Vedanta : Cairn Oil & Gas partners with Agriculture University to offer vocational and degree courses for skill development

Cairn has signed an MoU with Agriculture University, Jodhpur, to offer courses in farm and non-farm sectors

More than 200 students will be trained each year from the Cairn Center of Excellence, the company's skill development center in Jodhpur, Rajasthan

The centre will offer placement support to students

New Delhi, Jodhpur, 12 October 2023: Cairn Oil & Gas, part of Vedanta Group, India's largest private oil and gas exploration and production company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Agriculture University, Jodhpur (AUJ). The MoU encompasses more than 15 training programs annually, including short and long-term courses, paving the way for employment opportunities, enhancing skill development in the farm and non-farm sectors, and enabling long-term economic prosperity in the region. The training courses include vocational courses with a duration of one month and long-term diploma programs of one year duration.

The courses will be conducted at the Cairn Center of Excellence (CCoE) in Jodhpur, Rajasthan with the aim of training 200 students in a year and commitment to steadily augment in the coming years. Promoting accessibility to a wider demography, students enrolled in the courses will also benefit from subsidized fees for both tuition and hostel expenses.

This partnership follows Cairn's stated goal of 'Transforming Communities' to achieve its Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) vision.

Commenting on the partnership, Dr Steve Moore, Deputy CEO, Cairn Oil & Gas said, "We are partnering with the Agriculture University, Jodhpur, to foster skill development among communities residing around our areas of operations. At Cairn, we value the transformation of communities as a key ESG commitment. Through this partnership, we aim to impart skills with adequate livelihood opportunities that can contribute to the region's overall economic prosperity. As part of Vedanta Group, we believe in nurturing nature-based solutions to bring positive impact in the areas that are supporting our goal of enabling India's energy security."

This endeavor is proposed for an initial three-year period with the potential for renewal in the future. Upon the successful completion of the courses, the centre will offer placement support, with a strong emphasis on encouraging the students towards self-employment, jobs, and entrepreneurship opportunities, along with due affiliation and accreditation. In addition to student-focused initiatives, farmers in Cairn's operational areas in Barmer and Jalore districts in Rajasthan will reap the benefits of value addition through AUJ's modules, services, and technical assistance.

Sharing his views on the association, Dr. BR Choudhary, Vice Chancellor of AUJ said, "Agriculture University has taken a step further to train and empower youth in the field of agriculture and allied activities through its partnership with Cairn and its state-of-the-art centre - Cairn Centre of Excellence (CCoE) in Jodhpur. Together I believe we can make a meaningful and sustainable impact in creating an Aatmanirbhar Bharat."

AUJ is engaged in providing knowledge and skills to address challenges in the agriculture sector and has been a flagbearer in revolutionising agriculture in western India.

The Cairn Center of Excellence (CCOE) in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, has been operational since 2014 and has successfully trained over 2,000 students in six vocational courses. The students trained at CCOE have played a crucial role in enhancing livelihoods in their communities through self-employment and small businesses, contributing to local economic development.

The MoU was recently signed between the two organizations represented by Aditi Purohit, Officiating Registrar, AUJ, and Brigadier BS Shekhawat and Harmeet Sehra from Cairn Oil & Gas. This joint effort between CCOE and AUJ marks a significant step towards empowering local communities with practical skills, enhancing their employability, and contributing to the overall development of the region.

About Cairn Oil & Gas

Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Limited, is the largest private oil and gas exploration and production Company in India, accounting for more than a quarter of India's domestic crude oil production. It has a world-class resource base, with a current interest in 62 blocks in India, including the 38 blocks under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) Round I auction, 5 blocks under Round II and 3 blocks under Round III, 2 awarded under the Discovered Small Fields (DSF) Round II and 8 under DSF Round III, and one Coal Bed Methane (CBM) block. In 2004, Cairn made the largest onshore discovery in more than two decades in Mangala, Rajasthan. In its operations of 20 years, Cairn has opened 4 frontier basins with numerous discoveries; 38 in Rajasthan alone.

Cairn is part of Vedanta Resources Limited, the world's sixth largest diversified natural Resources conglomerate with interest in oil and gas, zinc-lead-silver, copper, iron ore, aluminium, and commercial power. The company has a presence across India, South Africa, Namibia, Australia, and Ireland. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment, and on enhancing the lives of local communities. Vedanta Resources Limited has been conferred the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) "Sustainable Plus Platinum" label and ranks among the top 10 most sustainable companies in India.

For more information, please reach out to www.cairnindia.com/