India’s shopping spree & appalling poverty

[divya]

Project SEAM


With the Indian textiles and clothing industry expected to reach $85 billion by the year 2010, the gap in the demand and the supply of skilled manpower is expected to be 2 million, especially as the present institutional structure is seen to be inadequate to bridge this gap, both in quantitative and qualitative terms.

Realising that the majority of workers at the shop floor level were women with low level of education, the IL&FS Cluster Development Initiative Ltd (IL&FS CDI) launched Project SEAM (Skills for Employment in Apparel Manufacturing). The project, which is supported by the Ministry of Rural Development, is targeted at the rural poor, enabling them to benefit from the growing economy while also meeting the skills needed by industry.

Says RCM Reddy, MD, IL&FS CDI, “The logic for launching this programme essentially is two-fold. Today, we have a large number of unemployed rural youth in the country, but with no employable skills even as we have a labour shortage in employment-intensive manufacturing industry, specially in the garment and leather sectors.”

“Therefore this programme has been launched with the objective of meeting the twin targets of: meeting the requirement of shortage of skilled manpower for apparel industry in this case; and, assisting the government in terms of its poverty alleviation targets.

Project SEAM seeks to train and place 500,000 rural below poverty line youth in the apparel sector in five years. Conceived as a public-private partnership, it seeks to leverage existing strengths, infrastructure and resources for optimal outcomes, without creating any new buildings or institutions. Trainees for the project are selected from rural BPL families in close consultation with the District Rural Development Agency.

For turnout of high quality candidates, a cadre of trainers is trained in imparting a specialised training module, customised to meet industry needs. The project, supported by the Ministry of Rural Development, has already trained 14,928 people of whom 14,158 have already been employed by the apparel industry.

The innovative course content, developed in a multimedia format, and translated into several local languages, also incorporates a soft skill component to enhance the standards of performance. Training is imparted on state-of-the-art machines currently in use in the industry. As part of the course, the candidates are regularly assessed for skills against standards set by Methods Workshop, South Africa, which is also the certifying agency.

The National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) of the Ministry of Rural Development is the nodal government agency for monitoring the programme.

For Rita of Meghupati village, Tirupur, life was full of hardships but now it has changed. She now earns Rs 3,000 per month as a specialised worker as against being a domestic help earlier. “My family is in comfort now and I can send my children to school,” says Rita. A lot of BPL people are now employed after getting the training under the SEAM and are in more comfort than ever.

Several established associations such as Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI), Tirupur Exports Association (TEA) and SPV's like Gujarat Eco Textile Park Limited, Metro Hi Tech Park, Tarapur Textiles Park Ltd, Baramati Hi Tech Textile Park Ltd have placed confirmed requirement of manpower thereby assuring placement for every single trained BPL youth.
One of the features of this whole programme is the use of innovative multimedia content that ensures better acceptability. Apart from the use of multimedia content, the training programme also includes soft skills development programme for improving social security measures and boost team building among the trainees.

“This innovative teaching methodology is very important for better absorption of the teaching inputs by the trainees. Accordingly, we have translated over 80 hours of content into various regional languages for the basic sewing machine operator programme,” says Reddy.

It has often been felt that lack of communication skills spoils the interaction process. One of the challenge that the programme sucessfully tackled was getting the people to communicate properly, first within the group and then with other people.

The multimedia courses are delivered by a trained faculty with the help of K-Yan, an innovative teaching aid that eliminates the need for multiple traditional teaching aids such as computers, projectors, etc. The K-Yan aid, developed and patented by IL&FS Education & Technology Services Ltd, is a fully integrated unit— a high-performance computer, projector, CD/DVD writer and audio system, all rolled into one.

“The soft skill development programme has helped me to improve my confidence and I have learnt to work in a team environment,” says Pradeep Kumar, trainee, NITRA training centre, Meerut.

Project SEAM also several in-built risk management processes, like lack of placement opportunities for the trained people. That risk is covered by way of ensuring the active participation of industry in the project through a special partner vehicle company.

The second risk is the inability to scale up this programme to achieve the target to training 500,000 people. “We have deployed a programme management team in important places, with the objective of coordinating with the stakeholders and identifying the needs of industry, the operations in centres and managing such centres,” says Reddy.
The third risk is lack of ownership and lack of transparency. For this an e-portal has been set up where the profile of every trainee, his training details and placement details are captured. A trainee’s performance is closely monitored for over a year after the training.


So far, around 15 training centres have been operationalised. The centres are located in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. The involvement of the training centre does not end with just providing training to the candidates but involves providing placement assistance.

