Major achievements of the Department are as under:

• 1. PhD Programme in Sustainable Rural Development: Started Ph.D. Programme in December 2024 by promoting interdisciplinary research in the institute. At present 9 Ph.D. scholars are working in the department who are working on the following topics:
• 1. Organic farming
  2. Integrated farming system
  3. Herbal and medical plants sector
  4. Skills Development and poverty alleviation
  5. Organic farming and carbon credits
  6. Improved agriculture practices
  7. AI applications in agriculture
  8. Earthquake Resistant Buildings
• 2.Unnat Bharat Abhiyan: Since 2014 onwards the institute/department has been participating in Unnat Bharat Abhiyan programme which is a flagship programme of Ministry of Education, Government of India. NITTTR Chandigarh is a regional co-ordinating institute (RCI) for Punjab and Chandigarh state. There are 120 PIs working in Punjab and Chandigarh under the guidance of NITTTR Chandigarh. In collaboration with RVIT, Bijnor the Department has worked in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh selecting four villages namely Chaukpuri, Agra, Simalkheri and Mukrandpur. 130 smokeless challahs and 08 low cost smokefree kitchens were constructed during 2014 and 2019 organising various workshops. Training to local villagers on various rural technologies like water resources management, organic farming, bee keeping and other initiatives related to rural development were provided. Now the institute has selected five villages namely Kakot, Majri, Badi, Haripur and Hirdapur in Rupnagar district of Punjab.
• 3. Promotion of Herbal and Medicinal Plants Sector: The department has started collaborative work with RCFC I, NMPB, Joginder Nagar, Himachal Pradesh for the promotion of Herbal and medicinal plants sector in north-west region of UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh since 2022. It has organised several workshops and seminars for promotion of herbal and medicinal plants cultivation and its processing for the formation of herbal and Ayurvedic products. The department has also developed a certificate course for traditional Vaidya’s with the faculty members of Dhanwantri Ayurvedic College and Hospital, Sector 46, Chandigarh. The department has also started a certificate course for farmers and entrepreneurs on Organic Farming, Permaculture and Sustainable Living which is launched in the online as well as offline mode during the year 2025. The department distributed 10, 000 plants of Ashwagandha in collaboration in RCFC Joginder Nagar in the year 2025 under national Ashwagandha campaign.
• 4. Research and Development Projects: The Department has completed about 10 major research projects in the field of rural development having funding more than 10.00 lakh. At present Department is running a big project on “Structural Audit of Hospitals and School Buildings in Himachal Pradesh” which was awarded by Himachal Pradesh Disaster Authority, Shimla. An amount of Rs. 2.35 crore was awarded to the institute in the year 2023 which is likely to be completed in June 2026. The department has been awarded Regional Coordinating Institute status in the year 2019 and since then it has been receiving Rs. 10.00 per annum from Ministry of Education, Government of India. It has also received Rs. 10.00 lakh in last four years from RCFC- I, Jogindernagar, Himachal Pradesh which is an agency of National Medicinal Plant Board, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India.
• 5. Specialised Faculty and NGO Professional Training Programmes: Conducted more than 1000 faculty and staff development programmes in the field of rural planning and development, Appropriate Technology, Rural sanitation and water management, technologies for sustainable development, organic farming, Climate Change and Disaster Management, Herbal and medicinal plants cultivation and value addition, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, employment generation, rural architecture and tourism, Watershed Management, Promotion of Renewable Energy, Rural entrepreneurship and industrialisation, Bee-keeping and mushroom cultivation, Building Construction in Disaster Prone Areas, etc.
• 6. Skills Development and Entrepreneurship: Prepared competency based curricula for more than 80 non-formal skill development trades. During 2003-04 the department facilitated preparation of competency based curricula for about 200 non-formal trades in disciplines like civil engg, Mech. Engg, Automobile Engg, Electrical/ Electronic Egg, information Technology, video film and photography, business and commerce, Handicraft, Handloom and leather work, Renewable energy devices Energy Devices, Health and Para-Medical, Fashion Design and Garment Making, Home Science and Related Vocations, Beauty Culture, Catering and Hospitality, Agriculture and Allied Sector, Journalism, Food Processing, Other General Services. Department has been running the CDTP Scheme from 2009 onwards and Community Polytechnic Schemes since 1980 to 2007. The department implemented the scheme of community polytechnics as well as community development through polytechnic schemes till 2022. Later the scheme of CDTP was transferred to MSDE, GoI in the year 2022. In the year 2023, the department trained 35 nurses from the country about the basic German Languages and they were placed in Germany successfully after the training.

