CHAPTER XI SOCIAL WELFARE AND REHABILITATION OF DISPLACED PERSONS
A. SOCIAL WELFARE In the third Five-Year Plan, greater attention has been paid to the 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 stream- lining the schemes of the Central Social Welfare Board, strengthening the training programmes of social work and encouraging the voluntary organisations in various welfare activities. The social welfare programmes have been allotted a sum of Rs. 3,100 lakh which includes Rs. 300 lakh specially for the schemes of child welfare. Some of the important schemes are described in the first three sections of this Chapter.
2.Survey and Research Programme Financial assistance is given to voluntary organisations and non- university institutions of social work to carry out surveys, training programmes and pilot research work in social welfare. Rs. 10,087.51 were sanctioned to three organisations during the year.
3. Social and Moral Hygiene and After-Care Programme 91 district shelters and 50 state homes continued to function during the year under report. 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.
4. Assistance to Voluntary Organisations of Social Welfare Rs. 1,31,299 were sanctioned to different voluntary organisations during the year under report.
5. Assistance to Schools of Social Work Four schools of social work were given financial assistance to the tune of Rs. 1.62 lakh for maintenance and developmental activi- ties.
The Committee which was appointed jointly by the Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission to review the standards in the various schools of social work in the country completed their visits and its report is under preparation.
B. CHILD WELFARE
6. Integrated Services for Child Welfare Demonstration Projects The scheme is intended to ensure the total well-being of the child population of the age-group 0-16. It envisages the establish- ment of 20 demonstration projects, one in each State and major Union Territory, with an
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aggregate amount of Rs. 5 lakh per project for the entire period of its implementation i.e., 4-5 years. The expenditure is borne by the Union Government while the implementation is the responsibility of the State Government/Union Administration concerned.
Of the 16 proposals received, 12 were sanctioned, one each in Punjab, Orissa, Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Tripura.
Grants already sanctioned during the year amounted to Rs. 7.30 lakh including Delhi and Himachal Pradesh Administrations.
7. Establishment of Balwadis, Creches, Balsevika Training Centres,
etc. The schemes envisage the provision of a trained worker (Balsevi- ka) in each existing Balwadi and creche and the opening of a number of Balsevika training centres in different parts of the country. Four centres, one each at Delhi, Madras, Kerala and Mysore are already functioning. Proposals to start similar training centres in Rajas- than, Punjab, West Bengal and Orissa reached an advanced stage. This scheme implemented through the Indian Council for Child Welfare was formerly administered by the Central Social Welfare Board. In the middle of 1962-63 it was taken over by the Ministry for direct admin- istration.
8. Research Study on Child Growth The Scheme is being implemented through the National Council of Educational Research and Training which receives grant-in-aid for the purpose.
C. CENTRAL SOCIAL WELFARE BOARD 9. During 1962-63, the Central Social Welfare Board completed nine years of its work since its inception in 1953. Shrimati Durgabai Deshmukh, who was the Chairman of the Board, retired on 12th August, 1962 and Shrimati Achamma J. Matthai was appointed its Chairman.
10. Grants-in-Aid Programme As recommended by the Grants-in-Aid Committee of the Board, the State Boards were delegated powers to sanction grants for one year at a time, release funds and accept the final accounts on behalf of the Central Social Welfare Board. During the year, 2165 grants amounting to Rs. 43 lakh were sanctioned, including 1963 grants finally sanc- tioned by the State Boards.
11. Welfare Extension Projects (Coordinated Pattern) There is no provision in the third Five-Year Plan for continuing the C. D. Block pattern projects beyond the first five-year period. It has, however, been suggested to the State Boards that if the Balwa- dis established in these projects are taken over by voluntary organi- sations, the Central Board would be prepared to consider financial assistance on an equal matching basis. At the end of December, 1962 there were 312 projects.
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12. Condensed Course for Adult WomenThe present target for this programme in the third Plan period was 500 courses with a Provision of Rs. 1.5 crore. Since this pro- gramme has been very popular, about 600 courses would be sanctioned in the current Plan period. By the end of December, 1962 four hundred and sixty-three courses were sanctioned. The total number of women trained so far is, 4,225, while 7,375 are under training. The total grants sanctioned so far for the courses is Rs. 132.3 lakh.
13. Socio-Economic Programme for Women During the year under report a sum of Rs. 2.48 lakh was granted to.15 production units, providing employment to 342 women.
14. Encyclopaedia of Social Work in India At the suggestion of the Planning Commission the Board has taken up, on behalf of the Planning Commission, the preparation of an ency- clopaedia of voluntary social workers in India and history of volun- tary social welfare institutions. The project is expected to be spread over a period of two years.
