SOCIAL WELFARE
The programmes with which the Ministry of Education is concerned
in the field of social welfare are: (1) the over-all problems
connected with the defining of national policies in social welfare,
the coordination of the programmes of different agencies, social
legislation and its implementation, research and training and
financial assistance in selected and significant sectors; and (2)
welfare services directed to three specific groups, viz., (a) women
and children, (b) displaced persons, and (c) mentally and physically
handicapped children and adults. The programmes of the Ministry for
the last group have already been described in Chapter IX and in this
Chapter, therefore, it is proposed to deal with the general problems
and with (a) the welfare services directed to women and children and
(b) the education of the displaced persons. It will also deal with
the administration of social welfare in the Union Territories for
which the Government of India are directly responsible,-
A. OVER-ALL PROBLEMS IN SOCIAL WELFARE
2. Defining of National Policies in Social Welfare.
-For
the first two Plans, no special working group for preparing a blue-
print for the social welfare sector was appointed and provisions for
the different programmes of social work were made separately by the
Ministries concerned. This position has since been remedied; and for
the Third Plan, the Ministry of Education set up a working group for
social welfare, in consultation with the Planning Commission and the
Central Social Welfare Board, under the chairmanship of Shrimati
Durgabai Deshmukh. This group consulted States, voluntary
organisations and Ministries and has presented its report.
3. Coordination.
-As social welfare is a composite
subject and touches many fields, the question of coordinating efforts
and programmes in this field becomes an important task. For this
purpose, permanent coordinating committees, both at the Centre and
States have been recommended by the Study Team and this recommendation
has been accepted in principle by the Ministry. In the meantime, on
account of the high priority given to the field of child welfare, the
Cabinet Secretariat have set up a Child Welfare Coordination Committee
at the Centre and have advised the State Governments to do the same.
The work of collecting information, preparing papers, etc. dealing
with this Committee, however, is being done by the Ministry of
Education.
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4. Social Legislation,
-Many items of social welfare
fall in the State list and hence the Union Government are not
competent to undertake social legislation, except for Union
Territories. Such Central legislation, however. can and does serve as
a model to State Governments. the Women's and children's Institutions
(Licensing) Act was undertaken by the Central Government, in 1956.
The draft rules for enforcing it were also prepared by the' Central
Government and Circulated to State Governments who have enforced this
Act with suitable modifications in the draft rules to suit the local
conditions. The Children Act for Union Territories has been, passed
by Parliament in 1960. It marks a forward step in modernising such
statutes in this country, because it provides for the trial of
neglected children by a Child Welfare Board and not by a juvenile
court, as in the other State Acts. The rules under this Act are being
prepared and it will be enforced initially in Delhi before long. The
Orphanages (Control) Act has also been passed and has been circulated
to the State Governments. Other important legislative measures with
which the Ministry of Education were partially concerned are the
Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act (setting up of rescue homes) and
the revision of Indian Penal Code in so far as the kidnapping of
children is concerned. The latter was passed by Parliament in 1959;
and although the Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act was passed in
1956, its implementation has gathered momentum only recently.
5. Research.
-Promotion of research in the field of social
welfare is undertaken under the expert guidance of the Advisory Board
on Social Welfare set up by the Ministry which consists of
representatives of schools of social work, Central Social Welfare
Board. University Grants Commission, Inter-University Board, all-
India social welfare organisations and representatives of the
Ministries of Health, Labour and Employment, Education, and the
Planning Commission. The University Grants Commission considers
research projects received from universities and colleges and the
Ministry of Education considers research projects of non-university
schools of social work and social welfare organisations. Out of 26
research projects undertaken during the Second Plan with the grants
from the University Grants Commission and the Ministry of Education,
thirteen have been completed. During the Third Plan, it is proposed
to develop research on a team work basis, that is, a problem
considered important is proposed to be undertaken for study in its
various aspects,-each aspect being taken up by an agency and the whole
work being conducted on a coordinated and cooperative basis. During
the year under review. rules and regulations for research grants and
proformas for research programmes have been prepared.
6. Training.
-Another function of the Advisory Board of
Social Welfare is to advise the Government on the question of
coordination and maintenance of standards in training programmes for
social welfare.
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As social work training is a new concept, it is not accepted as a
subject of study in all universities. There are, therefore, both
university and non-university schools of social work. with varying
standards. The Advisory Board, therefore, suggested that the
Government of India, should set up an expert committee in
collaboration with the University Grants Commission. Such a Committee
has been set up and is continuing its deliberations. One of the terms
of the reference of the Committee is to lay down criteria for
financial assistance so that through judicious grants-in-aid,
standards can be set up and maintained.
