Technology can accelerate rural development: HIRD Director Dr Chauhan; GIS training focuses on smarter planning, monitoring and execution of development schemes
Technology can make rural development more efficient, transparent and outcome-oriented, HIRD Director Dr Virender Singh Chauhan said on Monday.
Girish Saini
Sep 15, 2026 08:56
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Nilokheri, September 15, 2026: Technology can make rural development more efficient, transparent and outcome-oriented, HIRD Director Dr Virender Singh Chauhan said on Monday.
Addressing the inaugural session of a two-day training programme on the role of Geographic Information System (GIS) in rural development, Dr Chauhan said GIS can help analyse development and resource-related data geographically, enabling authorities to identify priorities and plan interventions more effectively.
He said the objective of the training was not merely to impart technical knowledge but to equip officials and employees with practical skills that could be directly applied in their respective areas. GIS, he added, can help assess the status of infrastructure, resources and ongoing development works, besides supporting evidence-based decisions and better utilisation of resources.
Dr Chauhan stressed that officials involved in rural development must keep pace with changing technology. GIS can strengthen monitoring of development works, assess the impact of schemes and help identify gaps more efficiently.
Programme coordinator Kamaldeep Sangwan said participants would receive hands-on training in GIS applications, technical aspects and its use in monitoring rural development schemes. Interactive discussions on various aspects of GIS were also held.
Assistant Professors Dr Sushil Mehta and Sandeep Kumar, Gurbinder Singh from the National Rural Development Department, along with junior engineers, gram sachivs, additional block programme officers, clerical staff and officials from concerned departments attended the programme.