The distinguishing features of Project SEAM from usual skill development programmes are essentially that it is industry driven, including for course content development, actual management of the programme and placements.

Under it, IL&FS first maps the requirements of the apparel industry, identifies the requirement and then puts in place the course content. Also, it seeks to use the existing infrastructure to impart training, thereby saving on operational costs.

Project SEAM is part of IL&FS CDI’s initiative SPRING (Skills Programme for Inclusive Growth), which endeavours to catalyse, facilitate and manage large-scale, demand-driven skills training and placement programmes. IL&FS Cluster Development Initiative Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of IL&FS that was set up with aim of providing commercially sustainable, integrated business and institutional framework and solutions for the development of micro, small and medium enterprise clusters
Project SEAM | Upgrading Skills, Uplifting Lives

 

[divya]

The wakf Concil for the upliftment of the muslims

The Central Wakf Council as a Statutory Body was established in December, 1964 by the Government of India under the provision of Section 8A of Wakf Act, 1954 (now read as sub section 1 of the Section 9 of the Wakf Act, 1995) for the purpose of advising it on matters pertaining to working of the State Wakf Boards and proper administration of the Wakfs in the country. The Council consists of Chairperson, who is the Union Minister Incharge of Wakfs and such other members not exceeding 20 in numbers appointed by Government of India as stipulated in the Act. The Secretary is the Chief Executive of the Council. The Council office at present works at Jamnagar House, New Delhi.
In terms of Section 10(1) of the Wakf Act, 1995, the Council derives its income from the contribution received by it from the various State Wakf Boards @ 1% (one per cent) of the net income of the Wakfs. All administrative and other expenses of the Council are met out of from this income.

Wakf
Wakf is a permanent dedication of movable or immovable properties for religious, pious or charitable purposes as recognized by Muslim Law. The Wakf Institutions deal with the religious, social and economic life of Muslims. They are not only supporting Mosques, Dargah etc. But many of them support Schools, Colleges, Hospitals and Musafirkhanas which are meant for social welfare.
Administration of Wakf
The Central Government is responsible for the implementation of the Wakf Act. It has been taking up issues of common concern to promote the interests of Wakfs in the country. The Wakf Act, 1954 had provisions for survey of Wakfs, constitution of Central Wakf Council and State Wakf Boards etc. For better interpretation of the provision of the Act keeping in view the objective of the legislation, the Wakf Act, 1954 was amended many times. Finally a comprehensive and land mark legislation i.e. Wakf Act, 1995 was enacted by the Government of India in November, 1995, which became effective from 01.01.1996. In contrast to the previous Act, this Act is applicable throughout the country except for Jammu & Kashmir and Dargah Khwaja Saheb, Ajmer.
Functioning of the Central Wakf Council

Central Wakf Council normally meets twice in a year. However, the Committees of the Council, which consist of its Members meet as often as possible to transact business regarding the monitoring of the programmes of the Council, administrative and financial matters, implementation of the scheme for the Development of Urban Wakf Properties and Educational schemes of the Council. The Committees also discharge the functions entrusted to by the Council from time to time.
The main function of the Central Wakf Council is to advise the Government of India on matters concerning the working of Wakf Boards and the due administration of Wakfs in the country. Beside that the important issues affecting the community especially those pertaining to religious matters/Islamic affairs like administration of Mosques, Dargahs and proper management of properties are also considered by the Council/its Committees. Whenever matters of general interest regarding management of Wakfs in State are to be taken up at the level of the Central Government the same are generally referred to the Central Wakf Council.

Development Activities

A) Development of Urban Wakf Properties
With a view to protect vacant Wakf land from encroachers and to develop it on commercial lines for generating more income in an order to widen welfare activities, Central Wakf Council has been implementing this scheme since 1974-75 with yearly grant-in-aid from the Central Government. Under the Scheme, loan is extended to various Wakf Institutions in the Country for taking up economically viable buildings on the Wakf land such as commercial complex, marriage halls, hospitals, cold storage etc. For this, the Central Government has released a total grant-in-aid amounting to Rs. 34 crores 66.66 lakhs only between September 1974 to March, 2010, and in turn the Central Wakf Council has extended loan to 137 projects approved by the Council as well as by the Government of India. Out of these 137 projects 75 projects have been completed in all respect and are yielding income. The loan amount is repaid to the Council by the loanee institutions in easy instalments and the amount thus received back forms a Revolving Fund, which is again utilized for giving loans up to Rs. 20 lakhs to the Minor Development Projects on Wakf properties. From this Fund, the Council had released a sum of Rs. 4 crores 96.89 lakhs to 90 projects up to 31.3.2010 out of which 68 projects have been completed.
Therefore, with the total grant-in-aid of Rs.34 crores 66.66 lakhs received by the Council, it has been able to get 143 projects completed and the work on the remaining sites is in progress. This has received appreciation of all sections of the society describing it a magic of management. The grant-in-aid received by The Central Wakf Council is forwarded to the loanee Wakf in the form of interest free loans for the Development of Urban Wakf Properties while the Council bears the entire expenditure on the staff working in the Scheme as well as other expenses on paper, postage etc. Against this service rendered by the Council, it puts two conditions on the loanee Wakf institutions i.e.
(i) they would pay 4% donation on the outstanding loan to the Education Fund for the Educational Scheme of the Council meant for educational upliftment of the poor Muslims;
(ii) after the repayment of the loan, they would spend 40% of their enhanced income on the education of the Muslims particularly on the technical educations.


