1. Background:

S.M. Desai

ED, RUDSETI, CS, Ujire

Unemployment is the prime challenge India is facing in the process of its development. Lakhs of youth are entering the job market every year after completing their school/collegiate education. The entry of automation and mechanization in every sphere of commerce and administration due to the advent of science and technology has further accentuated the problem. On the rural side, the employment potential in agricultural economy also appears to have reached a saturation level leading to large scale migration of manpower from rural areas to urban areas adding woes and pressure to already over strained civic infrastructure.

Millions of unemployed youth particularly from rural and semi-urban background who could not access higher/professional education but oriented towards white collar jobs are driven to despair for not finding a job. Of late, these distressed youth are attracted towards antisocial activities for their livelihood. This tremendous waste of human resources and mismatch of potentiality with productive deployment has baffled the planners and administrators.

All these clearly indicate the need for promoting self-employment entrepreneurial ventures among the unemployed youth.

2. Genesis:

It is under these circumstances that Rural Development & Self Employment Training Institute (RUDSETI) a unique initiative in mitigating the problem of unemployment was taken a way back in 1982 jointly by Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Educational Trust, SyndicateBank and Canara Bank under the visionary leadership of Padmabhushan Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade, Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala. The collective thinking gave concrete shape in providing an institutional framework in the form of Rural Development & Self Employment Training Institute in 1982. RUDSETI is registered under Karnataka Societies Registration Act 1960. The name and style “RUDSETI” with its logo is registered under Trade Act.
Encouraged by the success of Ujire experiment, RUDSETI has now established 26 units in 16 States. Up to June 2012, RUDSETI has trained 2.92 lakhs youth of which 2.07 lakhs trainees have settled with their self employment ventures, thus constituting 71% to the settlement rate, which is really a matter of pride for RUDSETI. RUDSETI’s collaboration with developmental agencies, institutions, voluntary organizations and government departments viz. NABARD, SIDBI, DICs, DRDAs, NBCFDC etc. to achieve the common objectives has proved mutually beneficial.