15. A revolving fund of Rs. 2 lakh was created to provide woollen garments to the Jawans with the help of voluntary welfare organisations.
16. Coordination with the Central Citizens Council The Central Board is providing the secretariat and is giving its free services for the various activities of Committee for Welfare and Amenities of the Central Citizens Council at Delhi. The Chairman of the Central Social Welfare Board is the Chairman of this Committee. The Central Board agreed to place at the disposal of the chairmen of State Committees for Welfare and Amenities, surplus jeeps available with the State Social Welfare Board for reception camps for civilian evacuees from border areas owing to the national emergency.
The Board placed a sum of Rs. 15,000 as an emergency grant at the disposal of the State Social Welfare Advisory Board, Assam to enable that body to implement welfare programmes in the evacuee camps. Balwadis were organised in different camps and woollen garments sup- plied for the children of the evacuees in the Balwadis.
D. REHABILITATION OF DISPLACED PERSONS
17. Indo-Pakistan Agreement on the Issue of Educational
Certificates to Displaced Persons According to 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 verification of educational qualifications. While the Govern- ment of India have disposed of almost all the applications received (the balance left over being 23 fresh applications), the Government of Pakistan have to clear 1,392 applications as on 31-1-1963.
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18. Financial Assistance to Displaced Students from Pakistan Under the scheme, financial assistance in the shape of freeship up to school stage and stipends up to college stage is granted to displaced students from East and West Pakistan. Although the scheme was expected to be wound up at the end of the second Plan, in order to avoid undue hardship to those who are in the midst of their courses, it has been decided to continue to give benefits under the scheme to those students who are already in receipt of such assistance but who have not yet completed their courses.
19. Educational Loans The work relating to the recovery and remission of educational loans advanced to displaced students was continued during the year under report. Out of a sum of Rs. 7.26 lakh advanced to 1,401 loanees through the Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Directorate, a sum of Rs. 4.89 lakh has either been recovered or remitted up to December 31, 1962.
20. Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Directorate The more important activities of the Social Welfare and Rehabili- tation Directorate dealt with during the year under review are given below :-
(a) Training-cum-Production Centres
(b) Refugee Handicrafts Shop
(c) Kasturba Niketan Home
(d) Homes/Infirmaries
21 Financial ProvisionsThe following financial provisions were made for the schemes discussed in the chapter:
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Scheme Provision Provision
Sl. for for
No. 1962-63 1963-64
1. Surveys, Training Programme and Pilot Research Projects Rs. Rs.
in Social Welfare 5,00,000 2,00,000
2. Grants to All-India Welfare Organisations and Develop-
mental Administrative Grants to Child Welfare and
Social Welfare Organisations 3,00,000 1,50,000
3. Pre-Primary Education and Child Welfare-Assistance to
State Branches of the Indian Council for Child Wel-
fare 80,000 60,000
4. National Council of Educational Research and Training
for the Study of Child Growth 48,000 Nil
5. Material and Equipment under TCA Programme-Cost
of Material etc.-Social Welfare Educational Institu-
tions 30,000 Nil
6. Grants to Central Social Welfare Board 2,50,00,000 2,00,00,000
7. Balsevika Training Programme 1,00,000 4,00,000
8. Social and Moral Hygiene and After-Care Programme 11,00,000 7,00,000
9. State Social Welfare Programme for Women, Children,
Handicapped etc. 36,50,000 32,85,000
10. Grants-in-aid to States-Welfare Extension Projects 2,86,400 1,91,000
11. Integrated Services for Child Welfare-Demonstration
Projects 17,00,000 13,00,000
12. Financial Assistance for Displaced Students:
A. From West Pakistan 5,70,000 3,75,000
B. From East Pakistan 14,83,000 10,06,000
13. Homes and Infirmaries for Displaced Persons from East
and West Pakistan 89,18,900 1,37,25,900
14. Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Directorate:
(i) Headquarters Establishment 1,92,000 1,86,800
(ii) Aid to Displaced Students from West Pakistan 65,000 72,000
(iii) Kasturba Niketan, Lajpat Nagar 2,20,300 1,99,800
(iv) Outside doles 27,000 27,000
(v) Training-cum-Production Centres for Women and
Refugee Handicraft Shop 3,76,000 5,28,700
(vi) Wages for Government Order Work at the Training
Centres 3,00,000 3,00,000
(vii) Training-cum-Production Centres; for Non-Dis-
placed Persons 40,200 40,200
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TOTAL (14) 12,20,500 13,54,500