FATEHGARH SAHIB: An Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme was organised at the RIMT-Institute of Management and Technology, Mandi Gobindgarh.

In this programme about 150 students of the institute took part. The programme was organised by the North India Technical Consultancy Orgnaisation Ltd., Chandigarh. 

The programme was inaugurated by Dr. B.S. Bhatia, the director general of the institute. He said that the basic purpose of the awareness programme is to inculcate in the students the spirit of entrepreneurship so that they can be developed as employment generators rather than just employment seekers.

Vijay Arora, the senior consultant from NITCON, who was the main resource person of the programme elaborated the various enterpreneurship programmes conducted by the NITCON. While interacting with the students he said that NITCON organises Entrepereneurship Development Programme for six weeks in which science graduates, BCAs, MCAs, degree and diploma engineering students and pharmacy sudents in the age group of 18 to 35 years can training free of cost.

In this programme the candidates are acquainted with opportunity guidance, project report preparations, Market Research, Marketing, Role and Functions of Financial Institutions. The candidates are also provided with an opportunity to interact with successful entrepreneurs and gain from latter's experience.

While particularly motivating the girl students, he highlighted the special measures taken by the central government to promote entrepreneurship among women. He said the central government has started Mahila Udam Niti Scheme for the women in the age group of 18 to 40 years, in which their own contribution could be meager 5% for any the project upto Rs 50 lakhs.

The students were also informed about the six week long Entrepreneurship Development Programme conducted on the behalf of the Ministry of Food in which any candidate having qualification 10+2 and above, can participate.

He also mentioned the Prime Minister Employment Gaurantee Programme being implemented through Khadi and Village Industry Commission in which small scale industries in urban as well as in rural areas. He allayed the fears of those who could not provide guarantee or security for their projects to take the help of National Guarantee Turst which provides the same to banks on the behalf of the beneficiaries.

Highlighting the role of NITCON, he said these programmes are being run under the aegis of Ministry of Scinece and Technology. This year, the organisation received request from 37 educational institutes to conduct awareness programmes in their campuses.

The basic objective of these programmes is to make the educated youth better aware about the enterpreneurship and to provide practical training for setting up a project right from conceiving the project to finaly marketing the product.

The organisation have monthly meeting with enterpreneurs to monitor the progress of the project undertaken by their candidates and also provide 'escort services' to them if they confront with any kind of problem with any concerned department.

These programmes are conducted in a batch having 25 candidates, once in a year at each of the 20 district headquarters of Punjab. He said the success rate of the programmes conducted by NITCON is 60 to 65%, which is quite encouraging.

On this occasion Dr. Surinder Singh, the director and Dr. S.N. Panda, Prof. Gurvinder Bakshi, Prof. Ranjeev Chopra, Prof. Mohanjeet and Prof. Vandana were also present.