1.These papers speak about:
A: Govt concerns
B: Skill education: a neglected sector
C: Need of skill education in rural areas.
D: Imaginative use of Electronic media for cost- effective
and time -effective methods
for vocational edn.
A: Govt is concerned/made programs about
· rising number of
BPL families.
· vulnerability of
a large section of people in face of calamities
· large no. of
children in the overt or covert labour market.
· lack of markets
for tiny scale and cottage industry production.
· lack of marketing
skills for tiny scale and cottage industry production.
· high % of
illiterate, semi literate and school drop out women.
· hardships faced
by nearly 70% of women in work force who are doing unskilled work with very low
wage earning.
· lack of
opportunties in labour market both in organised and unorganised sectors.
· Promotion of
sampoorna gramin rojgar yojana
· self help groups
and thrift societies.
B: Neglect of vocational and skill education
·
At present this education is
available only in formal system.
There too, it starts only after a minimum 8 years of schooling,
which is a heavy time
investment, not many can afford.
· There is no way of switching between formal
and non- formal
systems of vocational/skill education and sharing the benefits.
·
The BPL class comprises largely
of those families whose
traditional means of livelihood are becoming redundant.
There is neither any up- gradation nor alternative given to
them.
C: Bridging the gap in vocational education.
·
Schemes like TRYSEM or JRY can be effectively used for skill building.
·
Such a training has to be accompanied by training of many backward and
forward linkage sills.
·
Suitable interfaces to be created in formal and non-formal systems of
learning to facilitate adaption by the beneficiaries of both. This can be
targetted more specifically for the children in labour market.
D: It is possible to use TV for vocational education without making
such education boring or without losing the revenue earning for the TV. I have
worked out a system by which a good educational program getting one hour on DD,
thrice a week, will be able to break even and earn major profits within 3 to 6
months.
2.
Using Rural Development programs:
·
I refer to programs like EGS (Maharashtra)-1975,
IRDP-1981, its component- TRYSEM, JRY-1993, DPAP-1980, RMK-1995, Sampoorna
Gramin Rojgar Yojana-2000,
·
They addressed to rural poverty and
unemployment, providing capital assistance, and partially to lack of vocational
skills.
·
Their success was limited because of (one
reason) lack of coordination among various agencies and lack of proper
dovetailing/interfacing of available programs. Hence, a larger % of
beneficiaries could not get benefit or income generation in a sustained way.
·
Coordination lacked at 3 levels- horizontally,
among the secretaries of different departments, which hampered the speed of
decision making (maximum bottleneck), vertically among the officers of same
department, and horizontally among the district level officers. However, I was
successful in overcoming them in our devdasi rehabilitation project (details
below)
·
In rural areas lot of traditional skills are
becoming redundant making life difficult for artisans, nomadic tribes and many
others. There is no scheme in formal System of education to either provide for
up-gradation or alternative skills.
·
The EGS was meant for giving unskilled work to
hundreds of people at one work site, (immediately after 3 successive drought
years 1972-73-74), as a first step and also upgrading their skill levels to
subsequently go for skilled employment, (hopefully self-employment). IRDP in
1981 provided an excellent dove- tailing opportunity which was lost for want of
this skill among bureaucracy. JRY went the same way. Now is the chance with
Sampoorn Gramin Rojgar Yojana.
·
Any loan scheme as in IRDP or training scheme as
in TRYSEM needs backward and forward linkages. It is possible to organize these
provided that right kind of motivation, authority, freedom and flexibilities
are given at the district and taluka levels in an “area- planning” approach and
gelling of these schemes with each other is facilitated at that level.
·
At GoI level, a system needs to be built up for
a dialogue with district level implementation machinery, which is not in the
nature of target- monitoring alone (though monitoring is extremely essential)
but for discussing problems and achieving results (as distinguished from
targets), facilitating dovetailing of schemes.
