RTDD2018: An International Conference on Rural Technology Development and Delivery: RuTAG and its Synergy with other Initiatives Indian Institute of Technology Delhi New Delhi, India, March 9-11, 2018

RTDD 2018  envisages  to  bring  the  RuTAG faculty  and  students  from  eight  RuTAG  centres together  to  discuss  their  achievements, difficulties,  challenges  and  the  way  forward  in next  10-15  years.  In  addition,  other  organizations working  in  the  similar  directions  are  also  invited to  submit  papers  and  participate  to  evolve  a sustainable synergy among ourself. 

Another  important  objective  of  the  conference  is  to demonstrate  how  the  rural  problems  can  be  treated as  research  challenges  so  that  the  main  stream researchers  take  interest  in  order  to  get  quality publications  (which  helps  in  the  documentation  and awareness  generation  throughout  the  World,  not  to mention  satisfying  the  criteria  for  the  career advancement)  while  solving  socially  relevant problems.  It  is  expected  that  such activities  among our  younger  generation  will  make  them  more conscious  about  the  grass  root  level  social  issues enabling  them  to  bring  new  technological  solutions in  the  form  of  appropriate  designs  or  entrepreurship models  for  the  benefit  of  the  rural  masses.   As  a result,  not  only  the  standard  of  living  of  the  majority of  the  rural  population  should  improve  but  also  their economies. The  other  issues  the  conference  will  focus on 'Dissemination',  and  'Scaling  of  Rural  Innovations', and  possibility  of  funding  through  other  Schemes  of the  Government  like  the  Department  of  North-East Region  (DoNER)  initiative,  and  the  National Backward  Class  Financial  Development Corporation (NBCFDC) programmes, etc.

Like  any  other  well-reputed  and  well-respected conferences  in  the  area  of  S&T,  all  submitted papers  in  this  conference  will  undergo  a peer-review  process. Accepted papers  will  be presented  and  published  in  the  form  of proceedings  which  will  be  the  testimony  to RuTAG and  similar  activities.  Springer has in-principle agreed to bring out the proceedings. Poster presentations will be  done  mainly  to  encourage students  to  submit  their  RuTAG  and  similar projects.  Exhibitions on 2-3 different technologies developed at each IIT will also be displayed.

Submission Guidelines

All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. The following paper categories are welcome:

• Full papers describing domains  of  rural  technologies  such  as Energy, Crafts, Transportation, etc.

List of Topics

1.   Salient  achievements  and  success  stories  in developing  and  disseminating  innovative  rural technology interventions

2.   Integrating  the  RuTAG  activities  with  mainstream R&D, student projects and other academic inputs in technical institutions

3.   Quality  research potential  and challenges  in  the domain of  sustainable  rural  development  and appropriate technologies

4.   Viable  rural  entrepreneurship  models  evolved  and successfully implemented

5.   Training  modules  for  rural  entrepreneurship and working  with  S&T  based  voluntary  organizations engaged in rural development

6.   Strategies  for  scaling-up  the  RuTAG  activities  - involving more and more institution

7.   Strategies  for  Improving  synergy  among  prospective contributors,  technical  institutions  and  field organisations

8.   Networking  to  cope  with  challenges  of  wider dissemination of innovative interventions

9.   Related  issue  such  as  funding,  monitoring, knowledge sharing, training etc.

Committees

Program Committee

• Dr . Ketaki Bapat (PSA Office)
• Prof. Abhijit  P . Deshpande (IIT Madras)
• Prof. P . B. S. Bhadoria (IIT Kharagpur)
• Prof. S. K. Kakoty (IIT Guwahati)
• Prof. R. P . Saini (IIT Roorkee)
• Prof. Nalinaksh S. Vyas (IIT Kanpur)
• Prof. Anand B. Rao (IIT Bombay)
• Prof. R.R. Gaur (IIT Delhi)
• Prof. P . L. Dhar (IIT  Delhi)
• Prof. Manoj K. Dhar (University of Jammu)

Organizing committee

• Prof. S. K. Saha
• Major S. Chatterjee
• Prof. M. R. Ravi
• Prof. S. Kohli
• Prof. P . M. V . Subbarao
• Mr . Rajkumar Gupta
• Mr . Davinder pal Singh
• Mr . Suraj Bhat
• Ms. Airin Dutta
• Mr . Prabhat Kumar
• Mr . Srijan Prabhakar
• Mr . Mangal Sharma

Publication

RTDD2018 proceedings will be published in Springer.

Venue

The conference will be held in Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.

Contact

All questions about submissions should be emailed to rutag-conf-2018@mech.iitd.ac.in