Rural Development: Ensuring Inclusive Growth Rural development is a vital mission for CSIR. In the pursuit of strengthening the nation from the grass-root level, CSIR has undertaken several R&D programmes on water purification techniques, aromatic plant cultivation and processing, building materials and traditional ceramic products utilizing locale-specific endowments. Significant Developments Sonalika provides the new tractor design for India's changing farm needs Value addition through post-harvest technologies like essential oil/ menthol production Cheapest water purification technology including teracotta purification disc, portable arsenic detection kit, ultrapore membrane-based purifiers for removing virus and bacteria Over 365 technologies passed on to the rural masses through publications, training sessions, etc Construction of around 30,000 dwelling units using cost-effective construction technologies Reverse osmosis plants for desalination in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Tamilnadu New cultivation techniques and high-yielding varieties Technological upgradation of the skills of rural artisans and entrepreneurs A high rate Biomethanation plant for poultry was designed, installed commissioned based on self mixing of digester slurry with biogas. Main advantages of this plant are reduction of hydraulic residence time from 35 days (conventional digesters) to 20 days and increase of methane yield by three fold for a given quantity of poultry litter. Sonalika