·
For example, if more milch cattle are given
under IRDP, then milk collection roots and dairy cooperative societies need
also be promoted in that same area. The CEO or Collector will need more
authority to deal with this.
·
There is need to look into our human resource,
that is, officers who have practical experience of these schemes, and learning
from them. Appropriate level presentation, group discussions, and training
modules can be worked out and carried through.
3. Using SHG or
IRDP with Supplementary nutritional program:
Using SHG, IRDP, ICDS, SNP, Anganwadi etc together:
These are the
type of questions that need to be handled in Rural Dev. Dept. at the JS level.
The ICDS provides an unique opportunity for regular nutritional and.
creating a data base. Efforts for elimination of malnutrition will remain
incomplete without such a surveillance
.This has been recognised in the PMGY and a provision of performance linked
incentive to Anganwadi Workers, based on monthly weighing of all children, has
been made. This can be linked with the SHG and Women empowerment issues in a
holistic approach.
Following steps/programs can be
synthesized for better results.
1] Weighing scales in AW Centres:
Ensure that each AW centre is
equipped with weighing scales. The system of end use verification can be
utilised for random check on the timely distribution of the scales and
sometimes, on the quality of weighing.
2] District level monitoring through mapping: Mapping techniques by
using MS Power Point tool will allow district authorities to monitor and
improve enrolment and weighing of children as well as their nutritional status.
It will help them to analyse the data and take corrective measures. Aspects
like gender or social gaps in nutritional levels and seasonality in
malnutrition can be readily analysed on these maps The colour maps are
also eye catching media attractions and can be popularized through media budget.
3] Involve SHGs in Supplimentary Nutrition Program: Ensuring
supplementary nutrition to the malnourished is the other vital element in the
task. Experience in the SNPs has been unsatisfactory The PMGY stipulates
supplementary nutrition in the form of fortified nutritious food in dry
powdered form and in good quality packing.
It thus sets standards in terms of contents, processing and packaging.
This prescription is
laudable. However, given the number of children and the supply logistics, the
task is mammoth. But it is possible to streamline the entire supplementary
nutrition programme through involvement of SHGs.
4] Undertake a skill up-gradation program for SHGs: Today, SHG schemes
have come a long way in India with no dearth of competent groups engaged in
productive economic activities. However, there is no systematic provision for
their skill upgradation / expansion or diversification based on performance.
The PMGY / SNP programme can create this space with women’s SHGs by initially
selecting a 1000 SHGs and assigning them the task of production and
distribution of ready to eat food. They have to be equipped to maintain the
quality, consistency and packaging requirement prescribed. Even at a turnover
of Rs. 1.00 lakh per annum per SHG, a scheme of Rs. 10 crore can sustain 1000
SHGs.
Without such a linking of marketing arrangement SHGs cannot sustain.
5] Creating and encouraging good practices in SHGs: The selection of
the SHGs has to be merit based and apolitical. This can be based on fairly standardised
‘credit – rating’ practices. Only those SHGs which have consistently done
production activities on a profitable basis for at least five years, should be
selected in the first instance. This has to be made mandatory. As more and more
eligible SHGs emerge they can be made SNP providers on a rotation basis but
that is a future activity.
6] A scheme similar to erstwhile TRYSEM will be needed for training and
quality control activity as well as supporting credit rating practices /
mechanism for SHGs. Proper incentives to performing AW workers and the SHGs
must be ensured through awards, study visits and other ways of recognition for
these performers.
5.A typical scheme :
synergising fashion technology with tribal women's art
Nodal agency : NIFT and TRIs in states
objectives:
1] to organise workshops to expose tribal women to new designs in
fashion technology & allow them to explore avenues where their traditional
ornaments can be merged into new designs.
2] To build leadership among tribals for business exploitation of the
art of preparing ornaments.
3] to create small training -cum- production centres for tribal youth
to learn their traditional skills alongwith a rudimentary knowledge of
metalurgy.
4] To develop appropriate 1 & 2 year courses for the above.
