Nehru Foundation for Development (NFD) is a charitable trust dedicated to rural development and environment awareness. It was founded by

Vikram Sarabhai Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai (12 August 1919 – 30 December 1971) was an Indian physicist and astronomer who initiated space research and helped develop nuclear power in India. He was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 1966 and the Padma Vibhushan ...

in 1965. The foundation is dedicated to promoting basic environmental education and thinking on current problems of development at individual and the societal level.

Concerns

The main objective of the foundation is to help encourage participation in the development of ideas/proposals relating to the problems of development via various methods. NFD runs a number of educational activities in fields such as

Mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

and

Science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

. These activities are guided by the Councils of Management consisting of eminent people in the respective field from across the country.

Affiliated Institutions

The various activities of the NFD are carried out by the affiliated institutions VASCSC, VIKSAT, CHETNA, CEE, and KHAMIR.

Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre (VASCSC)

Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre is a science center. It is located in

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Centre for Health Education, Training and Nutrition Awareness (CHETNA)

Vikram Sarabhai Centre for Development Interaction (VIKSAT)

Vikram Sarabhai Centre for Development Interaction (VIKSAT) was set up in the year 1977 as an activity of the NFD to carry out environment improvement activities. The objectives of the organization include: *promote and strengthen People's Institutions (PIs) for natural resource management (NRM) *evolve innovative participatory NRM strategies for dissemination and scaling up *work towards decisive participation of the communities, especially women, and community organizations in policy forums *strive for developing appropriate and enabling legal and policy frameworks *facilitate technology and information access and transfer in NRM *network with Government Organizations, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and PIs and other technical institutions for the above Over the last 35 years, VIKSAT has worked at grassroots level with communities in their local regions towards developing models which ensure sustainability of livelihoods through natural resource management. To enhance meaningful participation in natural resources management, VIKSAT has been working towards imparting skills related to management, institution building, resource generation and other support. At present, VIKSAT has five field offices in four districts of Gujarat, namely, Bhiloda, Kheroj in Sabarkantha district; Satlasana in Mehsana district; Kukama, in Kachchh district; and Radhanpur in Patan district with the head office located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The primary activity areas of VIKSAT are Natural Resource Management and Sustainable Livelihoods through intensive intervention on Forestry, Land, Water, Sustainable Agriculture, Bio-diversity, Policy Advocacy and Women Empowerment. VIKSAT's Council of Management is currently chaired by Prof. (Dr.) M.S. Swaminathan, the renowned scientist and the leader of Green Revolution in India. The main thrust areas of VIKSAT include Natural Resource Management, Land and Water Management, sustainable livelihoods and Institutions & Capacity Building. To enhance meaningful participation in Natural Resources Management, VIKSAT has been working towards imparting community skills related to group organization, institution building, training and other resource support.

=Achievements

= *Participation in World Summit on Sustainable Development, 2002 *VIKSAT received a Prestigious National Award Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Puraskar in 1997 from Ministry of Environment & Forests, New Delhi. The Award is in recognition of exceptional contributions in the field of afforestation and wastelands development. *VIKSAT Promoted Shree Janjharmata TGCS, Malekpur received a prestigious National Award Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Puraskar in 2002 from Ministry of Environment & Forests, New Delhi in the Village Level Institutions categories. *VIKSAT Selected as a Finalist in the development marketplace global competition, 2006 *Partner, Global Water partnership, 2006 *VIKSAT promoted Shree Ashapura TGCS, Nana Kothasana got Gram Sanghthan Paritoshik 2005 from Development Support Centre, Ahmedabad.

Centre for Environment Education (CEE)

Centre for Environment Education or CEE was established in 1984 with support from

Ministry of Environment and Forests (India) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is an Indian government ministry. This ministry is headed by Secretary Rank senior most IAS officer. The ministry portfolio is currently held by Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of ...

. The primary objective of CEE is to improve public awareness and understanding of the environment with a view to promoting the conservation and sustainable use of nature and natural resources.

Khamir

Khamir is a joint initiative of the NFD,

Confederation of Indian Industry The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group headquartered in New Delhi, India, founded in 1895. CII engages business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global ...

and ''Kutch Navnirman Abhiyan'' which is supported by

Government of Gujarat The Government of Gujarat, also known as Gujarat Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Gujarat and its 33 districts. It consists of an executive of the legislators appointed by the Governor of Gujarat, a judiciary ...

. For conservation in the areas of craft, environment and heritage in Kutch District, KHAMIR has been set up as an education, training, demonstration and Interpretation facility.

References

{{Authority control Development charities based in India Organisations based in Ahmedabad Monuments and memorials to Jawaharlal Nehru Organizations established in 1965 1965 establishments in Gujarat