To augment skill training in tribal communities for their inclusive and sustainable growth, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in partnership with Seva Bharti and Yuva Vikas Society, today launched the second phase of Grameen Udyami Project, today. Under the initiative, the endeavour is to multiskill India’s youth and impart functional skills to them for enabling livelihoods. Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has emphasised on the involvement of tribal communities in the workforce, ensuring their holistic development to make them self-reliant and contained within their respective geographies.  

Shri Arjun Munda, Union Minister of Tribal affairs launched the programme, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State (MoS) for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship; and Electronics & IT, virtually addressed the august gathering and Shri Bishweswar Tudu, MoS, Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti inspired the audience with his encouraging words.

The event witnessed the presence of key dignitaries, Shri V. Satish, Mahamantri, Rashtriya Seh Sangathan, Shri Samir Oraon, Rashtriya adyaksh, Ansuchit Janjati Morcha evam Rajya Sabha Sansad and Shri Shivshankar Oraon, MLA, Gumla, Jharkhand.

Grameen Udyami is a unique multiskilling project, funded by NSDC that aims to train 450 tribal students in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. The project is being implemented in six states— Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Gujarat. This concept was crystallized by MoS, Shri. Rajeev Chandrasekhar and tribal MPs.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Arjun Munda stated that our complete focus is on strengthening sustainable livelihood for tribal populations and with this, the central government has sanctioned a budget of 85,000 cr. exclusively for tribal areas.  There is also a dire need of increasing ownership so that there is awareness built around such schemes and initiatives. There is so much potential and ability in the tribal youth that all we need to do is lay down the right avenues for them to use their talent in the right places. He expressed that Grameen Udyami project will prove to be game changer for the tribal communities of Jharkhand and will extend the right opportunities to them to stand on their own feet. He urged gram panchayats, villages, and blocks to bring these initiatives to youth for their progress.

Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that we recently celebrated Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to honour India’s rich past and committed ourselves to Amrit Kaal, a vision for New India for the twenty five years. This New India will bring new opportunities and better prospects for India’s youth. We all witnessed the challenges posed by COVID-19 but also experienced India’s win over this grave situation and our efforts got recognised, globally. Our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has emphasised that the route to Atmanirbhar Bharat will be through Atmanirbhar villages, Atmanirbhar towns and Atmanirbhar districts. Therefore, our tribal communities take precedence in our efforts to propel India’s economic growth, he added. He hoped that the success that Grameen Udyami project has achieved in Madhya Pradesh, it will receive the same response in Jharkhand since skilling is the passport to prosperity of any region.

Shri Bishweswar Tudu expressed that a nation can develop if cities develop and cities will develop, if we invest in the development of villages. And a key component of this is to provide quality education to our tribal communities so that several prospects open-up for their growth. Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has also focused on the inclusivity, financial growth of our tribal areas and certainly, Grameen Udyami project will provide economic empowerment to our tribal population. Umpteen number of schemes and pilot projects have also been initiated for accelerating the economic engine of India, he added.

In the first phase of training, candidates were mobilized from rural and tribal areas of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. Since candidates were mobilized from the rural areas, transportation, boarding & lodging was provided to candidates so that they do not miss out the learning opportunity due to lack of resources. In Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, training of 157 candidates started in seven batches in the month of May,2022 and approximately 133 candidates completed the training successfully on June 27^th, 2022. The phase-II of the pilot project launched in Ranchi today is being implemented by Yuva Vikas Society, through Seva Bharti Kendra in Ranchi. NSDC under the aegis of MSDE has supported in setting up of labs and classrooms through Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) in Seva Bharti Kendra Skill Development Center.

The training under the project will be conducted in the following Job roles which are relevant to the local economy.

• Electrician & Solar PV Installation Technician
• Plumbing & Masonry
• 2-Wheeler Repair & Maintenance
• IT/ITES with e-Governance
• Farm Mechanization

Grameen Udyami Yojana is implemented under Sansadiya Parisankul Yojana. A two-day conference of Honorable MPs was held in Mumbai to discuss the upliftment of tribal communities in January 2020 in which various experts and government organizations shared their experiences. Further, Scheduled Tribe organizations called for a 'Parliamentary ST Cluster Development Project' which has been initiated. Under which, 49 clusters in 15 states of India have been selected by 40 tribal MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Under their leadership, the scheme in respective clusters will be implemented. One development associate is appointed by the MPs in each cluster.

Following objectives must be achieved under the project:

• Increase in Rural/Local Economy
• Enhance employment opportunities
• Reduce forced migration due to lack of local opportunities
• Conservation of natural resources

Due to lack of skill and education, organized sectors have very poor contribution in tribal livelihood as compared to the national average. Therefore, initiatives like Grameen Udyami project are critical for their betterment and to ensure their livelihood generation.

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MJPS/AK