Villages Must Emerge as Production Hubs Rather Than Mere Welfare Points, Urges Amitabh Kant Addressing the fifth Rohini Nayyar Prize ceremony, former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant emphasized that rural India needs fair prices, market access, and dignity over pity. Technology educator Prashant Chaudhary of CodeYogi Foundation was conferred the annual award for training underserved youth in AI skills. A fundamental shift in the approach toward rural development has been outlined, advocating that villages across India should be transformed into dynamic centres of production, innovation, and enterprise rather than being treated merely as passive delivery points for welfare assistance. Speaking on Saturday at the fifth Rohini Nayyar Prize ceremony, former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant underscored that rural citizens require fair economic returns, secure rights, responsive public infrastructure, and unhindered access to credit. He emphasized that genuine national progress hinges directly upon empowering village communities as creators and contributors rather than viewing them as objects of sympathy. Reimagining Rural Livelihoods Through Economic Rights Elaborating on the core elements required to meaningfully upgrade rural household incomes and overall quality of life, Amitabh Kant detailed the foundation of a progressive rural growth model. He noted that development frameworks must acknowledge rural populations as producers, innovators, and full citizens. Kant emphasized that rural families do not seek pity, but instead require equitable remuneration for their output, dependable public utilities, guaranteed legal rights, direct access to formal finance, robust digital connectivity, and fundamental societal respect. These pillars, he indicated, form the essence of personal dignity and equal opportunity across the countryside. Warning against the longstanding habit of reducing rural governance to subsidy distribution, he called for turning village clusters into thriving ecosystems of economic activity and local entrepreneurship. He identified gains in agricultural productivity as non-negotiable for achieving truly inclusive national growth. To complement farming gains, he advocated for the rapid proliferation of rural small-scale industries, the institutional strengthening of women self-help collectives, and comprehensive vocational skill training for rural youth so that employment generation expands beyond traditional farm boundaries. Technology Integration, Processing Value, and Collective Clout To uplift household earnings and expand the basket of local livelihood opportunities, Kant pointed to specific operational interventions. Leveraging modern technological tools and opening up seamless pathways to broad consumer markets were cited as critical catalysts. By developing local food processing facilities, agricultural producers can capture greater economic value from raw harvests rather than losing margins to intermediaries. Alongside processing initiatives, he underlined the vital mechanism of farmer-producer organisations, observing that collective aggregation dramatically improves the bargaining power and sustained livelihood stability of smallholders. Addressing structural governance, Kant remarked that policy planning must consciously focus on narrowing economic disparities across different districts. He stressed that decision-making processes should incorporate grassroots communities directly rather than relying solely on top-down administrative models. Placing women at the core of rural economic resurgence, he stated that enterprises spearheaded by women, supported by collective community networks, serve as the backbone for stable and enduring social progress. Dr Rohini Nayyar's Vision and the Fifth Annual Recognition Reflecting on the legacy of Dr Rohini Nayyar, Kant commemorated her dedicated focus on the everyday realities and welfare of rural populations. He remarked that Dr Nayyar transcended the traditional boundaries of an economist or administrator, steadfastly believing that the true gauge of India's development lies in the tangible improvements seen in the lives of its rural citizens. He noted that the annual prize was instituted specifically to carry forward this deep-seated conviction. At Saturday's gathering, the fifth Rohini Nayyar Prize was conferred upon Prashant Chaudhary, an educator in the technology domain based out of Dehradun. Chaudhary had scripted history in 2010 by becoming the first person from his village situated near Meerut to secure admission to an Indian Institute of Technology. He subsequently established the CodeYogi Foundation, an initiative focused on equipping marginalized and remote young learners across India with practical competencies in artificial intelligence and modern technology tools. History of the Honour and Prior Recipients Instituted in 2022 to commemorate the lifetime contributions of economist and administrator Dr Rohini Nayyar, the annual award carries a cash component of Rs 10 lakh, along with a formal citation and a trophy. The Nayyar Foundation for Social and Economic Purpose was founded by her family