Each institute has adopted villages where it will work. While IIT Delhi has adopted 32 villages across Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, IIT Bombay has adopted 27 villages and IIT Madras 11 villages.

"The villages were selected based on earlier interactions with some of the faculty members of IIT Delhi. It is emphasized here that the technical solutions whenever available with any IIT will be taken to a village or a cluster of villages that have similar requirements or demands," Saha said.

Explaining how the institute will help "address development challenges through appropriate technologies", A.K. Sharma, professor of sociology and co-principal investigator of RuTAG (Rural Technology Action Group) at IIT Kanpur, told IANS: "This will be done by identifying problems in rural areas which need technical solution. However, we think that rural development requires both technical and social scientific solutions. Therefore, team work will be required."

How exactly will the model work and what will be the role of the village and IIT community?

"There is no one model for making each project work. For example, the affordable housing technology project using what has been developed by IIT M is being implemented by the Kerala government. The rural ATM developed at IIT M is being supplied by an IIT M startup to banks operating rural branches," Ramamurthi said, explaining the work being carried out by IIT M.

The UBA also aims to foster a new dialogue within the larger community on science, society and the environment and to develop a sense of dignity and collective destiny.

While highlighting the role industries can play once the challenges are identified and solutions demonstrated, experts said that the biggest achievement of the programme would include linking knowledge to field; technology transfer and technology development; solving small technical problems of rural artisans; and interventions in education, health, irrigation, and agricultural innovations.

Agreed Ramamurthi, who said: "A corollary gain will be orientation of students towards rural transformation and social enterprise."

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