SOCIAL WELFARE AND REHABILITATION OF DISPLACED PERSONS
A. SOCIAL WELFARE In the third Five-Year Plan, greater attention has been paid to programmes of child welfare. Participation of the voluntary welfare organisations has been ensured in implementing these, schemes. Other important measures in the field of social work include streamlining the schemes of the Central Social Welfare Board, strengthening training programmes for social work and encouraging voluntary organisations in various welfare activities.
2. Survey and Research Programme.-This is a Central scheme which envisages the grant of financial assistance to voluntary organisations/non-university schools of social work for undertaking surveys and research in the field of social welfare and rendering help to schools of social work for securing minimum standards. An expert committee in social welfare was set up in collaboration with the University Grants Commission to go into the working of the existing schools of social work and make recommendation in regard to the manner in which minimum standards could be enforced. The report of this committee is expected shortly. Grants to the extent of Rs. 75,772 were sanctioned to three organisations during the year.
3. Social and Moral Hygiene and After-Care Programme.-This is a Centrally sponsored scheme implemented through the State Governments and carries Central assistance on 50:50 basis on the actual expenditure incurred by the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations, subject to a maximum limit prescribed by the Plan Group on Social Welfare. Women in moral danger, unattached women and persons discharged from both care and custodial institutions are first admitted to the district shelters and then removed to the State homes for after-care services. According to the information collected from the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations, 91 district shelters and 50 state homes continued to function during the year under report. An expenditure of Rs. 7,00,000 is likely to be incurred as Central assistance towards the scheme during the current financial year.
4. Assistance to Voluntary Organisations of Social Welfare.- Under this scheme financial assistance is given to the voluntary organisations working in the field of social welfare. A total sum of Rs. 63.354 was sanctioned to three voluntary organisations during the year up to the end of December, 1963, as below :
(i) Indian Conference of Social Work, Bombay Rs. 24,000
(ii) All India Women's Conference, New Delhi Rs. 13,854
(iii)Indian Council for Child Welfare,New Delhi Rs. 25,500
A few more applications from voluntary organisations for grant were under consideration during the last quarter of the year.
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5. Assistance to Schools of Social Work.-Under a part of the scheme of financial assistance to voluntary organisations, the schools of social work are given ad hoc grants for maintenance and development. During the year about five schools of social work are likely to be given such financial assistance to the extent of Rs. 0.59 lakh.
B.CHILD WELFARE 6. Integrated Services for Child Welfare-Demonstration Projects.-This is a Centrally sponsored scheme, with 100 per cent assistance to the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations which implement it in selected community development blocks where some development has already taken place. It is intended to ensure the total well-being of the child population of the age-group 0-6 in a given area. It envisages the establishment of 20 demonstration projects, one in each State and major Union Territory. The aggregate expenditure on each project is between Rs. 5 to Rs. 8.50, lakh for the entire period of its implementation i.e., four to five years. So far, 17 projects have been sanctioned, one each in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Orissa, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Nagaland, Madras, Mysore, Rajasthan, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Tripura. It is hoped that 3 more projects will be sanctioned during the current financial year. The expenditure estimated to be sanctioned during 1963-64 is Rs. 13 lakh. Grants so far sanctioned during the year amounted to Rs. 7.05 lakh.
7. Establishment of Balsevika Training Centre and Staffig of Balwadis and Creches.-The schemes envisage the provision of a trained worker (balsevika) in each existing balwadi and creche and the opening of a number of balsevika training centres in different parts of the country. Ten centres-one each in Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Kerala, Madras, Mysore, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal are functioning at present. This scheme is being implemented through the Indian Council for Child Welfare.
C. CENTRAL SOCIAL WELFARE BOARD 8. With a view to providing representation to all the States, the Central Social Welfare Board has been reconstituted. Two new State Boards, one each in NEFA and Goa were set up. The Central Board continued during the year its various programmes included in the third Five-Year Plan. A brief account of the main activities is given in the paragraphs that follow.
9. Grant-in-Aid Programme.--Grants under the programme were given,mainly for consolidation and improvement. During the year up to December, 1963, two thousand and forty grants, involving an amount of Rs. 23.40 lakh were sanctioned to voluntary organisations. The programme will be continued during 1964-65. It is proposed to remove the embargo on sanctioning grants for new institutions, buildings and vans.
10. Welfare Extension Projects.-Two hundred and seventy-four welfare extension projects are in existence in community development blocks. It has been decided to continue them in the second stage after the completion of five years. The State Governments have also been requested to contribute their share of expenditure for these projects. Up to December, 1963, grants totalling Rs. 36.42 lakh have been sanctioned to 683 mahila mandals/ voluntary institutions for conducting activities at 1,638 centres of the origi-
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nal-pattern projects. It is proposed to continue to give assistance to these institutions according to the existing pattern during 1964- 65.