7. Assistance to State Governments.
-The Government of
India also, give assistance to the State Governments for programmes of
social welfare, and schemes included in the State sector are assisted
by the Centre on an agreed basis. In addition, the Ministry of
Education operates the, Centrally sponsored scheme for After-care and
Social and Moral Hygiene which is designed for persons released from
Care institutions of both correctional and non-correctional type The
total provision for this scheme during the Second Plan was Rs. 200
lakhs. It is proposed to be continued in the Third Plan and a
provision of Rs. 1.18 crores has been made for the purpose. It is
also proposed to give assistance to the State Governments in the Third
Plan for their programme of inservice, reorientation or short-term
training.
In the Second Plan, there were hardly any State schemes of social
welfare. In the Third Plan, however, as a result of the work of the
working group, as well as the increased awareness of the need of
setting up some social welfare programmes, State schemes of the order
of nearly Rs. 5 crores are proposed to be included in the Third Plan.
The quantum of the Central assistance for these schemes is being
considered.
8. Assistance to Voluntary Organisations.
-The following
schemes of assistance to voluntary organisations in the field of
social welfare are being operated by the Ministry:
(a) Administrative Grants to All- India Organisations.
-It was noticed that while grants-in-aid are available from one agency
or other, for developmental activities or activities of local
organisations, no grants were given by any agency for the maintenance
of the central offices of all-India organisations with the result that
while the field work and work of State branches expanded, the
necessary staff to do administrative, work at the Centre could not be
maintained and this situation also made its mark felt on the quality
of the field programmes. The Ministry, therefore, has been giving
administrative grants. These were being given on an ad hoc basis but
from 1969-61 onwards, they are being given on a prescribed pattern.
During the Second Plan, administrative grants amounting to
approximately Rs. 7 lakhs have been given to institutions.
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(b) Grants to Voluntary Organisations.-
There are certain
purposesfor which the Central Social Welfare Board do not give any
grants. Sometimes, the pattern of the Central Social Welfare Boar
grant is also not commensurate with the efforts of the institution and
it becomes difficult for the Central Social Welfare Board to change
their usual pattern for a few cases of this type. Under these
circumstances, the Ministry gives grants to voluntary organisations
under their scheme of assistanceto voluntary organisations. During
the Second, Plan, grants amounting to Rs. 1.17 lakhs were given to 13
institutions.
B.THE CENTRAL SOCIAL WELFARE BOARD
9. Scope and Functions.
-The most important programmes
of social welfare with which the Ministry of Education is concerned
are those that relate to the welfare of women and children. For
implementing them, the Central Social Welfare Board was set up in
August 1953. TheBoard had undertaken a survey of the nature, quality
and extent of the services rendered by voluntary agencies in different
parts of the country and has been giving them financial and other
assistance in order to develop. their programmes of work in the field
of social welfare.
10. State Advisory Boards on Social Welfare.
-By the
middle of 1954, Social Welfare Advisory Boards were set up in the
States to assist the Central Social Welfare Board activities and to
enabale it to maintain continuous contact with the aided institutions.
11. Grants-in-aid.
-Since its inception up to the end of
October 1960, the Board had sanctioned 12,068 grants amounting to Rs.
332.48 lakhs to 5,912 voluntary welfare institutions. These figures
include grants given for a year at a time (5,710 institutions: Rs.
204.19 lakhs) and those on a long term basis (725 institutions: Rs.
128.29 lakhs).
12. Welfare Extension Projects (Rural).
-Among the
schemes directly sponsored by the Board are the rural Welfare
Extension Projects and the training programmes. The scheme of Welfare
Extension Projects was launched in August 1954. Each of these
projects covers an area of about 25 to 30 villages and a population of
about 20,000. The programme and activities of the projects comprise
balwadis (community creches and pre-Basic schools), maternity and
infant health services (including those for the handicapped and the
delinquent), literacy and social education for women, conduct of arts
and crafts centres and, recreational activities. Care was taken to
avoid duplication of activities conducted by governmental and non-
governmental organisations in, the areas covered by the Welfare
Extension Projects.
13. A Project Implementing Committee comprising mainly women,
social workers is responsible for the formulation and execution of
programme in each welfare extension area. Each project area is
generally divided into five centres of five Villages each, each centre
being in the-
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charge of a trained gram sevika who works with the team of a dai and a
craft instructor. At the project level, there is a mukhya sevika and
a midwife. Half the expenditure on each project is given by the
Central Board and the other half is met through other sources such as
State funds, local funds and public contributions.
14. Up to the end of October 1960, 418 such projects with 2,027
centres covering a population of 79.48 lakhs in 10,499 villages had be
established. The number of projects had reached 440, but some of them
have since been merged in projects in the community development
blocks, as described in para 15 below. From 1961-62 onwards, it has
been decided that these activities should be conducted by local
voluntary welfare organisations, each of which will be given a
suitable grant under the Board's grant-in-aid programme. Arrangements
for deciding on the various institutions to take up this programme are
being settled.
15. From April 1957, the Board has undertaken all work relating
to the welfare of women and children in the Community Development
Blocks. Each of these projects covers about 100 villages and a
population of 60,000 to 70,000. There are, by the end of October,
1960, 324 projects of this pattern, with 3,240 centres, covering
32,400 villages and a population of 213.84 lakhs.
