National Virtual Conference on Revving Up the Rural Non-Farm Economy: Potential and Strategies
October 14-15, 2022 (Friday & Saturday)
Organized by Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad, sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi
Call for Papers
With the farm sector constrained to contribute towards local income and employment generation, forced distress migration (seasonal and long-term) from villages and small towns to unwelcome and non-remunerative urban work spaces has been on the rise over the last several decades. The pandemic not only has bared the anonymity, precarity and vulnerability of millions of informal migrant workers from rural India but also has resuscitated the key elements of the ongoing debates on local and regional economic regeneration. Sustained neglect of rural infrastructure, innovative area planning and promoting local traditional knowledge, skill, resource based has often been noted as the root cause of the decline of the rural non-farm economy and a rising crisis in potential livelihood options. Nurturing a scientific ethos and infusion of science, technology and innovation in rural production and work spaces have also been paid little attention to in strengthening the rural non-farm economy. The national conference would serve as a platform for discourse around issues and challenges in revving up the rural non-farm economy and suggest possibilities that would be doable through policy. In addition to the presentation of papers there will be panel discussions and keynote addresses by specialists from the academia and the world of practitioners to enrich our understanding and open up avenues for a pragmatic approach to address the crisis facing the rural non-farm economy.
Themes and concerns that would form the core of deliberations may be suggested as follows. Papers with a policy perspective are welcome.
With the farm sector constrained to contribute towards local income and employment generation, forced distress migration (seasonal and long-term) from villages and small towns to unwelcome and non-remunerative urban work spaces has been on the rise over the last several decades. The pandemic not only has bared the anonymity, precarity and vulnerability of millions of informal migrant workers from rural India but also has resuscitated the key elements of the ongoing debates on local and regional economic regeneration. Sustained neglect of rural infrastructure, innovative area planning and promoting local traditional knowledge, skill, resource based has often been noted as the root cause of the decline of the rural non-farm economy and a rising crisis in potential livelihood options. Nurturing a scientific ethos and infusion of science, technology and innovation in rural production and work spaces have also been paid little attention to in strengthening the rural non-farm economy. The national conference would serve as a platform for discourse around issues and challenges in revving up the rural non-farm economy and suggest possibilities that would be doable through policy. In addition to the presentation of papers there will be panel discussions and keynote addresses by specialists from the academia and the world of practitioners to enrich our understanding and open up avenues for a pragmatic approach to address the crisis facing the rural non-farm economy.
Themes and concerns that would form the core of deliberations may be suggested as follows. Papers with a policy perspective are welcome.
- Nature of and trends in rural non-farm employment and wages
- Basic infrastructure for rural areas including transportation, energy (especially electricity), communication, internet, banking, health, recreation, etc.
- Relevant and new skills, capacity building and entrepreneurship
- Traditional and modern MSMEs and clusters including handicrafts and handlooms (issues in production, labour process, technology and business enhancement)
- Development of the rural services sector, including tourism, health/wellness services and creative initiatives, etc.
- Institutional innovations in broad-basing production and income-sharing
- Submission of abstracts (about 250 words), latest by June 20, 2022.
- Submission of full papers (about 6000 words), latest by September 20, 2022. For all correspondence regarding the conference, please use this id only: rnfegidr@gmail.com Conference Coordinator: Keshab Das, GIDR.
No comments:
Post a Comment