The Force for Rural Empowerment and Economic Development (FREED)The Force for Rural Empowerment and Economic Development (FREED)128/18 Hazra Road (1st Floor), Kolkata- 700 026,West Bengal, IndiaContact No: +91-33-64506521 / 22 M: +91-98301-68269E-mail : pyneatfreed@gmail.com / info@technable.com

FREEDFREED – “The Force for Rural Empowerment and Economic Development” is a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) established with the intent to undertaking projects that will :

address critical problems in fundamental areas of education, livelihood and health of un- or under-privileged community folks(specially in rural areas)

by integrating with competent organizations at local, national and global levels and by application of advances in relevant technologies and solutions at grass-root levels.

cause, as a result, their sustainable economic, social and moral development and empowerment, with

substantial positive, national and global environmental impact, with measurable output in each of the above areas, and with global replication ability

Members and associates of FREED come from all walks of the society, viz., engineers, educationists, doctors, lawyers, retired government officials, retired judges and entrepreneurs and others. The organization aims at promoting sustainable development through inclusive growth. FREED believes that education to the marginal people, minorities, and deprived people leads them to gainful employment /engagement.

FREED is at present actively pursuing the following projects: PROJECT TOORNI- Financially, socially and logistically supporting few girl students from

backward districts and communities in their aspiration in pursuing higher studies in Kolkata along with special training for Govt. jobs, as a process for women and backward class empowerment. (Appendix-I)

LIVELIHOOD and ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT work in North Bengal.(Appendix-II)

JATROPHA CULTIVATION and BIODIESEL PRODUCTION- Production of clean energy (biodiesel) by cultivating jatropha in non-arable and fallow lands or degraded soil area using poor and marginal rural people, specially women, thus providing them with alternative livelihood options and social support, at the same time moving towards a healthier environment. (Appendix-III)

SKILL DEVELOPMENT of MINORITY YOUTH, marginal population and women and engaging them in mainstream livelihoods. (Appendix-IV)

SUPPORTING MARGINAL GROUPS of FOLK ARTISTS to help preserve their heritage and culture with sustainable projects. (Appendix-V).

Collins School of Business and Technology was inaugurated on 12th June 2008 with aspiration to apply the advances in Technology and Management besides conducting research for further development (Appendix-VI)

Our Panel of Advisors and Patrons

Some prominent advisors and subject experts working with FREED are:

• Mr. Hirak Ghosh, IAS (Retired)- Former Convener Member & Chairman of Executive Committee, West Bengal State Council of Biotechnology & Former Principal Secretary, Depts. Of Labour & Higher Education, Govt. of West Bengal.

• Mr. Udayan Banerjee, IFS (Retd.)- Former Chief Conservator of Forests and Former Member, Planning Commission, Govt. of India.

• Mr. Subhas Chandra Pahari, IAS (Retd.)- Former Joint Secretary, Dept. of Social Welfare, Govt. of West Bengal.

• Prof. Nikhil Ranjan Das- Former Director, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya.• Prof. Bhaskar Banerjea- Former Director, Institute of Business Management, Jadavpur

University; Former Registrar Jadavpur University, Former Chairman , West Bengal Central School Service Commission.

• Justice D.K.Basu – Chairman, National Committee for Legal Services-India• Mr. Arindam Dutta- Advisor, Dept. of Science & Technology, Govt of India; Director, Ekta

Incubation Center, West Bengal University of Technology; Advisor, Entrepreneurship Development Center, St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata.

• Prof. Bijan Kumar Mondal-Fomer Professor, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidalya, Kalyani• Dr. Sampa Biswas- Associate Prof., Crystallography & Molecular Biology Division, Saha

Institute of Nuclear Physics.• Dr. Sanjay Guha Roy- Sr. Lecturer, Botany Dept., Ramananda College, PO-Bisnupur, Bankura.• Dr. Goutam Biswas- Head, Physics Department, Ramananda College, PO-Bisnupur, Dist-

Bankura.• Mr. Sumit Banerjee- Chief Manager (Contract), The Braithwaite Burn & Jessop Construction

Company Ltd. (a Govt. of India Undertaking). • Mr. Manash Kumar Ghoshal-Chief Manager (Design), Simplex Infrastructures Ltd.• Mr. Amitava Bhattacharyya-Consulting Engineer.• Global Energy Services- Dimondbar, California, USA.

The organization co-ordinates its activities with partner bodies, different statutory and government agencies, local self-government bodies etc.Our projects and activities have been lauded and given due exposure by print and television media. We look forward to receiving your support and patronage in accomplishing our mutual goals and efforts.

PROJECT TOORNI Appendix-I

An initiative in education for women to empower them, especially in remote areas, aims at education and empowerment of meritorious women from economically deficient communities, who face severe handicaps to pursue a deserving career due to adverse financial situations and lack of outreach.

