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NIFT links rural artisans to urban market

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CIOL Bureau
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NEW DELHI: The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) is imparting training to rural artisans within their villages while assuring hundred per cent placement for them. NIFT is the first educational institution to link rural artisans to urban market through intervening in the mobilization, design and product development and market linkages.

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NIFT is presently working in six clusters and more will be added in due course for training of rural artisans.

Under SGSY, NIFT has identified about 10,000 rural craftsmen working in the clusters at Dhar in Madhya Pradesh, Humpi in Karnataka, Surendra Nagar in Gujarat, Kozhikode in Kerala and Birbhum in West Bengal for up-gradation of their skills so that their products become viable commercially.

More than 900 NIFT students have visited these clusters and interacted directly with 3000 craftsmen for creating around 2500 new and innovative products. NIFT has mobilized the artisans at grass-root level and formulated 280 Self Help Groups (SHGs) under the project.

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Inaugurating the exhibition cum marketing outlet of products developed by the craftsmen of five states under the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojna (SGSY), Minister of Textiles, Shankersinh Vaghela said that the target of providing employment to 1.20 crore people is expected to be achieved within the five year period under the SGSY, a Scheme of Ministry of Rural Development.

Vaghela said that during the last two years about 50 lakh people were given employment and trends shows that this year another 50 lakh people are getting employment under the Scheme.

Minister for Rural Development, Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said that a proposal of Rs. 35,000 crore has been made for the 11th Plan for the SGSY.

He asked the NIFT to provide more students for the villages and clusters to train unemployed and all the expenses on training would be borne by his Ministry.

© CIOL Bureau

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