Date | March 11, 2024:

[L to R]: Mr. Prabodh Pandey - Registrar, IIT(ISM); Prof. Dheeraj Kumar - Deputy Director, IIT (ISM); Prof. J.K. Pattanayak - Director (Officiating), IIT (ISM); Prof. Anshumali - HoD, Dept. of ESE, IIT(ISM); Prof. Prem Vrat, Chairman-BOG, IIT (ISM); Mr. Kumar Rajnish - National Manager, Green Livelihoods, AIF; Mr. Mathew Joseph - Country Director, AIF; Mr. Kamesh Sanghi - Director, Livelihoods, AIF; Ms. Bandana Rai - Head, Strategic Initiatives, Livelihoods, AIF; and Mr.Subrat Sarkar - Head, Government Relations, AIF

Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with American India Foundation (AIF) on Monday, 11 March 2024. This groundbreaking partnership between the Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) and the American India Foundation (AIF) is a significant leap forward in expanding green livelihoods in mining areas across the country by establishing a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Alternative Livelihoods at IIT(ISM) Dhanbad. At the heart of this collaboration is the shared vision to create a robust ecosystem that fosters resilience and offers alternative livelihood opportunities, particularly targeting youth and women empowerment.

The signing ceremony, graced by key stakeholders including Prof. Prem Vrat, Chairman-BOG, IIT (ISM), led by Prof. JK Pattanayak - Director (Officiating), IIT (ISM) and Mr. Mathew Joseph - Country Director, AIF, along with the presence of Mr. Kamesh Sanghi - Director, Livelihoods, AIF; Prof. Dheeraj Kumar - Deputy Director, IIT (ISM); Mr. Prabodh Pandey - Registrar, IIT(ISM); Prof. Anshumali - HoD, Environmental Science and Engineering; Mr. Kumar Rajnish - National Manager, Green Livelihoods, AIF; Ms. Bandana Rai - Head, Strategic Initiatives, Livelihoods, AIF; and Mr.Subrat Sarkar - Head, Government Relations, AIF, marks the beginning of a transformative journey towards sustainable development with a focus on Ecosystem Building, Entitlements, Employment Access, and Entrepreneurship (the 4E model), the CoE is poised to create a climate-resilient livelihood ecosystem.

During this momentous occasion, Mathew Joseph and AIF were felicitated towards the realization of this visionary partnership. Prof. J.K Pattanayak emphasized, "The CoE is geared towards establishing an ecosystem for climate resilience and will aim to raise awareness and implement a comprehensive capacity-building program." Echoing the excitement, Mr. Mathew Joseph shared, "Our objective is to create a program designed to cultivate future resilience and establish an alternative livelihood ecosystem, actively involving youth and promoting economic empowerment for women. And we are thrilled to be doing the same with an esteemed partner like IIT-ISM."

This collaboration signifies a collective effort towards building a brighter, greener future for all, where sustainable livelihoods flourish. Together, we're paving the way for a more resilient and prosperous tomorrow.

Glimpses of MoU signed between IIT (ISM) and AIF.

IIT(ISM) team and AIF team arriving at the venue for signing of the MoU.

A round-table meeting between IIT(ISM) team and AIF team before signing of the MoU.

A round-table meeting between IIT(ISM) team and AIF team before signing of the MoU.

Signing of the MoU by Prof. J.K. Pattanayak - Director (Officiating), IIT (ISM) and Mr. Mathew Joseph - Country Director, AIF.

Group Photo after signing of the MoU.

Mr. Mathew Joseph - Country Director, AIF felicitated by Prof. J.K. Pattanayak - Director (Officiating), IIT (ISM);

Mr. Kamesh Sanghi - Director, Livelihoods, AIF felicitated by Prof. J.K. Pattanayak - Director (Officiating), IIT (ISM);

Mr. Kumar Rajnish - National Manager, Green Livelihoods, AIF felicitated by Prof. J.K. Pattanayak - Director (Officiating), IIT (ISM);

Mr.Subrat Sarkar - Head, Government Relations, AIF felicitated by Prof. J.K. Pattanayak - Director (Officiating), IIT (ISM);

Ms. Bandana Rai - Head, Strategic Initiatives, Livelihoods, AIF felicitated by Prof. J.K. Pattanayak - Director (Officiating), IIT (ISM);

After Signing of the MoU between IIT(ISM) and AIF.