5] create a data base at NIFT and Tribal Research Institutes where
designs and human resourse information is available.
6] to expose and encourage NIFT students to the possibility of using tribal art in designing.
Target:
1] NIFT to organise 4 workshops
per year for 50 tribals + 30 NIFT students + 20 facilitators. A two - week
workshop is ideal.
2]NIFT to prepare a 1 & 2 year course for tribal students.
3] TRIs to follow up on workshop recommendations on identifying
potential groups.
3] NIFT and TRI to hold combined market mela etc.
Monitoring: The program monitoring will have these indices:
1] No. of tribal artists who developed a market in fashion world for
their ornaments.
2] Value addition in export market.
3] % of value addition that flowed back to tribal artists.
4] No. of tribals who could study at NIFT on the criterion of their
skill even without a formal 12th class passing.
5] Leadership created among tribals.
6] Quality and volume of data base on human resource created in TRIs.
6.A typical neglected area
Facts:
1] India alone has the widest
range of silk spinning MOTHS. Their population is dwindling. These are :
2] Heavy plantation of Arjun,
Sal, Eri, and Hirda and Somsal (for mooga) in wasteland zones can be undertaken
through SHGs. These women can also be trained in reeling, and weaving. Silk
board has these activities but has not yet channelised them through SHGs.
3] Yeola in Nashik district of Maharashtra has emerged in last 5 years
as a major center of post-reeling activities, employing more than 5000 people.
This can be repeated elsewhere.
4] Silk exchange of Banglore
and the Tussar activity of Vidarbha Development Corporation (now dying
due to faulty policy of Govt. of Maharashtra) are examples of good practices,
their achievements can be highlighted and followed elsewhere.
7.Skill building for rural populace:
gelling of formal and non-formal education systems:
linking training to economic and market opportunities
Introduction:
Skill building for rural areas is a neglected aspect in our educational
schemes. It needs to be flagged as a high priority program in order to take
care of growing unemployment.
The formal channels of education cannot cope up with growing needs of
skill building The non-formal channels which still exist must be tapped as a
supplementary or alternative program.
With rapid modernization many erstwhile rural skills have either become
redundant or need an up-gradation to gel with modern requirements. This is
possible by creating a system of recognition and authentication of skills and
by allowing people to come in and go out of the formal system at their
convenience. Simultaneously, linking
with financial and marketing arrangements will yield the desired results.
SHG promotion has caught up in many rural areas, at a time when TRYSEM
has been taken out of IRDP. It needs to be reintroduced. In absence of
productive activities, there is no scope to multiply the money collected under
SHG initiative.
The strategy, therefore, has 2 parts, Skill-bulding and
activity-linking.
Part I : Skill building:
1] Identify skills available with rural women eg (i) knowledge of herbs (ii) cooking and packaging of nutritional
food (iii) animal husbandry.
2] Allow its quick evaluation by informal methods. This should enable them for enrolling for
short term vocational courses which must including building up of managerial
and marketing skills.
3] Such course designs need to be undertaken, and maintained with the
least phase-lag with changing requirements of different groups.
4] A “suit yourself” type of examination system can be tried out. This
would be almost impossible when computers were not available; now it must be
adopted even in our formal system to ease out the tension on students teachers
and parents.
5] Start skill building lessons on TV. Their success and effectiveness
should be monitored through end results.
6] Identify existing govt Institutions and schemes to run the short
duration training courses.
