Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS)

Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), earlier known as Shramik Vidyapeeth (SVP), is one of the polyvalent schemes focusing on catering needs to industrial workers and urban residents. The scheme functions under NGOs with an annual lump-sum grant from the Government of India. In this article, let us look in detail about the scheme.

Objective

The goal of JSS is

To enhance occupational skills and technical knowledge of the neo-literates and individuals having basic school education.
To raise efficiency, increase productive ability and enhance their livelihood opportunities.
To identify and assist traditional skills in the district through skilling/upskilling.
To create master trainers who are eligible to work in a department/agency of skill development through training and orientation programmes.
To collaborate and coordinate with other departments/agencies who are working in the field of skill development.
To widen the range of knowledge and understand the social, economic and political systems and creating environmental awareness.
To promote national values and align with national programmes.
To promote self-employment and facilitate financial support, including loans for the target group through linkage with credit and consortium membership.

Scheme Outline

JSS refers to an institute that conducts skill upgradation programme in a non-formal mode in rural and urban regions of a district. It provides both academic and technical resource support to target groups from these areas and serves as an institutional framework that offers non-formal mode skill development programmes to disadvantaged groups. Its initiatives include vocational and skill development programmes for non-neo-literates and individuals having basic level education in both industrial/urban and rural areas and other school dropouts. All programmes offered under the scheme are based on the polyvalent or multi-dimensional approach.

Functions

The functions of JSS is to

Identify precise target areas and groups by developing socio-economic profiles.
Identity and ascertain educational and vocational needs of different categories to clientele groups.
Explore, innovate and try new approaches to meet the requirements of different groups through programmes based on national educational training.
Cooperate with educational, cultural and social or organisations that are involved in organising programmes and activities to meet educational, social, vocational, cultural and welfare needs of target groups.
Act as a facilitator, coordinator and catalytic agent by developing a networking system by collaborating with other vocational and technical institutions, development departments, welfare agencies, employers and workers' organisations, voluntary agencies, economic enterprises etc.
Manage the training and orientation of resource individuals/instructors involved in the planning and implementation of various agreements.
Render consultancy services to agencies and enterprises that are planning to organise programmes for training and vocational education of similar target groups.
Organise vocational training programmes with special concern for women/girls, deprived sections, and unemployed youth to provide new skills, enhance and upgrade the existing livelihood skills for employment, self-employment and income generation.
Promote organisation like co-operative societies, manuals and associations of women, youth and workers to undertake collective activities for socio-economic development.
Provide follow-up services to the beneficiaries of JSS.
Create a Livelihood Cell for employment/self and wage employment opportunities. Livelihood Cell would be linked with the concerned national/state level portal for the promotion of livelihood opportunities.
Identify and develop curriculum on local traditional skills.

Establishing JSS

The step-by-step procedure to establish a JSS is as follows. Step 1: Proposals to set up new Jan Shikshan Santhans are invited through open advertisements. Step 2: Request For Proposal (RFP) would be called to establish new JSS. Step 3: The entire process of scrutiny/assessment, field visit, evaluation and ranking of the applicants may be handled by a third party expert agency. Step 4: Selected top-ranking applicants would be required to assemble before the selection committee of MSDE to make their presentations. Step 5: The selection committee shortlists the applicants and makes recommendations for consideration/approval of the competent authority. Step 6: All applicants who have been approved by the competent authority would be sanctioned to establish new Jan Shikshan Sansthan.

Eligibility Criteria

The organisation has to be registered for a minimum period of three years at the time of application.
It must have a proper Constitution Memorandum or Articles of Association.
It has to have a properly constituted Managing/Governing Body with its powers and duties mentioned in its constitution.
It should have experience in the field of formal/non-formal education, Skill Development, adult education, vocational training, development and community development.
It must have been through a financial audit for the last three years.
It must maintain a report for the last three years.

Desirable Criteria

NGOs that have received awards from Governments/reputed organisations should be given preference in evaluation/selection.
NGOs that are reputed and well established in vocational training, rural development and field of education.

Target Group

Jan Shikshan Santhan focuses on the socio-economic backward and educationally disadvantaged groups of urban/rural population such as men, women, youth, employed, self-employed, neo literates, prospective workers and their family members, along with unemployed youth.
The scheme also targets to impart vocational skills to the non-literates and individuals having a rudimentary level of education of up to 8th standard and other school dropouts.
Preference is given to women, SC, ST, OBS and minorities in the rural and urban areas.

However, the age limit can be adjusted unless the candidate belongs to Divyang category and other deserving cases.

Release of Grants

The grant would be released to JSS in two instalments every year.

The first instalment of the grant is released at the beginning of the financial year.
The second instalment of the grant would be released after the issuance of the utilisation certificate by GOI based on the audited statement of accounts for the preceding financial year. All unspent balances that are available with JSS or reimbursements would be adjusted.

Development Fund

The Development Fund of the JSS would be generated on account of the following.

The fee collected from the trainees
Donations
Consultancy fee for the programmes conducted by JSS on behalf of the other departments/agencies
Any income received other than grant-in-aid that is received from the Government of India.

A separate account would be maintained for the income that is received under the Development Fund from different sources that are specifically mentioned. The fee for different courses/activities would be decided by the respective Board of Management. Nevertheless, the fee for SC/ST would be given concession or exemption. The amount allocated by the Development Fund is spent broadly on the following items.

Construction of office building for JSS, purchase of land, repair and renovation of JSS building.
Necessary infrastructure facilities.
Development fund would be used for incentivising staff performance up to a limit of 20% of the fund that is generated in a year as decided by the Board of Management.

The proposals to incur expenditure from the Development Fund would be placed in the meeting of the Board of Management.

Funds from Other Sources

Recurring grants are released to Jan Shikshan Santhans every year to render vocational programmes. JSS does not take up activities that are irrelevant to the objectives of the scheme. The funds that are received from other sources for similar objectives would be deposited separately but have to be reflected on the annual statement of audited accounts of JSS. The unspent amount of the released grants would be credited to the Development Fund account, and the expenditure would be met according to the rules of the Development Fund. JSS is permitted to undertake a fee-based training programme and CSR Programme without diluting the main functions of JSS.