Punjab News: In a big leap towards advancement in agricultural practices, empowering rural women, the Punjab is establishing its first drone training academy in the town of Talwara, Hoshiarpur district, to provide specialized training to women in drone technology for agriculture. As expected, this initiative draws its inspiration from the Centre’s NAMO Drone Didi Scheme.
The Formation of Punjab’s First Drone Training Academy
This academy is the outcome of a joint venture between Unati Agri Allied and Marketing Multi-State Cooperative Society Limited and Marut Drone Academy, backed by support from the Department of Biotechnology and the Punjab State Council for Science & Technology. Unati has always worked in collaboration for rural empowerment and has contributed toward localized development in the Kandi belt in Punjab. The training academy will function in association with Government College, Talwara, which has provided space for the academy.
Its founder and director, Jyoti Saroop of Unati Academy, however, claimed that the academy goals would be at par with the goals of the Drone Didi Scheme. The program shall train women in operating drones to increase their financial freedom and entrepreneurship. Such training not only enables women in the use of drone technology but also contributes to their use for innovative agricultural purposes.
A Model for Rural Development
Under this initiative, 22 women from Punjab, who attended training camp in Gurgaon under the Drone Didi Scheme, are now going to serve as trailblazers. This batch of women has already been trained in flying drones for agricultural purposes, including spraying fields and afforestation work. Likewise, under the Unati Green Mission, drones dropped seed balls for increasing vegetative growth and biodiversity in the area. The academy represents a giant leap forward in the integration of technology with rural development and agriculture. This will serve as a model example for other regions to implement.
