GADAG: Mahatma Gandhi’s profound remark, “The soul of India lives in its villages”, resonates through every pulse of the nation even today. About 65 per cent of the Indian population continues to reside in rural areas, adhering to a lifestyle grounded in tradition. However, as India progresses into an era of modernisation on par with its developed global peers, the country’s villages are trying to catch up with the modern times, while preserving their ethos.
Spearheading this process academically is a unique university in Karnataka, which imparts learnings in Gandhian thought, herbal medicine, rural lifestyle, addressing rural socio-economic problems, and traditional vocations, among others. The Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University (KSRDPU) is situated in Nagavi village of Gadag district.
Plan in action
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj are the two main pillars acting as catalysts to change the country’s rural scene for the best. Hence, a university aimed at heralding positive change in the rural areas of North Karnataka was envisioned.
The proposal to establish such a university was approved by both Houses of the Legislature in the Chief Minister’s Budget speech of 2013-14, following which a state government-constituted expert committee visited several academic institutions, such as Institute of Rural Management Anand; National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad; Gandhi Gram, Madurai; Indian Institute of Management, Ahmadabad; and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, to come up with an idea for the RDPR University. The committee’s vision through the proposed varsity was to create a committed, dedicated professional workforce to address various issues affecting rural development.
Accordingly, the university had its inception at Raita Bhavan near Bhishmakere in 2016, with academic activities beginning the following year. Later, a plan to establish a full-fledged RDPR University was mooted by the then RDPR Minister H K Patil, following which a new campus was inaugurated in 2018 by the then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. This campus came up on 353 acres of land near Nagavi. The pleasant weather emanating from the Kappatagudda hillock nearby made this village ideal for learning, especially for the study of subjects surrounding rural and village topics.
Today, this varsity focuses on research, teaching and training in the realms of sustainable rural development through the institution of Panchayat Raj. Special courses include MA in Geoinformatics (Remote Sensing and GIS), MA in Public Administration, MA in Rural Development and Panchayat Raj/Cooperative Management, MBA in Rural Management and Agribusiness Management, MSW in Community Development, Rural Reconstruction and Community Health, M. Com in Entrepreneurship or Cooperative Management, Master of Public Health, and much more.
According to Prakash Merawade, a lecturer at KSRDPRU, “At the university, we teach traditional Ayurvedic herbal medicine and use of charkha for making cloth as well. Students are exposed to practical experiences of rural problems, by getting them to visit the villages of Gadag district.”
“There was a need for such an institution, which is guided by Gandhiji’s idea of Gram Swaraj. We have also built a replica of Sabarmati Ashram on campus so that students can study and imbibe Gandhian philosophy. Today, KSRDPRU works on four main aspects -- education-based, research-based, training-based and area-based learning,” concludes KSRDPRU Vice-Chancellor Vishnukant Chatpalli.
The KSRDPR University claims to be the first-of-its-kind institution in Asia, whose sole purpose is to create thought leaders and professionals who will work among rural-folk, bridging the development divide with their urban brethren, thereby blending traditional with modern in a diverse India.
LIFE AND TIMES
The KSRDPRU campus hosts a replica of the Gandhi Smarak of Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat, which has been created by the KSRDPRU itself, and is located 10 km away from Gadag town. The ashram is located in the lap of Kappatagudda. The structure has five rooms, comprising a meditation centre, library, Nayee Talim centre, Gandhi Kasturba Kutir, and a kitchen. There is also a big statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the veranda, which can accommodate 60 people for attending speeches on Gandhian principles. The rooms also have a collection of photographs from the life and times of the Mahatma, besides a replica charkha like the one in Gujarat’s ashram.
TRADITIONAL HUT FOR HERBAL MEDICINES
The university has also built a Parnakuti, a traditional hut to create awareness on Ayurveda. Students, traditional doctors and Ayurveda experts are brought here to share their knowledge on medicinal plants. Varsity staff grow Ayurvedic plants at Smritivana on campus. Parnakuti, which has been built using natural materials such as bamboo, eucalyptus wood and dry grass, encourages students to touch base with traditional healers, following practices like in the ancient times, when there used to be an Aushadha Vana, Rajvana and Panchavati Vana, where medicinal plants were cultivated.
MANOCHETANA COUNSELLING CENTRE
The university has started Manochetana, a free counselling centre for people who are under stress after the pandemic. Free counselling can be sought at the old building, in the old DC’s office building in Gadag town. This facility is open to farmers, health workers, students, and people from both rural and urban areas.