The Government has taken many initiatives to meet the challenges of Human Resource Development in India. A new scheme named Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) has been launched as the prime vehicle for strategic funding of State institutions so as to ensure that issues of access, equity and quality are addressed in an equitable manner. All funding under RUSA is norm based and future grants are performance based and outcome dependent.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has launched a scheme on skills based higher education as part of college/university education, leading to Bachelor of Vocation (B.Voc.) Degree with multiple exits such as Diploma/Advanced Diploma under the NSQF. The B.Voc. programme is focused on universities and colleges providing undergraduate studies which would also incorporate specific job roles and their National Occupation Standards (NOSs) alongwith broad based general education. This would enable the graduates completing B.Voc. to make a meaningful participation in accelerating India’s economy by gaining appropriate employment, becoming entrepreneurs and creating appropriate knowledge.
The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), a statutory body of Ministry of Human Resource Development, has notified a regulation on 26th February, 2014 under National Employability Enhancement Mission (NEEM) to offer on the job practical training to enhance employability of a person either pursuing his or her graduation/diploma in any technical or non-technical stream or have discontinued studies of degree or diploma course to increase their employability. So far AICTE has registered three organizations namely Board of Apprenticeship Training, Chennai, Tamilnadu (BOAT, Chennai), Nettur Technical Training Foundation, Bangalore, Karnataka (NTTF) and Teamlease Education Foundation, Bangalore, Karnataka as NEEM Agents to offer on the job practical training.
The Government has also decided to set up five new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in Jammu, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Kerla and six new Indian Institutes of Management in states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Maharashtra.
Under the scheme of “Vocationalisation of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education” competency based curricula, student workbooks and teachers’ handbooks have been developed for job roles aligned to National Occupation Standards as specified under NVEQF for level 1-4 in IT-ITes, Automobile, Security and Retail sectors and for level 1 & 2 in Healthcare, Beauty & Wellness and Physical Education & Sports Sectors. E-learning material for generic skills in IT-ITes and Healthcare sectors has also been developed.
The ranking of BRICS countries in the Human Resource Development Index for the year 2013 are as follows: – Brazil – (79), Russian Federation – (57), India – (135), China – (91), South Africa – (118) India’s rank is at 135 due to low per capita income, less expenditure on education and health, gender inequality etc.
In terms of Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Act, 2005, a SEZ may be established either jointly by the Central/State Government or any person for manufacturing of goods or rendering services or for both or as a Free Trade Warehousing Zone including IT/ITES, SEZ being set up under the Act are primarily private investment driven. Further, the SEZ Act, 2005 through an amendment brought about by the Parliament, envisages that the Central Government shall have no authority to relax any law relating to the welfare of the labour in the SEZs. All Labour laws are applicable in Special Economic Zones. The rights of the workers/labour are therefore protected under the SEZ Act. Industrial relations are governed under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, The Trade Unions Act, 1926 and Industrial Employment (Standing Order) Act, 1946 and Central Rules made there under. There are adequate provisions in these Acts to protect and safeguard the interests of working class.
This information was given by the Union Minister of HRD, Smt. Smriti Irani in a written reply to a Lok Sabha question today.
Source: PIB
