The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), the UP home department and the state department of women and child development signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently to collaborate for creating and implementing various skill development programme for up to 11,000 children in conflict with law, street children and children in need of care and protection in Uttar Pradesh.
The MoU was signed in the presence of justice Madan B Lokur, judge of the Supreme Court and chairperson of the Supreme Court Committee on Juvenile Justice; justice Deepak Gupta, of the Supreme Court, justice Dilip Bhosale, chief justice of the Allahabad high court, justice Vikram Nath; Kamal Saksena, IPS, secretary, department of women and child development, UP government, among others.
Speaking on the occasion, Jayant Krishna, executive director and chief operating officer, NSDC, said “This collaboration with the UP government for establishing various skilling programmes in 10 districts is a pivotal move towards transforming the lives of children who have been unfortunate victims of adverse circumstances. This programme aims not only to equip them with skills training, but it will also open doors of opportunities, which will go a long way in transforming their lives both socially and economically.”
State director general of police OP Singh said, “Addressing the need for reformative and corrective action, this skill development programme endeavors that every such child gets an opportunity to secure a dignified and sustainable livelihood. From street children to youth in conflict of law, the initiative will train, certify and facilitate employment prospects to the skilled youth for a better tomorrow.”
Renuka Kumar, principal secretary, department of women and child development, government of Uttar Pradesh, quoted, “The partnership is intended to develop effective and sustainable programme for reducing juvenile crime and increasing youth potential. The department seeks to nurture a society of opportunities and inclusion by initiating skill training for the youth in the domain of their interest which will also help them to create a career for themselves.”
The core objective of this two-year partnership is to foster reformative change, instill economic security and stability among such children through skill training and holistic development. The project endeavors to facilitate enhanced access to opportunities through wage employment and self-employment. The Memorandum of Understanding lays focus on training of such children in juvenile homes, Yuva centres and other such institutions run by the government and NGOs across 10 districts of Uttar Pradesh.
The NSDC, under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), has been implementing special projects with various law enforcement agencies. YUVA with Delhi Police, is a skill development programme for vulnerable youth. The NSDC is also working collaboratively with department of woman and child development, Delhi government, for training victims of trafficking.
With the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), under the department of woman and child development (Delhi) and Delhi Police, the organization has undertaken training and certification of a large number of juveniles. Several such programmes have been undertaken by NSDC with Tihar Jail and other prisons.
These skill development programmes are designed as rehabilitative, corrective and preventive measures to enhance employability of children and youth who have been victimized, disadvantaged or have encountered challenges. The programme aims to substantially reduce the future probability of these youth getting into crime and support their reintegration into the society.
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