Dharmasthala : In the year 2008-09, Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) recognizing the contribution of Dr D VeerendraHeggade in promoting Rural Development & Self Employment Training Institutes (RUDSETI) which aims at addressing unemployment problem of the country, decided to replicate the model and establish one Rural Self- Employment Training Institute (RSETI) in every District of the country modelled on the lines of RUDSETI promoted by SDME Trust, Dharmasthala, SyndicateBank and Canara Bank. During the 12th Plan period it was proposed to establish 500 RSETIs in the country which are mandated to train and motivate the rural unemployed youth to take up self-employment ventures. But the quality of the training imparted at the RSETIs was a matter of concern for MoRD. Thus MoRDcame out with a road map and requested Dr D VeerendraHeggade to lead the entire movement. Accordingly, a historic MOU was signed between Ministry of Rural Development and PadmabhushanaDr D VeerendraHeggade, President National Academy of RUDSETI [NAR] on 29.7.2011 at Dharmasthala for a period of three years with the objective of improving the quality standards in the RSETIs and to bring them on par with the best performing RUDSETI.

In recognition of the excellent leadership provided by Dr D VeerendraHeggade and based on the overall performance of NAR in effectively mentoring and monitoring the RSETIs across the country during the course of MOU, the same was renewed today for a further period three years with effect from 1.8.2014 up to 31.7.2017. The signing ceremony of the MOU between MoRD and NAR was held in the chambers of the Secretrary, MoRD whereinDr D VeerendraHeggade, President, NAR, Bangalore on behalf of NAR and Sri T Vijay Kumar, IAS, Mission Director and Additional Secretary, MoRD on behalf of Government of India signed the MOU in the presence of Sri L C Goyal, IAS, Secretary (RD), Sri S M Vijayanand, IAS, Additional Secretary (RD) MoRD, Sri S.K. Jain, CMD of SyndicateBank,Sri K PreetamLal, General Manager, SyndicateBank and Sri S SBhat, General Manager, Canara Bank. The function was also attended by SmtRenuka Kumar, Director, MoRD,SriSurendra Kumar, younger brother of Dr D VeerendraHeggade, Sri K N Janardhana, Chief Project Co-ordinator, Monitoring Cell for RSETIs, few SPCs and RUDSETI Directors from Ghaziabad and Gurgaon Institutes.

Two successful entrepreneursMsRaginiVerma and Sri Karan Sharmatrained at RUDSETI, Ghaziabad and Gurgaonrespectively shared their experience in their entrepreneurial career on the occasion. The experience sharing was indeed an eye opener for the dignitaries present on the occasion.After listening to the successful career of the RUDSETI trained entrepreneurs everyone in the house felt happy about their progresss.

Speaking on the occasion, DrVeerendraHeggaderecounted that at the time of signing the last MOU, there were 354 RSETIs which needed to be supported. In June 2012, the performance of these RSETIs was reviewed by means of a grading exercise and the performance of 224 Institutes was found to be excellent/very good reflecting a success rate of over 63%. DrHeggade further stated that the grading exercise for these 354 RSETIs was repeated again in June 2013 and this time the number of Institutes whose performance was found to be excellent/very good rose to 306, reflecting a success rate of over 86%. In the meantime, the number of functional RSETIs also rose to 523 by June 2013 and the overall picture also showed considerable improvement with 413 Institutes being rated Excellent/Very good reflecting an overall success rate of 79%, said DrHeggade. He later thanked the Ministry of Rural Development in reposing faith in him and the RUDSETI movement thus replicating the model across India and also Chairman & Managing Directors of SyndicateBank and Canara Bank for their continued support in the RSETI movement.

Sri L C Goyal, Secretary, MoRD lauded the role of NAR in effectively mentoring and monitoring all the RSETIs across India and said that the growth and turnaround in the quality of RSETIs when compared to the situation before signing the MOU is indeed commendable. He further said that the result of MOU is a testimony to the exemplary leadership provided by Dr D VeerendraHeggade, President, NAR during the course of MOU. The timely guidance and support of DrHeggade in improving the quality standards of the RSETIs across India is indeed a boon to the unemployed youth in the country, thus remarked Sri L C Goyal, IAS, Secretary, MoRD.

Earlier Sri T Vijay Kumar, IAS, Mission Director & Additional Secretary, MoRD welcomed the dignitaries to the signing ceremony and explained the salient features of earlier MOU. Appreciating the achievements of NAR during the last three years Sri Vijay Kumar presented a detailed account of the initiatives taken by MoRD, sponsor Banks and other stake holders in improving the functioning of the RSETIs. He further said that a total number of 7,69,762 candidates have been trained by 568 RSETIs with 5,03,176 candidates settling on their own vocations indicating a settlement rate of over 65% of which 1,78,823 candidates have been credit linked indicating a credit linkage of 35.5% of the settled candidates.

Sri S K Jain, CMD of SyndicateBank and Sri S SBhat, General Manager, Canara Bank felicitated Dr D VeerendraHeggade, Sri L C Goyal, IAS, Secretary MoRD and Sri T Vijay Kumar, IAS, Mission Director & Additional Secretary on the occasion.

The function concluded with a vote of thanks by Sri K N Janardhana, Chief Project Co-ordinator for RSETIs.