B) Educational Scheme

The 6% donation received from loanee Wakfs on the outstanding, as well as the interest accrued on the Bank deposits of the Revolving Fund, form the Education Fund of the Council. This Fund is utilised for implementing the following programmes;
i) Matching Grant to the State Wakf Boards for providing scholarship in their respective States to the Higher Secondary, Madarsa students and to the students undergoing Technical/Professional Diploma Courses;
ii) Grant for the establishment of I.T.Is. in the Muslim concentrated areas;
iii) Financial assistance to Voluntary Organizations for Vocational Training Centres;
iv) Financial assistance to Libraries for developing Book Bank; and

v) Ad-hoc grant/emergency grant for admission in professional courses and fee for coaching of competitive exams to the poor and needy students.
Till 2007-2008, the Central Wakf Council had programme of scholarship for the student of Technical/Professional degree courses. Similarly, it was giving Ad-hoc grant to the students of general degree courses. Thus, up to March 31, 2008, a total of 12,952 scholarships were issued by the Council to the students of Technical Degree courses like MBBS, BUMS, BAMS, B.Tech and B.Sc. (Ag) etc. Similarly, in 6366 cases “Ad-hoc” grant were given to Poor and Needy Students of general degree courses. The Scholarship/Ad-hoc grant scheme of the Council has been discontinued, owing to the implementation of the similar scheme of Ministry of Minority Affairs Government of India. Now for all type of scholarship, please visit the website of the Ministry of Minority Affairs:
Ministry of Minority Affairs - Home Page
Up to March 31, 2010, under the programme of vocational training, 628 Voluntary Organisations/ Technical Institutes have been assisted. Similarly, under the scheme for setting up I.T.Is., the Central Wakf Council has approved twenty I.T.Is. in the Muslim concentrated areas.

Central Wakf Council

 

[divya]

Rashtriya Mahila kosh

For the upliftment of the women and to provide them oppourtunities to grow up.

http://wcd.nic.in/ar0708/English/Chapter-11.pdf

 

[TROJAN.EXE]

Check the link,Dude! Atleast post a working link if you want to bash somebody

80% of Indians live on less than 2$ a day: World Bank

“India is a bit of a curious case because it is one of the few countries in the world where the $1 (Rs39.3) a day poverty line is much higher than the national poverty line,” said Rinku Murgai, a senior economist in the World Bank’s New Delhi office.

The difference between those that qualify as extremely poor according to World Bank standards versus government standards has been a cause for debate among some government officials and the development community.

By World Bank estimates, 80% of India’s 1.1 billion people live on less than $2 a day, meaning more than one-third of the world’s poor live here. One in three Indians lives on less than $1 a day, meaning they qualify as extremely poor, according to the bank. The government says that, on average, those who earn less than Rs356 per month (less than $9) in rural areas and Rs538 a month in cities are poor, but the actual line varies from state to state.

Though overall poverty rates are falling when measured by both the World Bank and the government, India may miss a target set by the United Nations as part of the Millennium Development Goals to halve the number of people living on less than $1 a day from 1990 levels by 2015, according to a report released last week by the UN in partnership with the Asian Development Bank. The country has also achieved less than half the targets to cut hunger in half according to a recent study by the US-based International Food Policy Research Institute.

“India is such a diverse country that aggregates and averages can never adequately describe the depth of poverty,” says Abusaleh Shariff, chief economist and head of the human development programme at the National Council of Applied Economic Research.

“In many ways poverty estimates are just an artificial wall. What matters is the quality of life on $1 a day or $2 a day or whatever line you choose,” he adds.

A closer look at the extreme poor shows some clear patterns: they are often members of marginalized communities, such as scheduled tribes and Muslims; and indicators such as anaemia and illiteracy are high among them, which means these people have little chances of climbing out of poverty, according to analysts.