The ideal empowerment envisioned is not only through higher education and self-sufficiency, but by helping these merited girls to secure positions of authority at the state and national level administrative and public sector jobs. This will strengthen and benefit a larger community besides empowering a deserving woman individually.

TOORNI selects women with potential on the basis of their Higher Secondary/ Equivalent Examination results, general academic records, financial circumstances and remoteness from infrastructure and facilities necessary for higher education.

Selected candidates are admitted to under-graduate collages of repute, preferably with hostel facility. TOORNI facilitates funds to cover their college fees, boarding and contingency expenses for the stipulated span of 3 years. Additional guidance is provided to aid their preparation for competitive Civil Service/School Service Examinations, as TOORNI focuses on administrative and public sector jobs

. FREED has selected meritorious students from remote areas of Purulia, West Midnapore and Bankura. It hopes and dreams, the merit and perseverance of these girls when nurtured with proper guidance and care will bloom as examples to fill up our social garden with more flowers. This effort has also been encouraged by the local panchayat.

Future Programme for Project Toorni From the ongoing activities, analysis of situation and need assessment it is felt to expand the teaching assistantship to the marginal areas to enable the underprivileged girl students in a better way.

Collaborating with the local organizations it is proposed to operate in 3 locations of West Bengal.1. Hamiltongunj / Alipurduar in North Bengal

The condition of the area is deteriorating by the day with tea-gardens closing, leaving no alternative livelihood for local people. This is also identified as an area with high level of trafficking of women.

2. Bishnupur in Bankura in Western West Bengal.This area and the adjoining districts collectively known as jangalmahal is the poorest in West Bengal. All indices of development shows an acute crisis of the people. Currently the girls with Toorni come from this area.

3. Sandeshkahli in Sunderban North 24 Parganas.These areas are remote and after the cyclone Aila, the existing infrastructure is completely destroyed. Providing education sesding to empowerment is extremely necessary in this area which is also high in the number of women trafficking.

Proposal in each location :• Step 1: To create a facility to provide educational help, teaching and aids to at least

50-60 girl students of B.P.L. and SC / ST / OBC category in class XI, selected on merit.

• Step 2: To provide the help at the higher school level in class XI and XII.• Step 3: A coordinator to monitor, teach, keep liaison with the families and

motivate the students.• Step 4: Based on performance and aptitude to select 20 girls (out of 150) for

graduation studies in Kolkata with special coaching for competitive examinations

The project needs to be planned for at least 5 years – 2010 to 2015- to show results.

One of our members has offered space in her house to act as a short-stay hostel for the girls studying in Kolkata We intend to provide basic furniture and a small text book library with teaching aids.

A workshop for the H.S. examinees for 2012 as per our target group is being conducted at Bishnupur to help the students in their preparation.

Panel of Advisors for TOORNI

Chaiti Mitra is a full time Senior Lecturer and the Head of the Dept. of English at Rama Krishna Sarada Mission Vivekananda Vidyabhavan. She is pursuing her Ph D research in 1857 Mutiny narratives.

Gargi Gangopadhyay is a full time Senior Lecturer in the Dept. of English at Rama Krishna Sarada Mission Vivekananda Vidyabhavan. She is currently engaged in her doctoral research on children’s book of the 19th Century Bengal.

Dr. Soma Mukhapadhyay is a research officer at the Lok Sanskriti Parishad, under the Ministry of Information and Culture, Govt. of West Bengal.

Sukti Singh is an electrical engineer and is at present the Project Manager, Enterprise Solution, INCAT, Tata Technologies, a subsidiary of Tata Motors Ltd.

Paramita Biswas is a financial consultant working with the Nationwide Bank, London. A celebrated Rabindrasangeet singer herself. She is an active member of the London Tagore Society.

Tilottama Majumdar is one of the most acclaimed contemporary Bangla writers, honoured with the prestigious literary award Ananda Puroskar for ‘ Basudhara’. She has around a dozen titles to her credit.

Letters of Appreciation Appendix – I

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Appendix-II

Livelihood and environmental development work in North Bengal FREED is working with the local residents of the Buxa Duars region in North Bengal, with support from government departments, trying to provide better living conditions in the forest-villages, through development of ecotourism, cultivation of medicinal plants and access to better means of education and health. This effort has been recognized and appreciated by local Member of Parliament.

Letters of Appreciation Appendix-II

BIODIESEL Appendix-III An initiative to generate clean energy besides creating an option for alternative

livelihood for the rural folks. FREED has prepared a project adhering to the directives of the Planning Commission of India, to cultivate jatropa and produce bio-diesel from its seeds .This project proposes to utilize the waste/unarable land in the dry areas of the state by involving the local folks.

This project will subsequently lead to an inclusive development of these deprived rural folks, belonging to backward classes and tribes, who live below poverty level. FREED intends to equip this under-privileged population with training, technology and infrastructure before using them as skilled human resources for the bio-diesel project.

The production of bio-diesel will have a positive impact on the environment leading to reduction of greenhouse gases, improving water table, controlling land erosion in addition to providing sustainable energy and livelihood option to the rural poor.

