Achievements   | BOM Members  | Contact

BACKGROUND:

The population explosion, industrial development and migration of people from rural to urban areas have resulted in the very fast growth of the urban sector in the country.  Rapid urbanization has created many socio-economic problems making life miserable, particularly for migrants and deprived communities who normally live in inhuman condition in the slums, on pavements, in settlement and labour colonies.  Many are first generation migrants exposed to the stark realities of complex urban life and the industrial milieu.  Similar conditions affect people living in the peripheral rural areas who have links with the neighboring urban agglomeration for employment, business and services.  

The first Shramik Vidyapeeth was established in Mumbai (Worli) in the year 1967 and gradually the number increased to 17 upto 1983 and to 58 by the end of VIII Five Year Plan i.e. 1996-97.  With the sanction of 33 more Jan Shikshan Sansthan, the number has increased to 91 by the end of October 2000.  These institutions have already proved to be one of the best vocational adult education centers in the country and the courses offered by these institutions are in popular demand.  Today, SVPs offer around 225 different types of vocational training programmes ranging from candle and Agarbatti making to computer.

The implementation of the scheme of Shramik Vidyapeeth was evaluated by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai in 1993.  This exercise of evaluation came after the scheme completed nearly 25 years of existence.  The objectives of the evaluation was mainly to throw some light on the impact of the Shramik Vidyapeeth programmes and to make suitable suggestions regarding the desirable initiatives the Shramik Vidyapeeth should take in future.  TISS submitted its final report at the end of 1993. Some of the findings of the evaluation were:

·         As long as the Shramik Vidyapeeths remain committed to the deprived sections of the society with tailor-made programmes of polyvalent education, they have all the justification to exist as institutions outside the formal system and deserve financial support from the government;

·         The skill-oriented programmes of the Shramik Vidyapeeth are largely directed towards enabling the beneficiaries to be engaged in self-employment,

·         The Shramik Vidyapeeth scheme has the potential to equip individuals with the skills required to be gainfully employed;

·         None of the existing organizational structures is in itself against the interests of the Scheme of Shramik Vidyapeeth. Shramik Vidyapeeths can function effectively as autonomous, non-autonomous or semi-autonomous institutions keeping in the view the findings of the evaluation, Shramik Vidyapeeths have been strengthened with enhanced annual grants.

To facilitate playing a better role, the Scheme of Shramik Vidyapeeth has been renamed as Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) – Institute of People ’s Education (IPE) – with enhanced financial support.  Previously, the scheme of Shramik Vidyapeeth was restricted to urban/semi-urban industrial areas only.  Considering the changing literacy scenario in the country and the large number of neo-literates to be covered under Continuing Education Programme [in which skill development/up gradation is a part], the activities of Jan Shikshan Sansthans have been expanded to provide academic and technical support to Zilla Saksharata Samitis [District Literacy Committees] in taking up vocational and skill development programmes for neo-literates in both urban and rural areas and also to organize equivalency programmes through Open Learning Systems.

OBJECTIVES

1.      To improve the occupational skills and technical knowledge of the neo- literates and the trainees and to raise their efficiency and increase productive ability;

2.      To provide academic and technical resource support to Zilla Saksharta Samities in taking up vocational and skill development programmes for neo-literates in both urban and rural areas;

3.      To serve as nodal continuing education centers/nodal continuing education centers;

4.      To organize training and orientation courses for Key Resource Persons, Master Trainers on designing, development and implementation of skill development programmes under the Scheme of Continuing Education for neo-literates;

5.      To organize equivalency programmes through Open Learning System;

6.      To widen the range of knowledge and understanding of the social, economic and political systems in order to create  critical awareness about the environment;

7.      To promote national goals such as secularism, national integration, population and development, women’s equality, protection and conservation of environment.

FUNCTIONS

1.      Identify appropriate target areas and target groups by developing socio-economic profiles.

2.      Identify and procure the list of neo-literates from Zilla Saksharta Samitis and ensure that atleast 25% of the clientele of JSS is neo-literates.

