RuTAGe Smart Village Centres Open in Telangana PACS
Why in the news
Two RuTAGe Smart Village Centres in Telangana were opened online. One is at a primary agricultural credit society, the first of its kind in the country, and the aim is to turn cooperatives into local technology hubs.
Key facts
- Locations: Beerpur PACS (Jagtial district) and Nandanam Farmers Service Cooperative Society (Hanumakonda district), both in Telangana.
- Driven by: the PSA’s office (Dr. Ajay Kumar Sood) in tie-up with NABARD (Chairman Shaji K.V.).
- Reach: 20 villages, more than 18,000 hectares, around 5,000 farmers and cooperative members.
- Jobs expected from drone operation, machinery handling, processing and service delivery.
- Funding: Beerpur project draws ₹33.52 lakh as a Gramya Vikas Nidhi grant from NABARD, spread across 2026-2029.
- Technical partner: Cornell Sathguru Foundation, Hyderabad.
Equipment at the two centres
| Centre | Machines and tools |
|---|---|
| Beerpur (PACS) | Happy seeder, solar sky tubes, poha unit, puffed rice unit, agri drones, smart irrigation, soil tester |
| Nandanam (FSCS) | Subjee cooler, cold-press oil unit, puffed rice machine, agri drones, irrigation device, soil tester |
- The happy seeder sows without tilling, helping cut stubble burning.
- The subjee cooler keeps vegetables cool after harvest.
- Solar sky tubes bring in natural light for indoor spaces.
About RSVC and RuTAG
- An RSVC is a permanent, Panchayat-level rural technology hub meant to link village needs with new technology; it typically serves 15-20 villages.
- RuTAG (Rural Technology Action Group) was conceived by the PSA in 2003-04 and launched in 2004 to develop and spread suitable technologies for rural India.
- The RSVC model is the flagship of RuTAG 2.0.
Gramya Vikas Nidhi and FSCS
- Gramya Vikas Nidhi (GVN): NABARD’s own fund for rural development promotion, set up under the NABARD Act, 1981; it pays for capacity building, technology spread and pilots.
- FSCS: a village cooperative offering credit, inputs and technical services; it resembles a PACS but has a broader service focus.
Exam angle
- PACS-based RSVC, a first for the country: Beerpur, Jagtial.
- RuTAG sits under the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, not an agriculture ministry.
- Fund behind the Beerpur centre: Gramya Vikas Nidhi of NABARD.