On Wednesday, the midpoint for the Millennium Campaign, activists around India will hold thousands of events as part of the “Stand Up, Speak Out” campaign, a joint effort of the UN Millennium Campaign and the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, which is hoping to break a world record by having more than 23.5 million people turn up at demonstrations that urge governments to honour their anti-poverty commitments and meet the Millennium Development Goals targets.

“They may fall through the gaps and when it comes to them, there may be lapses in programmes, but [today] we can help them raise their voices,” says Sharad Joshi, secretary of Jaipur-based Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants Society, which organized more than 300 events in several states focusing on marginalized communities.

The quality of life for many of the poor is highly dependent on where they live and which community they belong to, with the vast majority of the nation’s poor located in a handful of states and members of scheduled castes and tribes, Muslims and women being among the poorest in the country.

Government schemes to counter poverty such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme haven’t had a big enough impact in places where they are most needed, say grass-roots aid workers.

“The implementation is still uneven and doesn’t do enough to counter the need to migrate for work,” says Praveer Peter, a convenor of the Ranchi-based Gender, Livelihoods and Resources Forum, which works in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa, where poverty rates are high and health indicators are dim. “Social security schemes for the unorganized sector are also necessary.”

Meanwhile, the performance of some Indian states on several developmental parameters compares poorly with that of poorer countries.

“We need to figure out why it is—though there has been a lot of progress—(that) immunization rates and rates of child malnutrition are comparable to some of the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa in some states” of India, says the World Bank’s Murgai.

To that end, the international agency’s New Delhi office recently began work on a study of poverty and inequality in India that is likely to be released in 2009, she said.

Aside from addressing regional disparities, improving the quality of education and not just access to it is key to maintaining the nation’s economic growth targets and alleviating poverty, according to Shariff.

“If you have education, it doesn’t matter where you live,” he says, with educated households less likely to be poor than their uneducated counterparts.

Despite the fact that India has successfully increased primary school enrollment targets and is on track to meet UN Millennium Development Goal targets in this area, the quality of education remains questionable in many places, he says.

Among children aged 8-11 enrolled in school, more than one in 10 can’t read at all, 14% can’t read letters, one in five can’t read words, and close to 40% can’t read a one-page story.

“The moment you use the word quality, you need to ask how many can read or write a single line and understand it,” he says. “That’s troubling because education can be one of the strongest factors for poverty

80% of Indians live on less than $2 a day: WB - Economy and Politics - livemint.com

 

[SpArK]

^^^^

2007 article.. 4 years old its 2011 here in this part of the world..

So it has changed and 2 dollars is 45 rupees as of the markets today.

So rejected.

Brilliant job by divya.. more articles on government schemes for the poor are expected please post more.. its good to know we are on the upward graph while others are going downnnnnn...

 

[mautkimaut]

80% of Indians live on less than 2$ a day: World Bank

“India is a bit of a curious case because it is one of the few countries in the world where the $1 (Rs39.3) a day poverty line is much higher than the national poverty line,” said Rinku Murgai, a senior economist in the World Bank’s New Delhi office.

The difference between those that qualify as extremely poor according to World Bank standards versus government standards has been a cause for debate among some government officials and the development community.

By World Bank estimates, 80% of India’s 1.1 billion people live on less than $2 a day, meaning more than one-third of the world’s poor live here. One in three Indians lives on less than $1 a day, meaning they qualify as extremely poor, according to the bank. The government says that, on average, those who earn less than Rs356 per month (less than $9) in rural areas and Rs538 a month in cities are poor, but the actual line varies from state to state.

Though overall poverty rates are falling when measured by both the World Bank and the government, India may miss a target set by the United Nations as part of the Millennium Development Goals to halve the number of people living on less than $1 a day from 1990 levels by 2015, according to a report released last week by the UN in partnership with the Asian Development Bank. The country has also achieved less than half the targets to cut hunger in half according to a recent study by the US-based International Food Policy Research Institute.

“India is such a diverse country that aggregates and averages can never adequately describe the depth of poverty,” says Abusaleh Shariff, chief economist and head of the human development programme at the National Council of Applied Economic Research.

“In many ways poverty estimates are just an artificial wall. What matters is the quality of life on $1 a day or $2 a day or whatever line you choose,” he adds.

A closer look at the extreme poor shows some clear patterns: they are often members of marginalized communities, such as scheduled tribes and Muslims; and indicators such as anaemia and illiteracy are high among them, which means these people have little chances of climbing out of poverty, according to analysts.

