Garhwal University was established on December 1st 1973 under the provisions of Uttar Pardesh State Universities Act. The name of the university was rechristened to Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University in 1989 in commemoration of the memory of a leading statesman of the country Shri Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna, and subsequently established as Central University under the provision of the Central Universities Ordinance in 2009.
Department of Rural Technology was established in 1998 with the prime objectives to impart education in the field of this discipline, to undertake research activities based on regional needs and to initiate to carry out teaching, research, demonstration, training and extension activities for developing more effective equipment/tools using appropriate and indigenous technology, skill oriented programme and knowledge of rural people for overall upliftment of rural artisans and small cottage industries for sustainable rural development and livelihood improvements. Sustainable Rural development and Extension Services to the rural masses..
Presently, the Department runs a two years (4-semesters) course Master’s Degree programme (M.Sc.) in Rural Technology as well as Doctoral degree programmes with the objective to facilitate appropriate development of science and need based technology for rural community. In addition to instructional teaching the students also have undergone training in various technologies relevant to rural development activity. Department has been actively engaged in research activities on various areas of Sustainable Rural Development through Natural Resource Management and Watershed Development and Management, Sustainable livelihood improvements through low-cost appropriate and indigenous Rural Technology, Mushroom cultivation, Rural Energy System, Low-cost earthquake resistant housing system, Climate Change and Sustainable development through nursery technology of aromatic and medicinal plants cultivation, etc.
The faculty of the Department has been empanelled for National Level Expert, Ministry of Drinking Water& Sanitation, and Government of India and also associated with the monitoring of various projects of Council of Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India, New Delhi as the Project Evaluator during the 2011-2013.
The department has also completed 03 Consultancy projects on issues such as Environment Impact Assessment & Environment Management Plan and Socio Economic studies for Hydropower projects requirement of agencies such as NHPC, Faridabad; SJVNL, Shimla respectively.
The department has organized one National seminar, two training workshops on Mushroom cultivation for farmers, Low –cost Earthquake Resistant Housing for Raj Mistri (Masonrs) and. Participation in International and National seminars/symposia/ conferences by faculty members is a regular phenomenon. The faculty of the department has published more than 100 Research papers/articles in the National and International Journals.
Beside teaching, research and consultancy works, the department has also been engaged in field extension programs related to sustainable rural Development. The department has developed Mushroom cultivation Lab and in coming future Establishment of Mushroom Spawn Production Unit is under consideration.