Bubbly and young: CMRDFs Transforming Villages through VSTF !!!!

Bubbly and young: CMRDFs Transforming Villages through VSTF !!!!

The power and beauty of youth is so encouraging, infectious and full of life. There is a certain freshness with which young people look at the world. Combined with determination they can be channels for bringing about change in the country and the state.
The Chief Minister's Rural Development Fellowship in Maharashtra centres around this concept. Launched as a part of the Village Social Transformation Programme by the Hon"ble Chief Minister Minister of Maharashtra, Shri. Devendra Fadnavis, youth have been selected as CMRDFs to gain from their youthful energy, passion for technology and fresh perspectives. In return they would get the valuable experience of being associated with the government and administration.
Villages are the basic unit of administration., the centrefuge of activity. Self-sustained villages form the core of the Village Social Transformation Mission, the state’s flagship rural development project. The mission is a collaborative effort between the government and the corporate world. It aims at harnessing the strength of the corporates for overall development of the village through knowledge sharing and critical gap funding. The aim of the mission is sustainable development of 1,000 villages in the state by providing infrastructure as well as ensuring quality last mile service delivery in the villages which are socially and economically challenged and need to develop various options in livelihood, improve infrastructure and connectivity. The focus on these villages is to create an inclusive growth model and transforming them into model villages that are self-sustainable by collaborative and focused efforts. 
This unique cocept has fired the imagination of corporates like Tata Trusts, Aditya Birla Group, Reliance Foundation, Mahindra Group, Hindustan Unilever, Axis Foundation, HDFC Foundation amongst others. Together they have created an enabling platform for speedy implementation by incorporating “Village Social Transformation Foundation” (MVSTF) a section 8 not-for-profit organization. The Board to Patrons of the foundation headed by the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra consists of Ratan Tata, Anand Mahindra, Rajashree Birla, Anna Hazare among other eminent personalities.
The Chief Minister’s Rural Development Fellowship Program (CMRDF) started in December 2016 aims at harnessing any graduate between the age of 20 to 30 years who is willing to stay in the village assigned to him or her and commit atleast 3 years to its development. The Fellowship is for a year with a monthly stipend of Rs 30,000.
The fellows are selected through a gruelling and transparent process of screening through a written examination and interview. The first batch has 350 Chief Ministers Rural Development Fellows (CMRDF)/ Gram Parivartaks are working across 19 Districts and 700 Villages in Maharashtra. Another 100 have been selected in the second and third batch.
After completing their initial training and village mapping, survey and preparation of village plan they had been called to YASHADA, the apex training institute for deeper orientation of the schemes. The week long programme included training on various schemes of the rural development, sanitation, water conservation, agriculture, animal husbandry, MGNREGA, MSRLM- livelihoods etc.
I had been invited for the valedictory function. Interacting with this enthused group was extremely energising. Perched on the bark, eager to fly they did have doubts. Specially since they are not a part of the government, fresh and without much experience with the danger of not being taken seriously. They must be encountering various challenges in the villages beginning with accommodation, food, transport etc. Yet they were extremely positive and on a threshold where their intrevention could make that difference, give a new perspective to the development of the village. All they needed was moral support and some mentoring by the local administration. They were probably like the contact lenses in the eyes which are akin to placing a foreign object in them causing initial discomfort but once adjusted to, they make things clear and easy.
However what was important was to remain focused and comitted to their assignment, contributing positively to the growth of the village. They had this unique opportunity of direct access to none other than the Hon"ble Chief Minister of the State. Their ideas could reach the topmost levels in administration. It was therefore important to channelise thoughts with positivity bringing in their strength which would ultimately give them recognition.
They had embarked on a journey of development with this unique opportunity to participate in governance and contribute to development of rural Maharashtra. The older generation was the past, the children,  our future but the youth represented, the present. They are the "now" and the time was theirs to work for the cause.
Two of the trained CMRDF representatives shared their experiences on the benefits of the 7 days of training. They reflected the enthusiasm of all their batchmates.
For me it was a joy to be surrounded by these powerhouses of talent on a relaxed Sunday afternoon. I counted om my blessings as I took their commitment to work for the self help groups of Umed MSRLM. The resounding claps at my welcome and my departure indicated their eagerness, passion and zeal. No wonder, there was a smile on my lips and a spirit in my gait as I walked out.