(Above picture taken from social media Amitabh Srivastava)
The recent incident of molestation of school going teenagers of Jamui in Bihar by a gang of goons has highlighted the need for training and empowerment of its youth to stand for their rights.
Also, at a time when Gen Z and Gen Alpha are on confrontation path across the country the Centre is on the verge of suspending a scheme that was helping generate employment and empowerment for the illiterate and semi-literates in very backward areas of the country.
Known as Jan Shikshan Sansthan the scheme was earlier known as Shramik Vidyapeeth run by the Ministry of HRD.
Later it was taken over by the Ministry of Skill Development, currently headed by the dynamic and youthful Minister of State Jayant Chaudhary (Independent charge) son of my friend late Chaudhary Ajit Singh.
As Chairman of the Jamui Branch of JSS, I had visited the District last year and personality spoke to the brave and gutsy women and girls who were running their own beauty parlours and other start ups for which they had been trained by the JSS.
Each JSS centre benefits 50 families in a district which roughly comes to 15,000 families across the country.
For some of them it was like getting a new life as they had lost their husbands or near ones an year or two back.
I also met women who were risking their lives and safety to travel across rivers to take the training.
They also said they could be out of their homes only till 5 or 5.30 pm because they were not safe beyond that.
Under these circumstances a PIB statement is being reproduced verbatim to show how this scheme which has 294 centres across India has been functioning:
The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Shri Jayant Chaudhary, shared details regarding the Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) scheme in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
Key Details from the Statement
Objective: The JSS scheme operates under the Skill India Programme to deliver 100% government-funded, non-formal skill training at the doorsteps of beneficiaries to boost self-employment and household incomes.
Target Audience: Non-literates, individuals with rudimentary education, and school dropouts (classes 1–12) aged 15–45 years, with a strong focus on women (83% of beneficiaries), SCs, STs, OBCs, and minorities.
Current Scale: There are 294 functional JSSs spread across 26 states and 7 union territories. Since the scheme moved to MSDE in July 2018 through mid-2026, over 36.58 lakh beneficiaries have been trained.
Third-Party Evaluation (AJNIFM Study): An evaluation by the Arun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management (AJNIFM) revealed that:
82% of trained beneficiaries became gainfully engaged within six months of finishing their training.
90% reported using their acquired skills for income-generating activities.
The study recommended expanding coverage to more districts, upgrading center infrastructure, and increasing budgetary provisions.
After this report and a Third Party evaluation officials working at the JSS centres are in a state of shock as the scheme has been extended only for six months, till March 31.
Aanshuman Mitreshwar JSS Director Jamui informs that this District has a population divide with Rural Sex Ratio – 924 females per 1,000 males and in Urban areas it’s 905 females/ 1000 males.
Also, of the 17.60 lakh population, as per 2011 census 91 per cent is rural and only 9 per cent is Urban.
Author / senior journalist