11. Welfare Extension Projects (Urban).-Seventy-two projects sanctioned dining the previous years continued their activities and grants amounting to Rs. 3.03 lakh were released during the year. It has been decided that till the end of the third Five-Year Plan assistance at the rate of go per cent of the total expenditure, subject to a maximum of Rs. 20,000 per project for 3 years would continue to be provided to the institutions which will complete six years of working.
12. Condensed Course of Education for Adult Women.-The scheme continued to make satisfactory progress. During 1963-64, up to December 1963, one hundred and forty-six new courses were sanctioned at an estimated cost of nearly Rs. 41 lakh. In addition, grants were released for courses continued from the previous years. A proforma for collecting information on the employment of the candidates was prepared and circulated to all institutions. During 1964-65, it is proposed to sanction 200 fresh courses.
13. Socio-Economic Programme for Women.-Under the programme, institutions are sanctioned grants to strengthen and create the employment potential for women in various activities. The following is an account of the activities during the period under this programme.
13.2. Production Units of Small Industries : Four voluntary institutions were sanctioned grants for setting up production units of small industries. The, total grant sanctioned amounted to Rs. 1,50,965 creating an employment potential of 80. A further batch of 56 voluntary institutions has been selected, and schemes for production units to be attached to these institutions are under preparation.
13.3. Ancillary Units : The ancillary units at Bangalore, Calcutta and Poona so far set up maintained steady progress. Proposals for setting up a few more ancillary units are under consideration.
13.4. Handloom Units : The Ministry of International Trade conveyed the sanction of a grant of Rs. 31,570 for setting up one handloom training-cum-production unit. That Ministry has also conveyed sanction of grants aggregating Rs. 57,534 for the conversion of five handloom training units into handloom production units. Schemes for setting up four more handloom training-cum-production units are being finalised.
13.5. Handicrafts Units : Four more handicrafts units were sanctioned by the Board. The total grant sanctioned for these units is Rs. 61,820 creating an employment potential of 160 needy women.
13.6. Industrial Cooperative Societies under Urban Family Welfare Programme : Industrial cooperative societies at Hyderabad and Vijayawada continued to provide work to about 400 women in the production of safety matches. Another society at Nagpur, manufacturing educational toys and Montessori equipment continued to provide work to about 30 needy women.
13.7. It is proposed to sanction about 70 more units under this programme, during 1964-65, to voluntary institutions which are being selected in consultation with the State Social Welfare Advisory Boards.
14. Night Shelters.-Grants totalling Rs. 39,000 were sanctioned to 23 Shelters for continuing their activities. It has been decided that only those
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shelters which are working satisfactorily should be assisted during 1964-65. For this purpose reports on the working of all the shelters are being obtained from the chairmen of the State Boards and members of the Central Board.
15. Holiday Homes.-The State Social Welfare Boards have been authorised to deal with the programme of holiday homes in their respective States. On, the basis of the information available so far, 165 batches, of 50 children each, were sanctioned grants totalling Rs. 4.90 lakh.
16. Child Welfare Programmes.-The following programmes have been selected for implementation :
(i) Organising new balwadis and improving existing, balwadis in the communities development blocks (1,000 balwadis are pro posed to be started in 1964-65);
(ii) Developing balwadi programmes in Demonst- ration Projects of Integrated Child Welfare Services (40 balwadis will be started in 1963-64 and 200 in 1964-65);
(iii) Setting up model homes for children (one home is proposed to be started in 1963-64 and two in 1964-65);
(iv) Setting up foster care units (five units are proposed to be set up in 1964-65); and
(v) Setting up integrated pre-school projects (two projects will be set up in 1963-64 and 1.4 in 1964-65).
16.2. A supplement to the Board's monthly journal, `Samaj Kalyan' is being brought out for the balsevikas. Three issues have been published so far. A scheme for bringing out bulletins in regional languages is in the process of being finalised. A pamphlet on minimum standards for balwadis has also been prepared.
16.3. A scheme for providing short-term training to balsevikas has been prepared. During 1963-64, short-time training courses are proposed to be organised in some of the States where Demonstration Projects have been started. A provision has also been made for setting up six long-term training centres in 1964-65.
17. Welfare Programmes in Border Areas.-In the wake of the Chinese aggression, urgent need was felt for strengthening the border areas of the country. Consequently the, Central Social Welfare Board extended its we]fare programmes to the border districts. The Chairman undertook a tour of some of the important border districts and made a study of the peoples' needs and problems. Based on this study, a comprehensive scheme for starting a net-work of welfare services in border areas is under preparation. Meanwhile, by way of preliminary steps in this direction, welfare extension projects providing maternity services, craft training, social education and balwadi education have been started in the border wistrict of NEFA, Leh, Himachal Pradesh and Lahaul. Camps for local people were organised in the districts of Banaskantha and Kutch in Gujarat. During 1964-65, it is proposed to start additional welfare extension projects in these districts and to extend the welfare schemes to other border areas.