The project has a potential to decrease India’s oil import and earn foreign exchange through Carbon Credits. FREED is in the process of finalizing implementation of the project with the Eastern Coalfields Ltd., a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd., a major Public Sector Undertaking of the country .We have distinguished experts on our panel of advisors to help us implement the project.

A proposal project for biodiesel production• Kulti Municipality is an area near Asansol in the coal belt with mines and

steel industry. The area is degraded and heavily polluted for industrial and mining activity for over 100 years.

• A project to use the wastelands of the Municipality in collaboration with the other organizations to produce Jatropha is under consideration.

• A similar project for the saline embankments in Sandeshkhali, Sunderbans is also considered with the assistance of Nabard and other local bodies.

• A similar project for the wasteland in Purulia / Bankura / West Midnapur districts is being considered by Paschimanchal Unnayan Parishad.

Letters of Appreciation Appendix-III

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Employability Skill DevelopmentAppendix-IV

FREED has tied up with Technable Solutions Pvt. Ltd. to conduct Employability Skill Development Programme to combat unemployment. Technable is a Kolkata based training institution, working with the support of the Dept.of Information Technolongy, Govt. of West Bengal and Dept. of Labour, Govt of West Bengal, offering Communication Skills, Soft Skills and Domain Skills training to unemployed job aspiring candidates and linking them with hiring companies in the IT, ITeS, BPO, Retail, Telecom, Banking and other industries. Our aim in this tie-up is to use their expertise and interfaces for the benefit of the underprivileged unemployed youth and help them find gainful employment besides training the meritorious students in developing their personality to survive in unfamiliar surroundings before they spread their wings for a distant land to complete higher studies. Angsuman Panda, hailing from the district of Bankura, stands as a living example, trained by Technable in Communication Skills and Soft Skills before leaving for Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)-Boston to pursue higher studies in Physics on full scholarship. FREED arranged for his training through Technable, as he needed to brush-up his communication skill in English, having completed his education in vernacular medium of instruction so far.

FREED felicitated Ahshuman Panda alongwith his parents and teachers from a remote village in Bankura on 12th June, 2008 and sanctioned Rs. 20,000 as a grant for his essential purchases, given his economically weak background, before he left for the USA. Dr. Asim Dasgupta, Hon. Minister, Dept.of Finance, Govt. of West Bengal and Dr. Debesh Das, Hon. Minister, Dept of Information Technology, Govt. of West Bengal, were present to grace the occasion among other distinguished guests. It was a grate honour to have Dr. Douglas Kelly, Director, USIS, from the American Centre, Kolkata as one of our very distinguished guests. The auditorium of Business School of Collins at 140 Lenin Sarani, Kolkata, was transformed into a galaxy of wisdom and power congregating under one roof to felicitate Ansuman Panda, hosted by FREED on 12th June, 2008.

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Supporting folk artists and folk culture. Appendix-V

FREED helps folk artists from the under-privileged minority communities, find sustainable livelihood by linking them with patrons beyond the boundaries of their remote villages. This is a humble endeavour of FREED to check the advance, of the rare forms of Indian folk art and culture depicting multicultural co-existence, towards extinction.

Ms. Beth Payne, the Hon. Consul General, posted at the American Centre-Kolkata, showed her appreciation towards this project by accepting the invitation as a distinguished guest at a function held in Berhampore Circuit House, Murshidabad. The objective of this programme was to create an opportunity for the local folk artists, especially women, to showcase rare talents, highlighting their individual folk art and culture. The District Magistrate, Mr. Parvez Siddiqui also appreciated this programme by accepting the invitation to be our honoured guest.

A seminar on ‘Aesthetics and History of Islamic Art and Architecture in India’ was organized by FREED in association with the Consulate General of the United States of America. Dr.Omar Khalidi of MIT, USA, graced the occasion by his presence as a distinguished guest and speaker besides other eminent architects and academicians in Kolkata. Folk artists from rural Bengal performed at this seminar as a closing ceremony, hinting at the significance of local art and culture on the architecture of a region since time unknown, encouraging multicultural co-existence and tolerance.

Letters of Appreciation

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Collins School of Business and Technology Appendix-VI

‘Collins School of Business and Technology (CSBT)’ at 140, Lenin Sarani, Kolkata-700 013, in collaboration with Collins Institute, under the Methodist Church in India was inaugurated on 12th

June, 2008with an objective to impart education at under-graduate level to students after their completion of Higher Secondary education and has accordingly applied for affiliation of the West Bengal University of Technology, in order to start BCA and BBA programmes.With a dedicated team of experienced faculty and a competent management at the helm, CSBT intends to make advances in its research initiatives, execute effective projects in emerging areas of vocation followed by linkage, making the most, of the state of the art facilities, for gainful engagement after graduation.

CSBT intends to form a Centre of Excellence and work in collaboration with institutions of education and research centres at the national and international levels.

Thank You