High-decibel poll drive drowns PCC campaign for ODOP in Telangana

Hyderabad: Growing decibel sounds of electioneering drowned the ‘People’s Choice Campaign’ of the Union Ministry of Commerce to promote ‘One District One Product’ (ODOP), Geographical Indication (GI) of the local products in Telangana.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) asked the colleges, universities, and other Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) to involve students in the campaign across the country from November 3. But, the campaign is yet to take off in educational institutions across the State, even after a lapse of 10 days.

The ODOP was an initiative to boost economic growth at the district level, and its objective is to work towards giving impetus to the handicraft sector and artisans. Accordingly, the campaign is centred around messaging, outreach, and targeted economic activity to catalyse a national movement. It was to give due recognition to the heritage, quality and importance in the growth of the country.

As part of the initiative, the HEIs and colleges were asked to support mobilising resources across the country and actively participate in the campaign to organise blog writing competitions at colleges about local products. Educational video screening in colleges and institutions on Local/ODOP products, and shadow an artisan or a weaver.”

However, delayed admissions and examinations were followed by the festive season, and on top of it, the growing election fever in the State found no takers to the campaign.

The UGC has asked the HEIs to post the conduct of the competitions along with photos/videos on the University Activity Monitoring Portal (UAMP) of the UGC.