Selco to set up a world-class training centre in Manipal

The Selco Foundation, an organisation deploying clean energy solutions for alleviating poverty in rural areas in partnership with Bharathiya Vikas Trust, plans to establish a world-class innovation and training centre at Manipal.

Speaking to reporters, Selco Foundation Chairman Harish Hande said Selco has taken over the administrative control of Bharathiya Vikas Trust, an organisation working to promote education and training in bringing socio-economic changes especially in rural India and the proposed training centre will have access to not only youngsters across the country, but across the world.

The proposed facility will have a very close relationship with Manipal University, the medical college, management school and related agriculture universities in the state.

In the next couple of years, the Selco Foundation will invest at least Rs 1 crore to 2 crore in developing the infrastructure to make it happen, he explained.

Students of all ages --- from kindergarten to those who are pursuing PhD -- are welcome to utilise the resources and services to enhance their knowledge, he noted.

“As a country, we are looking at sustainable energy. We still have 60 crore population who either do not have the energy or lack access to energy. Because they lack access to energy, their livelihoods in agriculture or in regular blacksmith, sewing machine etc, have the problem of increasing their production to get out of poverty. The youngsters across the country and the world residing in rural areas do not have a chance to actually go to a high-class training centre. The training centre ensures that this gap is bridged,” Hande said.

He said active demonstrations will be held. The connection among the health, agriculture, education and water energy sectors should be synchronised. Bharathiya Vikas Trust will act as a facilitator for all the initiates taken. The centre for innovation and training should be a role model for the world to look upon for the solutions even for the critical problems. As many as 150-200 applications have been received, he added.

Stressing on the hardware application innovations, Hande lamented that the hardware application innovation is lacking.

He said that casteism of education should be eradicated. The innovation, research and development should go hand in hand. The passion and common sense being the main criterion for the selection, Hande added that well-being, health, livelihood and education will be research areas wherein the selected students will take an active part in innovation.