14.30 In the field of science and technology, stress would be laid on evolving devices to reduce the drudgery of women, so that the time saved is utilised for developmental activities. Training and retraining would be ensured for many S and T related programmes. The beneficiary-oriented programmes in the various sectors of development would be suitably modified or re-oriented so that the due share of benefits from such programmes is availed of by them.
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14.31 Collation and analysis of information and relevant data on the development programmes for women will be undertaken in an effective manner.
MAJOR PROGRAMMES 14.32 Education: During the Seventh Plan, sustained efforts, through various schemes and measures, would have to be made in order to reach 100 per cent coverage in elementary education, for children upto the age of 14 years. The scheme of "Financial Assistance to Voluntary Agencies to run early childhood education (pre-school) centres as adjuncts of primary/middle schools" would be expanded, particularly to evolve innovative models suited to specific learner groups or areas. The programme would receive greater attention in all the ICDS blocks. Educational campaigns for tackling the prejudices and socioreligious constraints would be taken up on a wider scale, since nearly three-fourths of the out-of-school children are girls. Efforts would be made to enrol and retain girls in school, especially in rural areas and for children belonging to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other weaker sections. At the elementary stage, education has been made free for girls in all States/UTs. Priority wouold continue to be given to women in teacher's training programmes to increase the availability of trained women teachers, and thereby to enhance girls' enrolement and retention in schools. Incentives like uniforms, free textbooks and attendance scholarships would be continued to the needy girls in all schools.
14.33 Non-formal elementary education would be expanded to benefit girls in the age-group 6-14 years.
14.34 Under the Adult Education Programme, apart from increasing the coverage, the educational content of the programme would be modified to incorporate new value systems in the community regarding the role of women in the family and community.
14.35 The Seventh Plan envisages, among other schemes, the preparation of district level plans as a mass movement with local community participation both for activising and implementing the literacy programmes, and the creation of special mechanisms to monitor the progress of implementation at State level. Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), National Rural Employment Programme (NREP), Training of Rural Youth in Self-Employment (TRYSEM) and other such programmes would have a component of functional literacy for women beneficiaries.
14.36 Talented girls would be encouraged to pursue higher education. It is also proposed to expand the "Open Learning Systems", including correspondence courses for them.
14.37 In order to promote technical and vocational education for girls, more women's polytechnics would be set up and programmes for vocationalisation of education would be expanded.
14.38 To boost education among the girls of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, additional facilities would continue to be provided under the development of backward classes sector. Girls above the matriculation stage would get higher scholarships/ stipends than those for the boy students. Financial assistance is envisaged for construction of hostel buildings for girls at district level, and for purchase of equipment, furniture, utensils, books and periodicals in these hostels.
14.39 Under the National Sports Policy, participation of women and girls in sports and games would be encouraged. Stress would be laid on the identification of sports talent among women and provision made for sports scholarships, coaching and nourishment support for promising girls with a view to increase standards of their performance in competitive games. Besides, schemes for encouraging traditional folk, tribal and hill arts and cultural activities would be expanded and strengthened.
14.40 Health: Under the health sector, the major thrust during the next ten years will be directed towards the reduction of the prevailing high maternal and infant mortality rates. For this purpose emphasis will be placed on the expansion of MCH care which will give considerable importance to preventive, promotive and educational services. Specifically, schemes for giving tetanus toxoid to mothers and providing proper ante-natal care will be taken up on a sizeable scale. Besides, close linkages with other related sectors will be established in order to make a dent on the problem. The health and family welfare services will be made available to all women in the reproductive age group. The existing bed-strengths at the district hospitals would be augmented and a sizeable proportion of them would be allocated to women and children. The health sub-centre coverage for providing health services would be progressively reduced to below 5000 persons per sub-centre. Besides, nutrition supplements, iron and folic acid tablets would be given to mothers for bridging the calorie-vitamin and mineral deficiency gap as well as for fighting anaemia. The scheme for training of birth attendants and auxiliary nurse midwives would be expanded considerably. Efforts would be made to promote health consciousness, so that the available health infrastructure could be fully utilised. Mass media, voluntary agencies, village health committees, women's organisations and dais will be employed to spread knowledge about simple remedies for common disorders. Women would also be informed about misleading advertisements regarding the use of tonics, health
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drinks, etc. Knowledge about the nutritional status of girls and its impact on the health and weight of the babies born would be disseminated widely. Such published information would include the demographic and sociocultural implications of the present adverse sex ratio and low age at marriage.
