Central University of Jharkhand (CUJ) on Friday inaugurated a new centre for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), Woman and Child in collaboration with Jharkhand Government and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to focus on the core issues based on knowledge base research.
“The purpose of this initiative is to establish a knowledge base resource center focusing on PRIs, Women and Children development in Jharkhand. The centre would bring three key stakeholders comprising CUJ, Department of Panchayati Raj, Government of Jharkhand and UNICEF Jharkhand together to promote the evidence and knowledge base cum data bank on children, women and PRI issues in the State,” said university’s Chief Communication Officer Prasanta Bora.
“With this, the CUJ is now involved in running 23 centres for different studies, a feat achieved in the last four years from a humble beginning with four centres in 2009,” mentioned Bora.
The programme was unveiled with the signing ceremony of Joint Action Plan (MOU) by CUJ Vice Chancellor DT Khating, Panchayati Raj Principal Secretary l Khiangte and UNICEF Jharkhand Chief Job Zachariah
DT Khating while speaking on the relevance of this new department said that study of culture is the CUJ’s thrust areas and hoped that the new centre would focus on rural-based projects.
Referring to PRIs Khiangte said the most difficult task is to change the mind set and informed that the government is in the process of developing and amending PESA rules in the state.
UNICEF Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Kumar Premchand presented a detailed report of the proposed project. He then spoke on objectives of the initiative which includes web based knowledge portal cum knowledge network upto district, block and panchayat level.
The plan also involves running of short term courses on PRI issues, tribal and other relevant issues in Jharkhand, establishing a knowledge resource centre on children, women and PRIs, create a knowledge base to promote children related policies and programmes in the state, regular dissemination through seminar, conferences and create a cadre of resource persons.