Promotion of Bio-diesel is not only the need of the hour but also today's necessity when price of crude oil is rising every year in the international market. India meets hardly 30% of the total demand for oil from its internal resources. The balance 70% of the demand is met by importing oil from other countries. Of the total available quantity of petro-diesel in the country, 95% is consumed by the transport sector alone which has both backward and forward linkages. Increase in price or shortage in supply of petro-diesel can adversely affect the growth of GDP. The price of imports is paid in foreign currency. Besides ever increasing price, there is always a danger that the dependence on the supply of crude oil from abroad does not ensure any energy security for the nation. Against this background energy independence is the primary requirement for ensuring sustained growth of national economy. As a follow up of the first Seminar held on 7th March 2006 at New Delhi and the initiative of Hon'ble Ms. Leena Mehendale, Principle Secretary, Govt. of Maharashtra, the Institute organized the "2nd Seminar on Bio-Diesel" at Nashik (Maharashtra) on 24th & 25th Feb 2007 in association with the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj, GOI, at Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU) Campus. The purpose of organizing the Seminar was to generate awareness among the masses, organize various stake holders to identify the wasteland for plantation of Jagtropha. Hon'ble, Dr. Rajan M Vellukar, Vice-Chancellor, YCMOU inaugurated the Seminar. The event was sponsored/Co-sponsored by M/s Indian
	Oil Corporation (IOC), Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA), Min. of Petroleum & Natural Resources, GOI and M/s Mohindra & Mohindra, Nashik. Eminent speakers from Govt. of Maharashtra, IOC, Railways, PCRA, HPCL, M/s Mohindra & Mohindra, among others addressed DR. K. D. GUPTA, JATROPHA CONSULTANT SPREADING JATROPHA AWARENESS BY CONDUCTING JATROPHA SEMINARS AND JATROPHA PROJECTS IN NOIDA, UP, NCR, INDIA the participants. At the Seminar, Western Railways invited IASRD to undertake planation of Jatroha along the railway tracks to be specified by Western Railways on pilot basis. The Institute plans to gradually move up to the value chain finally leading to the marketing of bio-diesel. IASRD is also currently preparing a detailed feasibility report for setting up of a Extraction Plant of bio-diesel from Jatropha seeds in Hathras town of Maha Maya Nagar District, U.P. IASRD has been increased initiated steps for increasing the catchment area for the proposed plant by wayof developing its own nursery & propagating the cultivation of the Jatropha by the farmers of the area. IASRD has also recently carried out a survey of a cement plant in Rajasthan for plantation of Jatropha in waste land in mines and other areas.
	IASRD has number of on-going projects, propagation of Jatropha Plantation along the roads constructed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sarak Yojna (PMGSY) in Gautam Budh Nagar district, which has been allotted to IASRD by Chief Development Officer (CDO), IS one such projects. To achieve this, the Institute has plans to conduct 'Awareness Programmes and workshops in nearly 50 villages of the block. Awareness Programmes and Workshops which have already been organized by IASRD at Jhoopa, Gopalgarh, Muradgarh and Jonchahna villages in Jewar block received tremendous response from the villagers and SHGs. Institute has proposed cultivation of Jatropha along the railway tracks. IASRD has been also in the forefront of women empowerment programmes, wherein women from weaker section were organized under various Self Help Groups (SHGs). These SHGs are encouraged to undertake economic activities such as grinding of masala and production of other cottage industry products for poverty alleviation. The Institute has successfully implemented an integrated Information Education Communication (IEC) programme in association with local NGOs, such as Suchetna Social Service Centre in the state of Uttaranchal (now Uttarakhand). IASRD specially trained personnel under the training programmes for tehsil level health workers like ANMs. The objective of the training programme was to impart special skills to the ANMs to increase awareness of family welfare methods in the remote rural areas.
	The Institute has implemented an off-grid village level project in Koti village of Lamgra Block of Almora district based on the non-conventional source of energy in Uttarakhand. The ten households in the village which is presently in an off-grid area have been illuminated by the solar panels and village level SHG has been formed which is entrusted with the task of maintaining the utilities installed in village on a self sustaining basis by way of contribution from the beneficiaries. IASRD has also undertaken environmental projects. In this context, the Institute has adopted parks for development in NOIDA, U.P. Under the scheme, fruit-bearing trees in large quantity have been sown in the parks. This has benefited the public at large and the park are being maintained by trained Horticulturist of the Institute. IASRD's experts also associated with the team which under- took an extensive study on Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) in Mandla District in Madhya Pradesh, bordering Chattisgarh. The study suggested, amongst others, various micro-enterprises that could be undertaken by the forest dwellers based on the minor forest produce.
	The Institute has successfully executed the contract for Training, Monitoring & Evaluation of Jatropha plantation, awarded by the Uttaranchal Bio-fuel Board, Dehradun during 2006. Under the contract, IASRD planted about 8 lakh Jatropha saplings through members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in 25 villages covering an area of 305 hectares in Nainital Distt. (Uttarakhand). The Institute has proposed setting up a Research Village in tribal districts of Himachal Pradesh. The Project envisages study of bio-diversity of the area and documentation of traditional knowledge base of the tribal community. The Project has received encouraging response from the State Government to collaborate with IASRD and provide logistic support. The Institute is Corporate Member of ASSOCHAM and actively participates in the Chambers' activities pertaining to Rural Development.