3.      Organise training programmes for key Resource Person, master trainers and trainees in vocational courses and for neo-literates.

4.      Identify and ascertain a variety of educational and vocational needs of different categories of clientele groups.

5.      Plan and organise polyvalent education to suit the learning requirements of target groups.

6.      Explore, innovate, work out alternatives, try new methodologies to meet the needs of different target groups through programmes of education and training.

7.      Cooperate with educational, cultural and other social organisation involved in organizing programmes and activities to meet educational, vocational, social cultural and welfare needs of target groups.

8.      Act as a co-Ordinator, facilitator and catalytic agent by developing a system of net-working in collaboration with other educational and technical institutions, development departments, welfare agencies, employers and workers’ organisation, voluntary agencies, economic enterprises etc.

9.      Undertake training and orientation of resource persons/instructors involved in planning and implementation of various programmes.

10.  Organise equivalency programmes through Open Learning System.

11.  Organise library and reading room facilities.  The libraries will have literature suitable for neo-literates and sale counters for distribution of literacy material on subsidized rares to the neo-literates and other interested readers.

12.  Provide consultancy services to agencies and enterprise planning to organise programmes for training and education of similar target groups.

13.  Organise educational and vocational training programmes with special concern for deprived sections, women/girls and unemployed youth to provide new skills, refine/sharpen/upgrade the existing skills leading to employment, self-employment and income generation.

14.  Promote organisation of forums such as co-operative societies, Mandals and associations of women, youth and workers with a view to undertake collective activity for socio-economic development.

15.  Provide follow-up services to beneficiaries of the JSS.

TARGET GROUP

1.      The Jan Shikshan Sansthan will concentrate on the socio-economically backward and educationally disadvantaged groups of urban/rural population such as men, women and youth, employed, self – employed, neo-literates, prospective workers and their family members as well as unemployed youth.

2.      Priority is to be given to adult neo-literates/semi-literates. SC and ST, women/girls, oppressed, migrants, slum/pavement dwellers and working children.

Raigad District: An Overview

Raigad district is one of the coastal districts of Maharashtra ,having about 240km long coastline, covering an area of 7148 sq. km. and with a population of 22,05,972 as per 2001 census.  The district is divided into 15 revenue taluka.  Raigad district is predominantly rural with talkuas  of Uran and Panvel fast developing into urban centres.  The district is adjascent to Mumbai to the south of the metro, with the Sahayadri range to the east and Ratnagiri district to the south.

Education/Literacy :

Of the total population, as per 2001 census 77.32% of is literate, while 68.04% women are literate.  In the rural segment, literacy is 74.13% while it stands at 87.14% in the urban areas.  In the year 1999-2000, there were about 5407 educational bodies in Raigad district, excluding vocational training institutions.  About 6,31343 students were enrolled, while 3,00,094(47.53%) comprised girls of the total student population 51.36% were from S.C./S.T. and OBC, of whome institutes in the district with about 3,600 students enrolled. In the year 2000-01, the continuing education scheme has began to be implemented in Raigad. Post Literacy Programme is still running in the district.

Economy and Industry:

Raigad district is mostly agrarian, with majority of the population dependent on rain-fed agriculture.  There is also a large section of coastal population engaged in fishing.  Of the working population about 51.65% are farmers and 20.02% were farm-laborers.  Rice is the staple crop in the district. The district being in close proximity to Mumbai, Thane, Pune is rapidly getting industrialized with industrial areas located in Rasayani-Patalganga,Roha, Mahad and Nagothane.  The district has quite a few large industrial undertakings in the public sector, namely ONGC Gas Terminal, Uran Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Nhava Shewa, RCF Ltd. Thal-Vaishet, GAIL  Terminal, Usar etc.  There are some private sector industries like Reliance Polysters at Patalganga, Indian Petrochemicals Ltd(Reliance group) at Nagothane, Vikram Ispat (Birla Group) , Salav and Ispat (Mittal),Wadkhal.  Raigad district has 1,757 small-scale industries registered, with the largest investment in the chemical sector.