Employment: 14.41 (i) Agriculture and allied sectors: Special attention would be given to improving existing skills of women and imparting to them new skills under the programmes of farmers' training, exchange of farmers, training in horticulture, fisheries, poultry, dairy development, fodder production, post-harvest technology, application of pesticides, budding and grafting, social forestry etc. Horticultural research and development programmes would play a significant role in economic and nutritional progress, particularly with respect to the problem of under-nutrition of pregnant women and nursing mothers and their children.
(ii) Rural development: The Integrated Rural Development Programme, meant for the poorest in the rural areas, has been formulated for creating assets with a view to increasing the productivity and income-generation ability of the beneficiaries in a specified period of time. The programme has been extended to all the 5092 development blocks in the country during the Sixth Plan. About 20 million beneficiaries would be covered during the Seventh Plan. This would include 50 per cent of the old beneficiaries who may require a second dose of assistance at an average rate of Rs. 500/-. The new beneficiaries, however, would receive an enhanced rate of subsidy of Rs. 1333/-. The scheme covers landless labourers, small and marginal farmers, rural artisans and other workers like fishermen. Efforts have been made under this programme to select households headed by women beneficiaries. This approach will be continued during the Seventh Plan, and importance would be given to achieve a larger coverage of women. Households headed by women would account for at least 20 per cent of the coverage. The scheme of DWCRA would be strengthened and modified in order to ensure that the benefits reach the target groups.
The National Rural Employment Programme (NREP) and Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Scheme (RLEGP) would generate additional employment in rural areas during the lean season. Stress would be laid on giving adequate employment to women beneficiaries under these schemes.
Under the programme of TRYSEM, 40 youths in the age-group 18-35 years per development block are identified and provided training in avocations which may enable them to set up self-employment ventures. About one third of the beneficiaries under this programme are expected to be women.
(iii) Land reforms: The scheme for providing financial assistance to the Assignees of Ceiling Surplus Land (ACSL) obtained from the implementation of land ceiling laws, is under operation since August, 1975. The Central assistance for this scheme is intended to enable allottees to buy inputs and other necessary wherewithals of cultivation. This policy will be oriented to confer benefits on a larger number of households headed by women. Families of landless agricultural and other sections of the vulnerable groups will be given usufruct rights to grow trees on road sides, waste lands, etc.
(iv) Industry: Public sector undertakings would be persuaded to sponsor ancillary industries in collaboration with State level agencies dealing with development programmes for women to provide increased employment opportunities around them. Attempts would also be made to identify and target the women beneficiaries under Entrepreneurial Development Programme (EDP) and Industrial Estates.
(v) Village and small-scale industries: The schemes for the introduction of new technologies and the induction of expertise through upgradation of training would be further expanded. The scope of the specific training programmes for women entrepreneurs will be widened in order to fully familiarise them with the technical know-how needed for setting up enterprises. The number of such women entrepreneurs would also be increased. Rural technology institutions, and mobile technology and training units would be considerably expanded. These organisations would regularly conduct special training courses for women at various levels. The training would be oriented, wherever possible, to schemes like IRDP, TRYSEM, etc. Taking up special programmes for women by agencies like process-cum- product development centres (PPDCs), training centres and small industries service institutes (SISI) would be examined. A massive programme for training of artisans, managers, supervisors and entrep- reneurs would have to be taken up to expand efficient production and for promotion of skilled employment. Women's participation in these schemes will be increased substantially.
Besides, the district industries centres (DICs) will play a special role in the identification of groups of women artisans/workers for disseminating information relating to avocations to be taken up and the nature of support that could be extended by governmental agencies.
