Agartala, Sept 24: A senior official from the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India, on Thursday reviewed the ongoing skill development initiatives at the Rural Development and Self Employment Training Institute (RUDSETI) in Agartala, with particular focus on empowering rural women through vocational training and self-employment opportunities.

Tanuja Thakur Khalko, Joint Secretary and Financial Advisor, MoRD, visited the institute and interacted with participants of an ongoing Women’s Tailoring Training Programme. She sought feedback from the trainees on their learning experience, the skills acquired during the course and their plans to pursue self-employment after completion of the training.

During the visit, RUDSETI Agartala officials briefed the visiting official on the institute’s training infrastructure, programmes and courses designed to equip aspiring rural entrepreneurs with practical skills and entrepreneurial capabilities.

The institute is a self-employment training initiative sponsored by SDME Trust and Canara Bank and focuses on skill-based training to facilitate livelihood opportunities for rural youth and women.

Tarit Kanti Chakma, Chief Executive Officer, Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission (TRLM), and Suvabrata Bhattacharjee, Additional CEO, TRLM, were present during the visit. Suman Kumar Paul, Senior Manager, Canara Bank, also attended the programme.

Director of RUDSETI Agartala Siddhartha Khan and members of the institute’s team welcomed the visiting dignitaries and provided an overview of its activities. Senior Faculty Rashmi Baidya felicitated the guests, while faculty member Hopreng Debbarma and other officials coordinated the programme.

Interacting with the trainees, Khalko underscored the need for continuous improvement in the quality and relevance of skill development programmes. She stressed that training should enable participants to translate their newly acquired skills into viable and sustainable livelihood and self-employment opportunities.

The visit also brought into focus the role of institutional coordination among MoRD, TRLM, financial institutions and RUDSETI in expanding rural skill development and strengthening pathways to self-employment, particularly for women.