuTAG • Concept by Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the

Government of India

• RuTAG - a mechanism to achieve rural advancements through S&T interventions

• RuTAG cells are located in 8 IITs –Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, Roorkee and Ropar

• RuTAG at IIT Bombay – established in 2010 - focuses on the rural areas of western India (Maharashtra ,Gujarat and Goa)

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RuTAG current approach

• Identification of real life projects through field visits• NGO plays a pivotal role • Project concepts approved and funded by O/o PSA • Gadget/tool/machine to be the deliverable• Stakeholder involvement • IIT Faculty play key role (design machine/ tool)• Dissemination through the NGO• Impact assessment

Factors affecting success of RuTAG project

RuTAG project

Identification of suitable

problem

Availability of funds

Availability of

Students /Technocrats

Availability of IITB faculty

RuTAG -- Way forward …….• Engaging more and more faculty for projects

– Create excitement for IITB faculty – Engaging faculty from local engineering colleges– Engaging faculty from other institutes related to rural development

e.g. agricultural universities

• Attracting students to work on projects – Organize filed visits for students – Provide academic credit to IITB students for working on RuTAG

project – Recruit students from local/ other engineering colleges– Provide stipend/ internship to students

• Generating more Funds for RuTAG projects – Funds from IITB (institutional funds)– CSR funds from corporate– Patents

• Identification of suitable problems– Creating a strong NGO network– NGO workshops – Field visits

Framework of Engagement

Government Resolutions by GoMGR-Water and Sanitation GR-Higher & Technical Education

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Role of Knowledge inputsExample: Public Transport

• Monitoring and Execution: Maintaining schedules. Executing standard procedures. Organizing information, material and financial flows.

• Evaluation and Assessment: On-time performance, Load analysis, Inventory utilization. Cost-benfit analysis. Customer satisfaction.

• Planning: Economic models, GIS, Optimization frameworks.• Failure Analysis: Particular events. Under-performance in some

localities. Cause analysis. • Feasibility Analysis: New routes or new depots. New ticketing

systems.

Need of the hour:New research paradigm, New faculty• Current approach is top-

down – Funding is from the top e.g.

DST. – Researcher is not accountable

to the intended beneficiary• A better model:

– Funding/request for research should come from the stakeholder -- demand-driven

– Output should be solution-oriented

• New faculty is required to grow and direct TDSC, RuTaG, UBA

• There is need for faculty from all engineering disciplines

• Faculty must share a common philosophy: – Research for regional

development is important– Research and design process

should be • Iterative• Field-based• Stakeholder-centric• Interdisciplinary

CTARA Academic Programs

Academic ProgramsMTech in Technology and Development (TD)PhDTechnology and Development Supervised Learning (TDSL) courseMinor in Technology and Development for BTech students

Student EnrollmentM Tech. 64 (current)

Ph. D 20 (current)

TDSL > 500 since 2010

Strong emphasis on field work

• TDSL - B Tech. fieldwork intensive course with 4-5 field visits

• TD 609 - Field stay (10 weeks field stay in a village)

• TD 602 - Soil, Land use GIS, Agriculture

• TD 605 - Appropriate Technology

• TD 691 - Development Protocol

• TD 603 - Water Resource Management

Past TDSL topics