Produced a number of educational video films, significant amongst these are –

• Smokeless Chulha (Hindi/English)
• Energy for All (Hindi & English)
• Energy for All (Punjabi)
• Rural Housing (Part-I)
• Carpentry Tools
• Job Opportunities for Women
• Humming Honey Maker,
• Solar Water Heating System
• Improved Agricultural Implements
• Village and Small Industries (English)
• Village and Small Industries (Hindi)
• Rural Sanitation
• Biogas Technology
• Agricultural Implements
• An Introduction to PRA Techniques
• PRA / RRA Exercise Part-2
• PRA / RRA Exercise Part-3
• Solar Lantern
• Jevik Kheti Ki Ore (Hindi)
• Organic Farming (Jevik Kheti) - Boon for Farmers (Hindi)
• Soldiers of Soil (Hindi/English)
• Vasundhara Ke Doot (Hindi)
• Scheme of Community Polytechnics
• Towards Sustainable Agriculture
• Organic Farming : From East to West (Punjabi)
• Organic Farming : From East to West (English)
• Organic Farming : An Enterprise (Hindi)
• Organic Farming : Boon for Farmers (Punjabi)
• Organic Farming : Vocation for Women (Hindi)
• Organic Farming : Commonwealth for Youth (English)
• Organic Farming : A Holistic Approach (Hindi)
• Tractor Shaping Path for Agriculture
• Krishi Awasheshon Ka Prabandhan (Hindi)
• Integrated Agri-Waste Management for Sustainable Agriculture (English)
• Sada Bahar Kheti Leyi Rahend Khund Di Barton (Punjabi)
• Cook with the Sun [Solar Dish Type Cooker]
• Organic Dairy Farming with Desi Cows: Hetha Experiment
• Integrated Organic Farming: A Story of Dr Santosh Patel, Raebareli
• Rural and Green Tourism in Uttarakhand
• Dairy with Desi Cows: A Story of Bahadurgarh, Haryana

Video film on "Humming Honey Maker" was awarded ‘Gold Prize’ and "Energy for All" bagged ‘Special Judges’ Prize’ in the video contest by Sony ICD Video, Japan. Also, some of our video films have been telecast on the National Programme of the Doordarshan.

8. Demonstrated and disseminated information regarding appropriate technologies in various areas such as –

• Non-Conventional Sources of Energy
• Rural Sanitation and Water Management
• Rural Housing
• Employment Generating Technologies
• Drudgery Reducing Technologies
• Hazards and Accidents Protection Technologies
• Nutrition and Health Improvement Technologies
• Agricultural Technologies
• Farm & Post-Harvesting Equipment

9. The Department of Rural Development has developed various curricula in the different field as listed below:

• Electrical Related Trades
• Assembly and Repair of Voltage Stabilizer.
• Battery Repair and Maintenance
• Choke Making
• Electrician
• House Wiring
• Motor Rewinding (Single Phase)
• Motor Rewinding (Three Phase)
• Repair of Electrical Gadgets
• Repair of Table/Ceiling Fan.
• Rewinding of Armature
• Transformer Coil Rewinding
• Textile Related Trades
• Batik Printing
• Doll Making
• Embroidery and Needle Work
• Fabric Painting
• Fabric Printing
• Fabrication of Leather Goods
• Flower Making (Artificial)
• Garment Making
• Handloom Weaving
• Jute Bags and Soft Toys Making
• Knitting
• Screen Printing
• Textile Printing and Fabric Painting
• Print Material

10. Print material developed by the Department includes:

Books:

1. RD Punia & UN Roy, 1999; Appropriate Technology, Satya Prakashan, New Delhi, 1999
2. UN Roy, 2005; People’s Participation in Watershed Management, Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi
3. K. Gopal Iyer & UN Roy; 2005; Watershed Management and Sustainable Development, Kanishka Publishers, New Delhi
4. JS Saini, 2006; Informal Sector - Employment and Productivity, Abhishek Publications, Chandigarh
5. UN Roy & JS Saini; 2009; People’s Empowerment and Sustainable Rural Development : A Technological Approach; Rawat Publications, Jaipur
6. JS Saini and Er. Amit Goyal; 2009, Empowering the Disabled: Abhishek Publications, Chandigarh.
7. Rural Technology Manuals on Selected Technologies
1. Volume-1: Sanitation
2. Volume-2: Energy
3. Volume-4: Civil
4. Volume-5: Mechanical
8. U N Roy and Amit Goyal, 2021; Skill Development and technologies for Sustainable Rural Development in India, Abhishek Publication, Chandigarh