18. Evaluation Committees.-Evaluating the aided programmes of the Central Social Welfare Board has been Under its consideration for some time. The last conference of the chairmen of the State Social Welfare Advisory
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Boards and the meeting of the Central Social Welfare Board held in New Delhi in November, 1963 recognised the intrinsic importance of the assessment and evaluation programmes in indicating the success or otherwise of the various schemes. Consequently, it was decided that a committee might be appointed immediately to evaluate the programmes of the Central Social Welfare Board. In pursuance of this decision, a Central Committee has been appointed under the chairmanship of Shrimati A. J. Mathai, Chairman of the Central Board. It will coordinate the work of its 4 sub-committees, which have been asked to review and evaluate different items of the Board's programme. The committees are expected to submit interim reports by the end of March, 1964.
19. Model Pattern for Integration of State Social Welfare Boards and State Departments of Social Welfare.-A committee under the chairmanship, of Smt. A. J. Mathai has been set up to prepare a model pattern for the integration of the State Social Welfare Boards and the State Departments of Social Welfare.
20. Encyclopaedia of Social Work in India.-Undertaken at the instance of the Planning Commission, the Encyclopaedia will consist of three volumes running into a total of about 1200 to 1500 pages. It will provide a comprehensive statement of policies, programmes and trends in the welfare work in this. country set against a proper historical perspective and will give an up-to-date authoritative information on more than 160 topics of interest to the planners, administrators and social workers. Besides other interesting sections, it will include biographies of such persons as have made significant contributions in the field. The final draft of the Encyclopaedia is likely to be ready in 1964.
21. Journals.-The two journals of the Board, viz., `Social Welfare' and, `Samaj Kalyan' continued to publish specialised material on various aspects of welfare schemes and highlight the burning problems in the field of social welfare. During the year, a substantial rise in their paid circulation was, recorded.
D. REHABILITATION OF DISPLACED PERSONS 22. Indo-Pakistan Agreement on the Issue of Educational Certificates to Displaced Persons.-In accordance with the Agreement between the Governments of India and Pakistan, the Education Ministry of each country is responsible for the clearance of all applications for educational certificates as well as for the verification of educational qualifications. Comparatively, the Government of India have been quite expeditious in disposing of applications received from the nationals of Pakistan. 2,071 certificates have been furnished against 2,099 applications, the outstanding cases being only 28 fresh applications. The Government of Pakistan, on the other hand, have furnished 3,189 against 3,956 applications for certificates; 767 fresh applications from Indian nationals are outstanding with that Government, besides 270 old applications sent prior to the Agreement in 1957.
23. Home/Infirmaries.-There are now 50 homes/infirmaries for displaced persons from Pakistan with a population of about 50,000 inmates. There are about 1,000 displaced children who are being maintained in 32 educational institutions in West Bengal and about 3000 other displaced
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persons who are being paid cash doles outside homes/infirmaries. The work relating to the grant of rehabilitation assistance to the inmates of homes/infirmaries and outside dolees in the Eastern region was taken over from the Ministry of Works, Housing and Rehabilitation with effect from 1st June, 1963. The displaced families found fit for rehabilitation are given financial assistance in the form of loans for house-building and for business purposes and outright grants for the purchase of raw materials and equipment for trade/business.
24. Financial Assistance to Displaced Persons from Pakistan.- Under this scheme financial assistance in the form of freeship up to the school stage and stipends up to college stage is given to displaced students from East and West Pakistan through the State Governments, though the entire expenditure is met by the Government of India. However, in the case, of such students in Delhi, the assistance is given by the Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Directorate which functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Education. This scheme was expected to be wound up at the end of the second Plan, but to avoid any undue hardship to such students as were in the midst of their courses, it was decided to continue the scheme. During the year the total financial assistance is expected to amount to Rs. 16,84,000.
25. Grant, Recovery and Remission of Educational Loans to Displaced Students.-The work relating to the recovery and remission of educational loans advanced to displaced students whose guardians have settled down in Delhi was continued during the year. In respect of students in other States, this work is the concern of the Ministry of Works, Housing and Rehabilitation. The Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Directorate advanced loans to the extent of Rs. 7.26 lakh to 1,401 loanees so far, and a sum of Rs. 4.48 lakh has been recovered and remission to the extent of Rs. 0.8 lakh granted to non- claimant loanees, and to those whose claims amounted to less than the loan given.
26. Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Directorate.-The important activities of the Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Directorate during the year are :
26.2. Training-cum-Production Cenrtes : The Directorate runs 19 training-cum-production centres located in different parts of Delhi, for the benefit of girls and women. Since their comencement, 24,278 women have been trained in various crafts. The number of trainees during the year was 1147. The centres also employ women wage-earners in various crafts. During the year, 1295 women were employed. The total wages earned by the women workers during the year amounted to Rs. 5.20 lakh.