On Wednesday, the midpoint for the Millennium Campaign, activists around India will hold thousands of events as part of the “Stand Up, Speak Out” campaign, a joint effort of the UN Millennium Campaign and the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, which is hoping to break a world record by having more than 23.5 million people turn up at demonstrations that urge governments to honour their anti-poverty commitments and meet the Millennium Development Goals targets.

“They may fall through the gaps and when it comes to them, there may be lapses in programmes, but [today] we can help them raise their voices,” says Sharad Joshi, secretary of Jaipur-based Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants Society, which organized more than 300 events in several states focusing on marginalized communities.

The quality of life for many of the poor is highly dependent on where they live and which community they belong to, with the vast majority of the nation’s poor located in a handful of states and members of scheduled castes and tribes, Muslims and women being among the poorest in the country.

Government schemes to counter poverty such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme haven’t had a big enough impact in places where they are most needed, say grass-roots aid workers.

“The implementation is still uneven and doesn’t do enough to counter the need to migrate for work,” says Praveer Peter, a convenor of the Ranchi-based Gender, Livelihoods and Resources Forum, which works in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa, where poverty rates are high and health indicators are dim. “Social security schemes for the unorganized sector are also necessary.”

Meanwhile, the performance of some Indian states on several developmental parameters compares poorly with that of poorer countries.

“We need to figure out why it is—though there has been a lot of progress—(that) immunization rates and rates of child malnutrition are comparable to some of the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa in some states” of India, says the World Bank’s Murgai.

To that end, the international agency’s New Delhi office recently began work on a study of poverty and inequality in India that is likely to be released in 2009, she said.

Aside from addressing regional disparities, improving the quality of education and not just access to it is key to maintaining the nation’s economic growth targets and alleviating poverty, according to Shariff.

“If you have education, it doesn’t matter where you live,” he says, with educated households less likely to be poor than their uneducated counterparts.

Despite the fact that India has successfully increased primary school enrollment targets and is on track to meet UN Millennium Development Goal targets in this area, the quality of education remains questionable in many places, he says.

Among children aged 8-11 enrolled in school, more than one in 10 can’t read at all, 14% can’t read letters, one in five can’t read words, and close to 40% can’t read a one-page story.

“The moment you use the word quality, you need to ask how many can read or write a single line and understand it,” he says. “That’s troubling because education can be one of the strongest factors for poverty

80% of Indians live on less than $2 a day: WB - Economy and Politics - livemint.com

The operating keyword is LIVE...at least they dont get blown to smithereens.

 

[divya]

80% of Indians live on less than 2$ a day: World Bank

Posted: Tue, Oct 16 2007. 11:54 PM IST

 

[mautkimaut]

^^^^

2007 article.. 4 years old its 2011 here in this part of the world..

So it has changed and 2 dollars is 45 rupees as of the markets today.

So rejected.

brilliant job by divya.. more articles on government schemes for the poor are expected please post more.. its good to know we are on the the up graph while others are going downnnnnn...

I say let Trojan have wet dreams with India's poverty.
Bhains ke aage been bajao.Bhains khari paguray

 

[divya]

 

[TROJAN.EXE]

I say let Trojan have wet dreams with India's poverty.
Bhains ke aage been bajao.Bhains khari paguray

what is better than to live in a naive world. ignorance is bliss.

 

[divya]

The below image defines very well about what is going on this thread....

 

[SpArK]

what is better than to live in a naive world. ignorance is bliss.

Brilliant words.. please read it and try to understand it.. already there is a record on ur name in starting threads based on neighbours poverty..

For once look in ur own backyard and see it hasnt moved to Europe or havent changed a bit.

Anyway i am done with the discussion here.. see u next time when u start a thread on the same topic .. poverty... good luck with that..

 

[TROJAN.EXE]

Brilliant words.. please read it and try to understand it.. already there is a record on ur name in starting threads based on neighbours poverty..

For once look in ur own backyard and see it hasnt moved to Europe or havent changed a bit.

Anyway i am done with the discussion here.. see u next time when u start a thread on the same topic .. poverty... good luck with that..

as i said previously, the truth hurts. its apparent you are having a difficult time accepting the cold hard facts.

 

[divya]

what is better than to live in a naive world. ignorance is bliss.

Hope you would have got by now that the poverty programs in India are far bigger than the net earnings of your whole nation.

Along with that poverty cannot be uplifted in a day neither by the distribution of money. There are programs already been there.

No of poor which have been uplifted over a period is quite significant and we are working towards is significant and it will take some time before the favour is done.


Rest what i can is this for you guys

rest

 

[SpArK]

as i said previously, the truth hurts. its apparent you are having a difficult time accepting the cold hard facts.

Ignorance and repeatations irritates.. not hurts...thats the truth