Part 2 : Activity-linking:
Following is a range of
new technologies or methodologies that have come up in rural areas and provide
good employment/market opportunities to women groups possessing requisite vocational
skills.
i)
hand pump repairing.
ii)
Soil conservation
activities, check-dams, nalla-bunding etc.
iii)
Afforestation, waste
land development, forest-nurseries
iv)
Silk reeling
v)
small scale foundries
vi)
repair and maintenance
of gobar gas plants
vii)
packaging of horticultural
produce
viii)
Running computer
kiosks
ix)
Preparing herbal
potions.
x)
Preparing
supplementary nutritional food, its packaging and management
xi)
Tribal art of ornament
making can be gelled with fashion technology.
xii)
Running gobar gas
based domestic generators.
xiii)
Wormi-culture.
xiv)
Organic farming.
xv)
Washing machine kiosks
xvi)
Jaggary producing
plants (50 tonne per day crushing capacity)
xvii)
Bee keeping
xviii) Rearing silk moths
xix)
Artificial
insemination
xx)
3 wheeler driving in
semi-urban areas
8.ISM and Women Empowerment.
Women (and many others) have traditional knowledge of herbal medicines
which is a source of empowerment.
Two questions bother us in govt.
First, how to do authentication of these practises?
Second, how to make it usable (and thus effective) by the women. This
requires a
continuous up -dating of their knowledge.
Part 1 : Authentication:
ICMR is the body recognised for all authentication. Universally two
methods are available - empirical data, and lab testing. ICMR mostly applies
the second and tries the tests by "separating the active agent and testing
it."
According to Vaidya Nanal (he was once on CCRAS and has seen the
methodology) and
many other vaidyas this method often fails for a variety of reasons
involving the basic philosophy of Ayurved that is not understood by allopaths.
“Treatment to a drug (or its processing – eg. in making of rice and lahi” is
very important in Ayurved and “separating the active agent” is just one of the
several “es” which is ab intio doomed to fail if a different “process” is
required. This is not understood or explained to most of the allopaths or even
Ayurvedic doctors.
ICMR generally does not follow
the method of empirical data collection If they do so their sample size is too
small and there is no adequate involvement of knowledgable Vaidyas. As far as
CCRAS and the entire Ayurvedic community is concerned, they are not trained in
designing a good empirical testing. I have seen many such projects approved or
undertaken by CCRAS and their project design is very inadequate. Another major
drawback in testing of Ayurvedic medicnes is also that we all tend to demand
100 % success and do not appreciate 90% or 80% rate. The people engaged in data
collection will report success and failure with equanimity only when they
understand that a limited % of failure is acceptable in experiments..
A sample project design :
This refers to a typical real life situation. Every year, there is
outbreak of malaria
in Thane and Nashik districts. Govt. spends huge amount on quinine
based drugs
to be distributed to patients. Following can be done.
1] Select 5 PHCs for empirical data collection.
2] Make a team of allopaths,
vaidya and homeopaths to work together.
3] Invite those who claim to have an Ayurvedic “kadha” or a homeopathic medicine. (Natrum Sulph and
Natrum Mur combined does a wonderful job as reported by my allopath sister in
Nashik who was herself cured of a severe attack of malaria when I gave her this
combination.) Do not, repeat NOT ask them to disclose their medicine except to
certify that it does not contain Steroids.
4] Let them distribute their medicine. For patients not admitted,
further follow-up reports can be collected from the village ANMs.
5] The team should monitor and discuss the success rate on a day to day
basis. They can also pre- decide the design of data collection.
Within 30 days a good sample data will be available.
Cost of the project will not go beyond Rs. 5.00 lakh .
Duration will be planning time + one month of data collection +
reporting time.
Part 2: To up – grade the knowledge
of traditional methods and make it usable, several methods need be tried. Here
is one example. A non-practising short
course in disease identification and health management can be started for women
who have some traditional knowledge. Pune Univ is running one such course under
the guidance of Dr. Deodhar, though for a different target group and with
different objective. (I am inviting him to add to this note)
These women can also be trained
to maintain a data bank (initially a simple diary) and bring it up for
consultation with experts in public and social health. A platform should be
created where they can come and narrate their experience and are also given
recognition.
Lot of women have traditional treatment for jaundice. Rather than
felicitating them most doctors want to know what is the medicine. They
genuinely feel that their Knowledge will be stolen by the educated urban
people. But the administration has to assure them that their skill will be
recognized without making it prone to be stolen away.