The female National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers of Jharkhand colleges have been taking keen interest in the vocational add-on courses, imparted through the pilot project titled, ‘National University Students Skill Development Programme’ (NUSSD). Aiming to reposition the NSS, by introducing this vocational training among the undergraduate (UG) students for better job scope, the programme seems to be empowering the girls here.
Presently, six colleges of the State have been identified for this course including Ranchi Women’s College and Marwari College from Ranchi University (RU) followed by Jamshedpur Women’s College, lBSM College, Cooperative College and Graduate College for Women under Kolhan University (KU).
Apart from these two, eight more universities comprising Magadh University (Gaya), Pandit Ravi Shankar University (Raipur), Hemachandracharya N Gujarat University, Utkal University (Bhubaneswar), 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.
Students can do a certificate course (20 credits) 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.
Since this is the first of its kind launched in India, it is being taught as certificate course. last month RU began the classes of this course wherein Ranchi Women’s College has enrolled 180 students and Marwari College has enrolled 140 of which 60 perce nt are girls. Pratima Kumari, a final year UG Economics honours student of Ranchi Women’s College said, “We are feeling empowered by learning about communication and financial studies. It is good that such development issues are being taught at undergraduate level. It is giving us a wide exposure beyond the academic syllabus.”
“learning about finance, computer and communication under one programme is indeed an advantage. The certificate of this course will help us in getting jobs easily,” said Jyoti, a UG Hindi final year student of this same college.
Meanwhile, Kolhan University (KU) is still enrolling students for this course and hopes to begin the same by the end of this month. KU NSS Programme Coordinator Sunit Kumar said that the response of girls is more than 50 percent in this enrollment process. “Since Jamshedpur Women’s College and Graduate College bear female students so it is obvious that response will be good. About 250 to 300 girls have enrolled here. Hopefully, over 200 girls have enrolled from Cooperative and lBSM Colleges,” said Kumar.
The free of cost project availed to the students in the form of an add-on-course is managed by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai and based on credit marking. Except for providing infrastructure, the mentioned universities have no role in carrying this course. The entire course from teaching to awarding the NUSSD certificate is done by TISS. Since October 2012, TISS on the sanction of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and office of Advisor to the Prime Minister had been working on this project. Infact, Jharkhand became the first State to unveil this programme on September 30 last year.