The significance and the challenges before the Aajeevika Skill Development Programme (ASDP), which is being carried out under the direction of Ministry of Rural Development, were presented by Abu Osama Saifi, consultant, NRLM at a programme organised by Forum for Discussion on Economic Issues, a joint forum of Sahulat and Radiance Viewsweekly in the national capital on 30 June.
The basic purpose of this initiative is to harness the potential of the occupational aspirations of the rural youth from weaker sections of the society in order to improve the income of the poor in rural areas. This programme can be instrumental because the world’s largest population of youth is in India and if they are adequately trained, they can be helpful in transforming the Indian economy. Dexterity is an asset and training with proper evaluation considering weakness and strength can easily serve the purpose in a meaningful way.
So far around 8.67 lakhs rural youth have been provided training and around 6.88 lakhs have been placed in various organisations after the commencement of the Aajeevika Skill Development Programme and during the 12th five-year plan the target has been set to train 50 lakhs youth. Salient features of the ASDP are: 1. It will provide customised residential and non-residential training. 2. Minimum 624 hours of training in which trade specific skills, IT and soft skills to be given. 3. There are special programmes for Jammu and Kashmir, Minorities and most critical Left Wing Extremist Districts.
In order to simplify and expand its horizon, ASDP has been divided in various sub-schemes like Himayat, Roshini and Parvaz, which are being carried out for different areas and different peoples. For example, Himayat, is a special scheme for both urban and rural youth in Jammu and Kashmir. The objective of this scheme is to train 1,00,000 youth in 5 years of which 75 per cent to be placed in various jobs. This scheme is 100 per cent centrally sponsored scheme.
Now under the scheme Roshini, around 50,000 youth between18-35 years age will be trained from 24 most critical left wing extremist affected districts in three years, keeping in mind the requirement of the industry. The selection of these youth will be as per the Participatory Identification of the Poor (PIP) or through BPL List. Of the total, 50 per cent of the candidate covered under this scheme will be women and special efforts will be made to cover primitive tribal groups on a priority basis. Candidates will be trained through public-private and public-public partnerships. This project will be funded jointly by the central and state governments in the ratio of 75:25 and would be monitored by National level agencies.
Another scheme, Parvaz, is for drop-outs from madrasas. The basic purpose of this scheme is to bring minority BPL youth into mainstream by empowering them with education, skills and employment. Dr. Waquar Anwar, during question session, raised a valid point on the issue of drop-outs in madrasas because except few most of the madrasa students require to learn some or other skills and on that basis all of them require training and not only drop-outs.