“Dr V Kurien Academic Centre of Mansinhbhai Institute of Dairy & Food Technology (Managed by Durda) was inaugurated at Dudhsagar Dairy Mehsana by Ms. Nirmala Kurien on 30th June 2013.”
There could not have been a more suitable person than Ms Nirmala Kurien, to inaugurate the ‘Dr V Kurien Academic Centre’ of Mansinhbhai Institute of Dairy & Food Technology (MIDFT), managed by DURDA, at Dudhsagar Dairy, Mehsana, on Sunday, 30th June, 2013. Two years ago, Dudhsagar Dairy had become the first Cooperative Dairy in the country to set up a Dairy & Food Technology Institute (MIDFT) without any outside grant or assistance. The Institute offers a 4-year B.Tech (Dairy Technology) programme. It is affiliated to Kamdhenu University, Gandhinagar. The Academic Centre has been set up for the benefit of the students and faculty of MIDFT.
Dr Kurien was an institution builder of international standards. One of his creations is the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA). It was set up in 1979 with a view to make available professional managers committed to rural development, and to meet the managerial requirements of dairy cooperatives in particular. Thanks to IRMA, the dairy cooperatives have no difficulty in finding professionally trained and committed managers for its ever expanding operations.
With the setting up of MIDFT, it will now become the prime source for trained Dairy Technologists for the dairy industry which is playing a vital national role in providing large scale rural employment, empowerment of small and marginal farmers and landless labourers engaged in cooperative dairying, besides making available to India’s large population high quality milk and milk products at reasonable prices, round the clock.
The inaugural function was presided over by Dudhsagar Dairy & GCMMF Chairman, Shri Vipul Chaudhary. Shri R S Sodhi, Managing Director, GCMMF was the Guest of Honour.
In her speech, Ms Nirmala Kurien expressed her great sense of satisfaction and joy to see that the Academic Centre of MIDFT is named after her father, fondly called the Milkman of India. She thanked the Chairman and Board of Mehsana Union, MIDFT, and the cooperative dairy farmers of Mehsana Union for their kind gesture, and for inviting her to inaugurate the Centre.
Shri Vipul Chaudhary recalled the great contributions that Dr Kurien had made for India’s dairy industry and to the development of Mehsana Union in particular. Even after stepping down from the Chairmanship of GCMMF in 2006, Dr Kurien had consented to be an Honorary Adviser to Mehsana Union which showed his love for the dairy farmers of Mehsana. Shri Chaudhary said that he derives huge motivation and inspiration from the lifelong work of Dr Kurien which was hundred per cent committed to the welfare of cooperative dairy farmers.
Shri Sodhi thanked the Chairman and Board of Directors of Mehsana Union and the Management of MIDFT for inviting him to be the Guest of Honour at a function that was giving respect and honour to the founder-chairman of GCMMF. He said that he was privileged to study in IRMA and work in GCMMF, both of which were the brain child of Dr Kurien.
Shri PR Patel, Executive Director, In-charge of MIDFT recalled his association with Dr Kurien over a period of 20 years. He particularly mentioned about an incident when Mr Patel was with Sumul Dairy. In response to a veiled complaint that Dr Kurien was not coming for the Programming Committee meetings of GCMMF very often, he replied “Do you want me to take care of the Union Chairmen of GCMMF, or the Managing Directors also”? Dr Kurien was clear in his mind what his primary responsibilities were. He was a thorough professional, a man of highest integrity.
The function was attended by thousands of cooperative dairy farmers who had assembled at the dairy for their Annual General Meeting, besides the invited guests, media personnel and dairy employees. The dairy farmers were so happy that the Academic Centre has been named after the legendary Dr V Kurien who had done so much for the dairy development in Mehsana, the fruits of which the farmers are enjoying now. The function was a grand success.