Call to groom social sector workers

A working group of the NAC has estimated that an estimated seven million additional workers are required for the flagship programmes run by four ministries

A working group of the National Advisory Council (NAC) has estimated that an estimated seven million additional workers are required for the flagship programmes run by four ministries in the social sector in the 12th Plan period and has called for creation of proper selection and training norms for them.

An additional one million would be required in the following five years, but the NAC noted that unless these are selected and trained properly the delivery of programmes would continue to suffer. The four ministries it studied are Ministries of Women and Child Development, Agriculture, Panchayati Raj and Health and these together employ 5.2 million workers at present to run their various programmes. In the Health Ministry, these workers include one million doctors in various streams of medicine and this would double by the end of the 13th Five Year Plan period, the report says.

For medical practitioners, it has recommended changes in the  curriculum besides training in Government institutes.

It also suggested development related courses in the universities to prepare enough people for social sector jobs related to Government programmes. ''Both Central Government and State Governments should take steps for designing and introducing in their universities courses on development sector, like rural livelihoods, rural health, livestock management, natural resource management, agriculture etc. Similarly, wherever feasible, suitable modular courses or bridge courses could be devised for functionaries.’’ it said.

The employees both regular and contractual covered by the group included Rozgar Sahayak, Anganwadi workers, Panchayat Secretary  besides ANMs, ASHAs, Anganwadi workers.

It said that ministries while recruiting personnel focused on individual programmes rather than the sector as a while. The attempts to provide them with requisite skill set or knowledge in a systematic manner have been far from adequate, it said.

It has made recommendations which pertain to assessment and planning for frontline workers,  framing human resource policy for all categories of frontline workers and supervisory staff, undertaking reforms in recruitment and selection process , undertaking systematic training and capacity building, strengthening training delivery, evolving human resource policy for difficult areas, ensuring adequate funds for training, and introducing development related curriculums in universities.