Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India, envisioned to bring transformational change in rural development by leveraging the knowledge and expertise of higher education institutions. The core objective is to establish a virtuous cycle between rural communities and academic institutions by applying knowledge for social development and enhancing the capacities of public and private sectors to address the developmental challenges of rural India.

Marri Laxman Reddy Institute of Technology and Management (MLRITM), Hyderabad, is a proud participating institution under UBA. In collaboration with the Medchal–Malkajgiri district administration, the institute has adopted the following five villages for holistic and sustainable development:

• Shambipur
• Nagaloor
• Mallampet (Og)
• Gagilapur
• Dommara Pochampally

UBA is coordinated at the national level by Prof. Virender Kumar Vijay, Professor, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, who serves as the National Coordinator. At MLRITM, the UBA Cell is led by Dr. R. Murali Prasad, Principal, as Chairman, and Dr. V. Varalakshmi, Professor, as Coordinator. An inter-disciplinary UBA team has been formed to design and implement village-level development initiatives.

The institute is actively working in the adopted villages through its internal departments and social extension bodies like NSS, focusing on the following UBA thematic areas:

• Sustainable Agriculture Systems
• Water Resource Management
• Rural Energy Systems
• Artisans, Industry & Livelihood Development
• Basic Amenities (School Education, Digital Education, Infrastructure, Others)

These focus areas are supported by the institute’s Centres of Excellence, which facilitate research and implementation of need-based technologies. The vision is to translate “Science to Society” by addressing real-world rural challenges using academic and technological interventions.

To ensure academic alignment with UBA’s objectives, a Social Internship has been incorporated into the B.Tech curriculum for all students at MLRITM. This hands-on rural engagement encourages students to apply their technical knowledge to solve local issues, understand community dynamics, and contribute to inclusive development.

MLRITM UBA Cell Members