NABARD foundation day was celebrated in Rampura village, one of the VDP villages (under the Village Development programme of NABARD) in Jhansi district on12 July 2012. Around 200 participants from the Rampura and nearby villages participated in the programme. A group leadership training programme was organised for 40 SHG women by DA with the support of NABARD on SHG formation and its various stages, group dynamics and role of SHGs in various Government and Development programmes.

Under the IWMP programme, a total of 20 check dams have been completed till date.

Under the Tejaswani women empowerment programme supported by Madhya Pradesh Mahila Vittam Evam Vikas Nigam, Bhopal, a two-day residential training programme was organised at Paryatan Dharamshala in Orchha. The theme for training programme was SHG and its functioning, importance of Village Level Committees (VLCs). The VLC representatives were also trained on social issues.

Under cluster development, Plant economics have been prepared for the clusters at Bokaro, Vaishali and Kesla. Plant economics preparation for Chattarpur is presently under construction. The SPEED Brochure has been finalised and printed. Also the SPEED website has been modulated and put under url:http://www.smartpowereindia.org/working web.

On 28 June 28 1220, Ve-SURE team participated in the SCM. Gulriha, Nakkia and Uclenga have been decided as the new upcoming sites under plant recommissioning for this quarter.

TLA has inaugurated a Community Training Centre (CTC) at village Rajapur Palon ka dera on 3 July 2012 and a 45 days’ training on Cutting and Tailoring at village Jamunhai under DPIP Panna on 23 July

An immersion programme was conducted for 20 students of MA (SDP) of Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH) from 2 to 10 July and a Training of Trainers programme was conducted for capacity building of Business Correspondent/Business Facilitators and Business Correspondence Agents under Financial Inclusion supported by NABARD, Jhansi.

In association with German and Swiss experts, Technology Management Services has undertaken a R&D study for the optimisation of VSBK technology with focus on firing curves, flue gas and air balance. With the help of international experts, TMS has undertaken to create a low-cost design of VSBK specifically looking at reducing construction costs without compromising on the energy and environmental benefits.

The TMS team had undertaken a feasibility and assessment study of the brick sector in Malawi. Cleaner brick production technologies being promoted by TARA have received an overwhelming response primarily from the Government and the private sector.

The DA group, supported by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network, has initiated a capacity building programme on Low Carbon construction in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Himachal Pradesh. For this initiative, DA has partnered with the KIIT School of Rural Management, Odisha; Piloo Mody College of Architecture, Cuttack; Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal; MP CDM Agency, Madhya Pradesh and the Department of Environment, Science and Technology, Himachal Pradesh.

The DA group, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, has organised an international conference on nanotechnology in September 2012. DA will be coordinating a 2-hour session on ‘From Lab to Land: Issues and Concerns of Nanotechnology Application in Developing Country Context’.

The training on Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS) was conducted for 240 mobilisers from nine slums of Delhi and NCR. These mobilisers were trained on the importance of water on health, households’ ways of treating potable water and safe storage techniques.

The Grand Finale of the Rural Reality Show ‘Kon Banega Shubh Kal Leader’ was held on 27 July 2012 at Gandhi Auditorium, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi. The Rajawar Group that had practiced Amrit Mitti became the Shubh Kal leaders.

A two-day Paper Recycling and Paper Product Making workshop for teachers and students from 50 schools was conducted by CLEAN-India and TMTS with the support of Department of Environment, Delhi Government on 26-27 July at Tara Nirman Kendra campus in Ghitorni

The second phase of TARA Akshar - Literacy to Self-Reliance programme is all set to begin from August 2012. The programme is targeting 200 women across six centres.