16. Building grants for project centres of the Welfare Extension
Projects are sanctioned by the Board in its grants-in-aid programme.
Up to the end of October, 1960, 1,024 centres of 334 projects had been
sanctioned a total amount of Rs. 36.54 lakhs. The local community had
donated 354.70 acres of land and Rs. 18.70 lakhs as local
contribution.
17. Training Programmes.
-For the execution of the rural
welfare
programme, 317 mukhya sevikas, 3,767 gramsevikas, 221 midwives and 335
dais had been trained at various training centres run by Kasturba
Gandhi National Memorial Trust and other voluntary agencies. The
training has been suspended for the time being. It may be revived
when required.
18. Condensed Courses for Adult Women.
-There is now an
increasing scope for a large number of women being trained and
employed as gramsevikas, midwives, teacher& etc. in rural areas under
various Plan The Board, therefore, gives grants-in-aid to institutions
giving training through condensed courses to the adult women between
the ages of 20 to 35 years. Up to the end of October, 1960, 222
voluntary institutions had been sanctioned grants amounting to Rs. 60
lakhs, for this purpose.
19 Welfare Extension Projects (Urban).
-These projects are
meant to provide a Community Welfare Centre for the residents of slum
areas of large cities and towns, where such services are needed. The
activities
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undertaken in these projects may include starting of creche, balwadis,
ante-natal and post-natal advisory services, infant health centres,
hobby clubs, vocational guidance, training in arts and crafts for
women, referral And placement services for the handicapped and the
like. These services are centred round the family as a unit. The
Board gives grants to the institutions running these projects. Up to
the end of October, 1960, 72 voluntary institutions had been
sanctioned grants amounting to Rs. 18 lakhs, for running these
projects in urban areas.
20. Holiday Homes for Children.
-Under this scheme the
Central Social Welfare Board gives assistance for organising holiday
camps for children coming from lower income groups in the hill
stations and summer resorts. The scheme is being coordinated by the
Indian Council of Child Welfare. Up to the end of October, 1960, 78
batches of 50 children each had been sanctioned a total grant of Rs.
2.10 lakhs for arranging Holiday Homes at various places.
21. Night Shelters.
-A shelter for the shelterless has
been the growing need in big industrial cities. In order to have some
sort of temporary accommodation for these people, the Board started a
scheme of night shelters for the shelterless in the big cities. This
scheme is being implemented, coordination being undertaken by the
Bharat Sevak Samaj. Up to the end of October, 1960, schemes for the
opening of 42 night shelters in different States had been approved.
22. Socio-Economic Programmes.
-An important programme
the Central Social Welfare Board initiated in recent years is in
regard to industrial programmes, with a view to providing an economic
base to its existing welfare activities. With the cooperation and
technical as well as financial assistance of the Ministry of Commerce
and Industry and its industrial boards and Khadi Commission, a number
of production units are being organised which would provide
remunerative work to the needy women and the physically handicapped.
Under this programme so far 102 ambar parishramalayas have been set up
providing training to women in rural areas, with the assistance of the
All-India Handloom Board. where about 500 women and handicapped
persons would be given training and subsequent employment;, about 140
instructors have been trained in handicrafts at the Regional
Handicrafts Training Institutes conducted with the assistance of the
All-India Handicrafts Board and about 40 handicrafts training centres,
production centres and procurement units are being set up; production
units as ancillary to larger industries have already been set up at
Poona and Bangalore and two more would be shortly organised at
Calcutta and Coimbatore; three coir spinning and weaving units in the
States of Kerala, Mysore and Maharashtra are being set up to provide
employment to' about 300 needy women.; silk reeling and spinning units
have been set up in the States of Assam, Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh and Orissa. In addition to these, the Central
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Social Welfare Board also gives grants to voluntary institutions up to
extent of Rs. 15,000 for setting up small production units providing
employment to about 30 to 35 needy women per unit. Under the Urban
Family Welfare Scheme initiated earlier by the Central Social Welfare-
Board, industrial cooperative societies set up at Vijayawada and
Hyderabad provide work to 500 women workers in the production of
safety matches.
C. SOCIAL WELFARE IN UNION TERRITORIES
23. Administration of Social Welfare in Union Territories.
The Ministry is responsible for social welfare programmes in the Union
Territories and for the creation of directorates etc. in these areas.
This work was being done formerly in the Home Ministry, but consequent
on the recommendations of the Study Team, this item of work, namely,
Aftercare and Social and Moral Hygiene programme, and the social
welfare schemes which were being done by the Ministry of
Rehabilitation have been transferred. During the Second Plan,
Directorates of Social Welfare have been set up in the Union
Territories of Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. In other Union
Territories, the programmes of social welfare are small and no need to
set up separate departments or directorates has been, felt. The
social welfare programmes in all Union Territories (barring Tripura)
are the concern of planning and development departments. In Tripura,
the education department is also the department of social welfare.