JORHAT, Feb 16 - The Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI) at Sotai here has introduced a free certificate course on bamboo craft under the Green Skill Development Programme of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The course began on February 11 and will end on March 23 next.
Rajib Kumar Kalita, Head of Extension Division of RFRI and Director of the course training programme told this newspaper on Thursday that 25 persons were being imparted training under the programme in the first batch.
He said that the course, prepared for a period of 420 hours, was an initiative launched for the youths to develop their skill in the forest and environment sector to enable them to have gainful employment by taking up self-employment ventures.
Kalita said that the course included theory and practical training sessions along with field visits to Tripura and Nagaland. He said that after conclusion of the course, the trainees will be handed over a certificate each by the RFRI along with a tool kit to be used in future entrepreneurial activities to be undertaken by them.
Kalita said the course has been designed in a manner to assist youths who are interested in taking up entrepreneurial ventures in the bamboo craft sector.
He said that the Director of RFRI, Dr RSC Jayaraj, at the inaugural function held on Monday, while welcoming the gathering, explained about the importance of bamboo craft and its role in social and economic transformation, particularly for people of the north-eastern region.
Dr Jayaraj stated that more than 45 per cent bamboo resources of India were concentrated in the North East.
