Salem District Launches Tribal Nutrition Awareness and Training Campaign

The ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission, launched a Tribal Nutrition Awareness cum Training Campaign in Salem, focusing on tribal empowerment and sustainable livelihood through entrepreneurship.


Coimbatore: In a significant move to uplift the tribal communities in Salem district, Tamil Nadu, the ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute (ICAR-SBI), Coimbatore, in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission, launched the 'Tribal Nutrition Awareness cum Training Campaign'.



This initiative, part of the DAPSTC (Scheduled Tribe Component) project, was inaugurated on 12 March 2024, in the collectorate premises of Salem district by Dr. R. Brindha Devi IAS, Collector of Salem district.

Dr. Brindha Devi, in her inaugural address, thanked the ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute for selecting Salem district for this impactful project. She highlighted the critical role of value addition in tribal empowerment and stressed the importance of community participation in such development projects. She assured that the district's line departments focused on tribal development would provide full support to ICAR-SBI throughout the project implementation.

Dr. G. Hemaprabha, Director of ICAR-SBI, in her Presidential address, emphasized the need to enhance tribal awareness of Central and State Government-sponsored development and social welfare schemes. She shared success stories of tribal farmers who had received the Central Government's 'Plant Genome awards' for conserving plant agro-biodiversity, underscoring the importance of education, health, and the well-being of tribal women and children.

Dr. D. Puthira Prathap, Principal Scientist and Nodal Officer, STC, noted Salem district's significant tribal population and mentioned that a 'needs assessment' was conducted among the Malayali tribes of five tribal settlements. This assessment aimed to identify their needs and plan interventions for promoting sustainable livelihood systems through entrepreneurship development for overall empowerment.



The campaign promises to deliver farm tools, radio sets, household items, kitchen garden kits, improved varieties of ragi (Pearl millet) & samai (Little millet), and coconut seedlings to all households in these settlements. These tailor-made interventions are designed to foster sustainable development and empowerment among the tribal communities.



The inaugural session and the subsequent training session saw interactions between the tribals and key officials, including S. Singaram, Joint Director of Agriculture, Salem District; P. Venkatesan, Assistant Project Officer, Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission; and senior officials from ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University & All India Radio, Dharmapuri, ensuring a collaborative approach towards the project's success.

Over ₹100 Crore Undeclared: Madras High Court Points to ‘Irregularity’ in Vijay’s Election Affidavit

Madras High Court on Monday issued notices on a petition seeking an investigation into alleged inconsistencies in the as...

Coimbatore Industrialists Urge RBI Officials for Emergency Credit Support Amid Raw Material Price Crisis

Industrialists in Coimbatore met Reserve Bank of India officials during an interactive session, urging them to recommend...

Senthil Balaji Assures Reduction in Electricity Fixed and Demand Charges

Coimbatore South DMK candidate Senthil Balaji in a meeting with industrialists. assured that fixed charges and demand ch...

“An Icon of the Dravidian Model”: Kamal Haasan Asks Voters to Support Dr. Gokila Mani in Avinashi Constituency

Campaigning for DMK candidate Dr. Gokila Mani, Kamal Haasan praised her rise from an underprivileged background through...

Tourist Spots Across Tamil Nadu to Remain Closed on April 23 Election Day

Tamil Nadu's popular tourist destinations including hill stations, beaches, and heritage sites will remain shut on April...

N.R. Karthikeyan Meets Karunya Educational Institution Administrators

Tondamuthur constituency candidate N.R. Karthikeyan of the Secular Progressive Alliance met administrators of Karunya Ed...