Due to political turmoil, some areas of the country stand largely affected. These backward districts find it difficult to get access to resources and vocational training. In the absence of infrastructure and the inability to work with the equipment, the tribals in certain parts of India find it difficult to be at par with acceptable economic standards.
To rectify the situation for such politically affiliated tribes, the Government of India in close collaboration with the Ministry Skill Development and Entrepreneurship initiated the Roshni scheme which specifically trains the rural youth in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas.
Key features of the Roshni Scheme
- The Roshni scheme is a training scheme and therefore aims to train 50,000 youth in 3 years and provide 75% of those trained with job opportunities in organized sectors all across the nation. This will be carried out under the larger Skill Development Mission carried out across the nation.
- The scheme will be specifically designed for salaried employment.
- The total costing behind the implementation of the scheme will be met by Ministry of Rural Development under the Government of India and the State governments. These expenses will be met in the ratio of 75:25.
- The scheme aims at women empowerment and therefore 50% of the candidates covered under the benefits of Roshni would be women.
- The scheme goes over and above just training; it also provides customized and fully residential training with a total duration ranging from 3 months to a year, depending upon the duration of training
- There will be special efforts carried out to cover Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) on priority basis.
- There essentially will be four models of training which will be permissible under the scheme viz “Model A” – for upto three months, “Model B” – for up to six months, “Model C” – for up to nine months and finally, “Model D” – for one year. Each model will actively work towards implementing green skills to candidates so that their probability of bagging a decent job increases exponentially.
- Another interesting key feature of the Roshni scheme would be that all training centres will be equipped with geo-tagged, time-stamped biometric attendance devices, which will be used to monitor the attendance of both trainees and trainers. There will also be provisions made for CCTV recording of classes, lab testing and lab training.
How will the implementation of Roshni be approached?
- Assured placement for at least 75% of trainees: Roshni is a demand driven programme and one of the main requirements of the scheme is that the Project Implementing Agency (PIA) should obtain commitment from potential employers that they will employ the youth trained under scheme.
- The Physical infrastructure: though there will be no new infrastructural creation under the scheme, leveraging and utilising existing government and private infrastructure and facilities which are on lease/rent/ or for free is encouraged.
- Skill sets: the prime objective of the scheme is to impart quality skill development which would be crucial for regular employment. This would be carried out in such a manner that the initial salary offered to the candidate would not be less than the prescribed minimum wage.
- Partnering with training agencies: there will be partnerships established with training agencies and various employers who volunteer for the National Skill Development. These agencies, who would have expertise in the said field, would conduct training and placement of youth after certification which would be acceptable to the industry. There will be special provisions made to link formal education to training programme modules.
Eligibility for Roshni
To be eligible for the benefits of Roshni and fall under the umbrella of EOC skill development programme, the applicant must fulfill the following requirements:
- The applicant must be between the age of 18-35
- The applicant must belong to a rural household from one of the 24 Roshni districts
Should belong to a rural household that has been recognized as being poor followed by Participatory Identification of the Poor (PIP) process undertaken as a part of Aajeevika.
In conclusion
Skill development is an integral part of any occupation, and it eventually guarantees excellence. To enhance the quality of workforce generated in the country, the government has initiated the Skill development scheme known as Roshni.
With Roshni being implemented across the country, the youth now have the assurance that they would never enter a job uninformed. They would know exactly what is expected of them, and not only will they cope up with the rigmarole of the job, but they will also perform outstandingly so at it.