Hyderabad-based National Institute for Rural Development (NIRD) has been allocated Rs 500 crore by the Union government. The Union Ministry for Rural Development released the fund under the 12th plan for pursuing its four-pronged action plan-training, research, consultation and evaluation.
On establishment of Rural Technology Parks NIRD is also spending another Rs 200 crore in five African countries including South Sudan, Zimbabwe and other countries for dissemination of technical know-how relating to housing, agriculture, solar power, capacity building and infrastructure development under the Indo-African Friendship Summit.