members to identify and honor impactful contributions driving socio-economic progress across the country. The foundation's governing board includes directors Deepak Nayyar, Dhiraj Nayyar, and Gaurav Nayyar. Over its previous editions, the honour has celebrated grassroots innovators across diverse regions of India. The inaugural edition in 2022 was awarded to Sethrichem Sangtam from Nagaland, followed by Dinanath Rajput from Chhattisgarh in 2023. In 2024, the recognition was presented to Anil Pradhan from Odisha, while the 2025 accolade went to Vidhya Parshuramkar from Pune. What this means for you This perspective redirects rural policy focus away from passive relief toward direct market earnings, skill upgrading, and economic autonomy. • For Rural Producers: Establishing fair market returns and promoting agro-processing units will enhance the profit share retained by farmers. Collective participation through producer bodies will grant smallholders stronger leverage against market intermediaries. • For Village Youths: Initiatives delivering modern computing and artificial intelligence training will unlock tech employment pathways. Young aspirants will gain access to high-value skills without migrating away from their regional bases. • For Women Entrepreneurs: Enhanced capital backing for self-help collectives and micro-enterprises will expand independent household incomes. This focused support strengthens financial security and community leadership for rural women. • For Local Governance: Greater decentralisation of decision-making ensures that developmental schemes match specific grassroots priorities. District-level policy adjustments will actively help narrow existing regional wealth and infrastructure disparities. Why this happened These insights were shared during the presentation of the fifth Rohini Nayyar Prize, an event created to celebrate transformative socio-economic contributions across rural India. • The Commemorative Platform: The gathering marked the annual presentation of the award instituted in memory of noted economist and administrator Dr Rohini Nayyar. The forum specifically serves to highlight scalable interventions that uplift rural livelihoods and institutional capacity. • Limitations of Relief-Led Policies: Treating villages primarily as recipients of government subsidies restricts long-term wealth creation. Consequently, policy leaders advocated shifting the strategic priority toward market fairness, productivity, and local enterprise creation. • Bridging the Grassroots Tech Divide: Educator Prashant Chaudhary established the CodeYogi Foundation after emerging from a village background to enter an IIT. His sustained groundwork in delivering advanced computing and AI training to rural youth earned him this year's recognition. Questions & Answers 1. Who was honoured with the fifth Rohini Nayyar Prize? Prashant Chaudhary, a technology educator from Dehradun and founder of the CodeYogi Foundation, received the award. 2. What is the mission of the CodeYogi Foundation? The foundation works to equip underserved and remote Indian youth with practical skills in artificial intelligence and modern technologies. 3. What key priorities did Amitabh Kant outline for rural growth? He advocated treating villages as hubs of production and innovation, ensuring fair pricing, expanding credit access, and strengthening local institutions. 4. What does the Rohini Nayyar Prize carry? The honour includes a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, accompanied by a citation and a trophy. 5. When was the prize established and by whom? It was established in 2022 by the Nayyar Foundation for Social and Economic Purpose in memory of economist and administrator Dr Rohini Nayyar. 6. Who are the earlier recipients of this award? The previous winners are Sethrichem Sangtam in 2022, Dinanath Rajput in 2023, Anil Pradhan in 2024, and Vidhya Parshuramkar in 2025. Inspiration & Lessons Prashant Chaudhary's journey from a modest village near Meerut to premier academic training and grassroots education demonstrates the transformative power of practical mentorship. • Overcoming Resource Constraints: Becoming the first student from his rural locality to enter an IIT in 2010 proved that institutional barriers can be breached through persistence. His milestone serves as a proof of concept for students from remote backgrounds. • Giving Back to the Community: Rather than restricting his technical expertise to personal advancement, he channeled his capabilities into institutional reform through CodeYogi Foundation. This illustrates how successful professionals can directly uplift marginalized demographics. • Democratising Advanced Technologies: Equipping rural youth directly with artificial intelligence and modern software training challenges the bias that high-tech domains belong solely to urban centres. It proves that offering top-tier digital skills to underserved students enables them to compete globally. https://trendkia.com/en/money/gramina-ilakon-ko-utpadaka-aura-navachara-ka-kendra-banane-ki-zarurata-amitabh-kant-ne-nishpaksha-damon-aura-adhikaron-ki-uthai-ma-54087 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.