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Human Resources Development Convention, 1975 (No. 142) - India (RATIFICATION: 2009)

Article 1 of the Convention. Formulation and implementation of education and training policies. The Committee notes the detailed information contained in the Government’s first report on the application of the Convention received in August 2011. The Government indicates that several policies on vocational guidance and vocational training were implemented, notably the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Vocationalization of Secondary School that was launched in 1987–88. The courses provided within its scope were closely linked with employment and led to the training of more than 1 million students per year. The Government further refers to its National Policy on Education (NPE), modified in 1992, which makes provision for the implementation of systematic programmes of vocational education with a view to enhance employability and reduce mismatch between demand and supply of skilled manpower. Within the scope of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan 2007–12, a Working Group on Skill Development and Vocational Training was also set up in 2006 so as to assess the relevance of ongoing programmes of vocational training. The Government also indicates that the effective coordination of the abovementioned policies relies on coordination committees that are formed with the guidance of human resource development programmes. These committees were backed up by the launching in 2010 of a National Skill Development Mission that aims to finalize institutional arrangements at the national level for coordinated action. In its 2010 General Survey concerning employment instruments, the Committee noted the Government’s efforts with a view to attracting private investment into the vocational sector, which has been accorded top priority in its Eleventh Five-Year Plan 2007–12. The Committee further noted that the ILO contributed to the elaboration of India’s national skills policy, which envisaged the creation of the national skills development institution (paragraphs 131 and 183). The Committee notes that the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) was established and is actively involved in two major areas, namely establishing Sector Skills Councils (SSC) in order to involve industry in leading skill development and technical and vocational education and vocational training strategies for their sectors, as well as increasing capacity of the training system by stimulating a private training market through public–private partnership funding arrangements. The Committee invites the Government to provide further information as well as disaggregated statistics in its next report regarding the impact of the policies being currently implemented in terms of promoting skills development, in particular through public employment services. Please also indicate the manner in which the coordination committees contribute to the effective coordination of policies and programmes as well as the steps taken to enhance participation of the social partners within the Sector Skills Councils. The Committee also invites the Government to indicate the outcomes of the National Skills Policy as a result of the assistance and advice received from the ILO (Part V of the report form).

Article 1(5). Equal opportunities. The Committee notes that women’s training schemes were set up to give special focus on the skills training development of women and that various courses have been introduced. The Government indicates that the Women’s Training Directorate aims at promoting participation of women in skills training. The Committee further notes that about 93 per cent of the workers work in the unorganized sector and that programmes of informal apprenticeship aim at strengthening the skill base of target groups including, among others, own-account workers, workers and apprentices in micro enterprises and unpaid family workers. Various training providers such as schools, public and private training institutions and NGOs offer skill development programmes with a view to upgrading informal workers’ abilities. The Committee invites the Government to provide up-to-date information on the measures taken to encourage categories of vulnerable workers such as women, minorities and those working in the informal economy to develop and use their vocational skills, and to supply any available evaluation of these programmes.

Article 2. Education, training and lifelong learning. The Committee notes that both states and central governments have joint responsibility for general education since the amendment of the Constitution in 1976. The Central Ministry of Human Resource Development is responsible for planning educational policies, while the National Council of Education and Training (NCET) serves as a resource centre in the field of school development and teacher education. As for vocational education, the Council of Technical Education (AICTE) is in charge of ensuring the quality of technical and vocational education in India and approves new institutions and programmes. The Committee further notes that educational and vocational guidance as well as vocational training fall within the responsibility of the central and state governments. The Committee invites the Government to provide examples of the achievements of these committees at both national and state levels to enable an open and flexible system of general, technical and vocational education, educational and vocational guidance, as well as vocational training. Please also indicate what efforts are being made to develop a national technical and vocational education, vocational training and skills system that aims to ensure coordination and integrated planning between the Ministries of Human Resource Development, Labour and other key Ministries that provide training.

Article 3(1). Vocational guidance information. The Committee notes that several institutions such as guidance bureaus, employment exchanges and universities are in charge of providing comprehensive information with regard to employment prospects, choice of courses, occupational development, training, educational and developmental opportunities, on the basis of up-to-date documents and sources. The Committee also notes the National Employment Services that provides vocational guidance and employment counselling for jobseekers and students through the network of more than 400 vocational guidance units as well as the 20 vocational rehabilitation centres for persons with disabilities and the 42 special employment exchanges that have been set up in different parts of the country. The Committee invites the Government to provide more information in its next report on the impact of the measures taken so as to provide comprehensive information and the broadest possible guidance, particularly to children, young persons and adults, including appropriate programmes for persons with disabilities.

Article 3(2) and (3). Information on vocational guidance measures. The Committee invites the Government to include in its next report the description required by the report form concerning the type of information made available for vocational guidance purposes and to supply copies of the relevant documentation.

Article 4. Vocational training and lifelong learning. The Committee notes that the Directorate General of Employment and Training (DGET) offers a wide range of training courses through a network of 5,465 industrial training institutes and 22,800 establishments. These courses are geared towards upgrading the skills of serving industrial workers as well as training both potential and existing instructors of Industrial Training Institutes. The Committee also notes that the National Policy on Skill Development approved on February 2009 seeks to create a workforce empowered with internationally recognized skills so as to increase both the workers competitiveness and that of India on the global labour market. Together with the National Council on Skill Development, this Policy envisages the creation of 500 million skilled people by 2022 and aims at raising the number of apprentices from 258,000 in 2009 to 1 million in 2012. The Committee invites the Government to include in its next report information on the results obtained by the Industrial Training Institutes with a view to increasing the number of jobseekers that will be provided with vocational training and education. The Committee also invites the Government to provide further indications as to the impact of the programmes geared towards enhancing participation of both women and informal workers in educational and vocational training.

Article 5. Cooperation of employers’ and workers’ organizations. The Government recalls that the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) was set up in 1956. This advisory body is composed of members from different central and state government departments, employers’ and workers’ organizations and other stakeholders. Its mandate involves different sorts of activities, including conducting tests in various trade courses. The Government further refers to the Central Apprenticeship Council (CAC) which consists of, inter alia, nine representatives of employers in establishments in the public sector, nine representatives of employers in establishments in the private sector, 12 representatives of the Central Government, 22 representatives of the state Government. Together with the NCVT, the CAC aims at advising the Government on formulating policies and procedures and prescribing standards for vocational training schemes. The Committee would welcome receiving further information on the concrete measures adopted with regard to ensuring the consultation with the social partners as well as any other interested bodies in the formulation and implementation of vocational guidance and vocational training programmes.