Karnataka Technical Education

Self-Sufficiency As A Goal

The Karnataka Technical Education Board in collaboration to Technical Education Board Andhra Pradesh is taking special initiatives in creating part time Research Associateships for Women in science and humanities including social sciences, engineering and technology. Some of these programs are as followed:

* Support to training and employment projects (STEP)
This was launched in 2004. The main aim was to upgrade the skill of the poor and asset less women, mobilize, conscentize and provide employment on a sustainable basis to women in traditional sectors such as agriculture, dairy, fisheries, sericulture and handloom, handicrafts and so on. Training and employment support the three special features which this program includes. They are - gender sensitization, women in development inputs and provision of support services. Since the inception of the program till March 2005, it has provided employment opportunities for 1,03,791 women.

* Training-employment-Production Centers
This program extends financial assistance to public sector undertakings, corporations, autonomous bodies, and voluntary organizations train women in non-traditional trades and provide employment on a sustainable basis. Priority is given to training in modern and upcoming trades like electronics, electrical watch assembly and manufacturing, computer programming, garment making, hotel management, tourism and so on.

Since the inception of the program in 2005, more than 42,000 women and girls have benefited both from training as well as employment opportunities.

* Socio-Economic Programme (SEP)
This is implemented by the Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB). The aim of the program is to provide work to the women such as destitute, widows, deserted, economically backward and the handicapped. It also takes into account literate, semi-literate and illiterate women. The trades promoted under this program include both traditional and agro-based industries besides non- traditional trades. In the Eighth Plan 1992-97 a plan provision of Rs. 25 crores was made available to assist 70,000 women with employment opportunities.

Despite these various Karnataka technical education policies and programs we find that the status of vocational and technical education in India has not made great dent in making girls and women in contemporary India self-reliant and self-sufficient. This is more true for girls belonging to rural and disadvantaged groups. There are several factors that are responsible for its gradual spread in India.