National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers of Jharkhand can now look forward to grabbing a job for sure after completing their graduation. It is because the much awaited Pilot Project ‘National University Students Skill Development Programme’ (NUSSD) with the aim of repositioning NSS by introducing ‘Skill Training’ among the undergraduate students for a better job horizon was unveiled on Monday at Ranchi by State Human Resources Development (HRD) department Minister Geetashree Oraon.
Jharkhand is the first state of India to begin with this initiative covering Ranchi University (RU) and Kolhan University (KU). Apart from these two, eight more universities consisting of Magadh University (Gaya), Pandit Ravi Shankar University (Raipur), Hemachandracharya N Gujarat University, Utkal University (Bhubaneshwar), Marathwada University (Aurangabad), Rani Durgavati University (Jabalpur), JNV University (Jodhpur) and VBS Purvanchal University (Jaunpur) have been selected for this purpose for a period of three years.
Main focus of selecting only these higher education institutions is to highlight the rural universities.
The free of cost project availed to the students in the form of an add-on-course to be managed by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai is presently being spread among the students with their enrollment. “Based on credit marking system of this special course, students can do a certificate course (20 credit) in their first year of graduation, diploma (40 credits) in the second year followed with advance diploma (60 credits) in the final year on computer literacy, English communication, Soft skills, Financial literacy and Skills in working with Community,” said RU Vice Chancellor Dr lN Bhagat.
Adding more about this add-on-course, TISS Director Dr S Parasuraman informed that students undergoing this course will have options to choose one or two inter-related skill areas from entrepreneur and livelihood modules like health care, animal husbandry, fishery or agriculture.
RU’s Ranchi Women’s College and Marwari College and KU’s Graduate College, Cooperative College and lBSM College identified for this project are already getting a good response in NSS volunteer’s enrollment which began from August.
Dr Parasuraman said, “After the Durga Puja holidays, we would impart the teachings of this course among the students.”
Except for providing infrastructure, the mentioned universities have no role in carrying this course. The entire course from teaching to awarding the NUSSD diploma is being done by TISS.
“As the students are enrolling for this course, we seek to identify teachers who are ready to give voluntary service with their teaching. For this reason, we have identified some NGOs and Corporates,” a programme officer of TISS said.
TISS has assured to report the State HRD Minister on the rate of success of this course after a gap of every three months. Since October last year, TISS on the sanction of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and office of Advisor to Prime Minister had been working on this project. Prominent academicians including KU VC Dr Salil Kumar and Principals of Ranchi Women’s College and Marwari College along with senior police officers were also present here.