New Delhi: Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Rural Development today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate in developing skilled personnel by imparting training to rural poor youth and women for the Ayush healthcare system under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY). Apart from this a course for training rural youth as panchakarma technicians/assistants will be started on a pilot basis.
The MoU valid for three years was signed in the presence of Union Minister of Ayush, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, and Union Minister of Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Shri Giriraj Singh, Minister of State for Ayush Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai by Dr. Manoj Nesari, Advisor (Ayurveda), Ministry of Ayush and Shri Karma Zimpa Bhutia, Joint Secretary, (Rural Skills), Ministry of Rural Development.
Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Shri P. K. Pathak, Special Secretary, MoA, Dr. Tanuja Nesari Director, AIIA, New Delhi, Shri Shailesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development and other officials of both the ministries were present.
In his address, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal said,” Both the ministries will collaborate in boosting the spirit of self-employment. This will enable the empowerment of rural youths and women. This will increase employment opportunities in rural areas. I hope both ministries will continue to explore similar associations, where we can work together for the betterment of society.”
Shri Giriraj Singh, said, “this MoU will be a landmark in empowering women’s self-help groups and rural poor youth. The initial target is to train a large number of women, which will be increased going forward. We will give priority to self-help groups.”
The training program undertaken under this MoU shall be funded as per DDU-GKY cost norms. NRLM & DDU-GKY will communicate to States/UTs for enlisting willing SHG members and rural poor youth about the courses and training by institutes of the Ministry of Ayush. Whereas, the MoA shall provide its institutes to conduct courses, training & certification of the aspirants/candidates. The ministry will also depute nodal agencies across the country, who shall ensure mobilization, counseling, training, placement, and tracking of candidates as per DDU-GKY norms in their respective designated states.
Apart from this, both ministries will also work on formulating a system, wherein technical assistance would be provided in identifying permissible medicinal plantation activities, plant protection, and inter-cropping to generate additional streams for income under relevant schemes of the Ministry of Rural development. Ministry will also arrange training and orientation of plantation beneficiaries and various community-level livelihood workers.
The collaboration between the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of AYUSH will also ensure the training of 22000 rural poor youth under NSQF-compliant courses namely Panchakarma Technician, Panchkarma Assistant, Ayurvedic Masseur, Kshara Karma Technician, Cupping Therapy Assistant, etc., under DDU-GKY and their placement in 1st phase. To facilitate this, the Ministry of Rural Development will ensure funding i.e., Central Government and State Government based on the criteria given for the DDU-GKY for training as per the DDU-GKY Norms and ensure monitoring of the program outcome as per DDU-GKY Guidelines.
Through this MoU, it is expected to create synergy and convergence between both ministries and enable the fulfillment of the larger goal of community development and poverty alleviation in rural areas.
Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of AYUSH will also form a Joint Working Group in which officers of both ministries will participate and will identify such other subjects on which work can be done under the whole Government Approach and take the program forward.
Ministry of Rural Development and Ministry of Ayush will ensure that a nodal agency responsible is deputed for implementing this training to Rural Poor Youth under NSQF-compliant courses and ensure their assessment, certification and placement, and reporting of the same on DDU-GKY Kaushal Bharat Portal along with proof of placements.