Presently, some special provisions in terms of infrastructure facilities like industrial sheds are being extended
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to women entrepreneurs. As this facility is not adequate, efforts would be made to set up mini-industrial estates exclusively for women on a much larger scale. Special facilities like sheds and plots at subsidised rates to units exclusively run by women and/or employing female labour will be given.
The National Small Industries Corporation and other apex organisations would extend support for marketing, product design and financial support for raw material procurement. Concessional financial requirements will also be considered for meeting fully the working capital requirements and for providing margin money for seed capital. The distinct and unique role assigned to the handloom sector will be preserved and several measures would be initiated both for consolidation and expansion of this sector.
Under the programme of training of workers and entrepreneurs, women beneficiaries will be given importance. Women are expected to obtain sizeable employment under this sector. Coir making, sericulture and small scale industries are some such sectors which offer great potential.
(vi) Khadi and village industries: During the Seventh Plan the employment coverage under khadi and village industries is likely to increase from the present 3.80 million persons to 5.86 million persons. A considerable proportion of this additional employment will come to women, and the percentage share of women is expected to increase from 46 to 48 per cent during the Seventh Plan.
(vii) Other measures: Efforts will be made towards creation and promotion of equal employment opportunities for men and women. Implementation of the Equal Remuneration Act will be strengthened to ensure that women workers are paid wages as prescribed in the Act from time to time. Studies would be sponsored to examine whether equal remuneration under the Act is related to work outputs under different sectors of employment. Similarly, studies will be undertaken on the implementation of the Factories' Act 1948, the Plantation Labour Act 1951 and the Mines' Act of 1952 to assess whether the interests of women are adequately protected. Areas/ sectors where women's employment is low would be identified and measures for improving their prospects will be taken. Emphasis will also be placed on the study and identification of factors that hinder women's employment. Special agencies will be set up for extending credit facilities for self- employment and home-based workers. Relaxation of age limit for women for entry into government services and public sector undertakings will be considered. Avenues for creation of part-time employment for women will also be explored.
14.42 Science and technology: Programme on "Science and Technology for Women" would be further strengthened to identify, formulate sponsor and implement research and development, demonstration and extension programmes, with special emphasis on providing opportunities for gainful employment/self employment to women specially to those in rural areas.
14.43 The training programmes at different levels such as those for unemployed graduates, school drop-outs and housewives will be strengthened and expanded, for improving the trainees' skills. Besides, skill manuals and training aids in areas of agriculture, animal husbandry and other new occupations would be prepared to provide opportunities of independent employment and income for women. Assistance of voluntary organisations would be sought for taking need based technologies to the target groups and in obtaining feedback regarding the acceptance of the programme and in the identification of factors that influence the transfer of technologies. Under the concept of Vigyan Kendras, the possibility of setting up rural banks for lending improved agricultural tools would be explored and new groups would be identified, preferably, those in which scientists and technologists are actively involved for taking up developmental programmes for women at the grassroot level.
14.44 Special training programmes would continue to be sponsored for women in polytechnics and other institutions of technical education in areas such as repair and maintenance of radios, television and other electronic hardware or consumer durables, manufacture of PVC goods, lacquer work, fibre reinforced plastics etc. Involvement of women voluntary agencies and home science colleges would be ensured.
14.45 Social Welfare: The programmes for women under the Social Welfare sector are meant to supplement the services available to women under other developmental sectors. Further strengthening is envisaged of the on-going schemes which have been found useful in skill formation and creation of gainful employment among women. Very close linkages with specialised agencies such as ICAR, ICMR, DST, Rural Development, Industry and Education are called for.
14.46 The Central Social Welfare Board would continue to extend grants-in-aid to voluntary organisations to set up a variety of income generating units under the "SocioEconomic Programme" for the benefit of needy women. Efforts would be made to improve the programme by introducing better technical and marketing support. The scheme of assistance to public undertakings/corporations and autonomous organisations for supporting projects aimed at income generation and employment among women from weaker sections on a sustained basis with
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the help of Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD) would be further expanded, with focus on diversified occupations and inculcating new skills required by the job market. Grants would also be given for organising condensed educational and vocational training courses for adult women so as to improve their employment prospects. Short-duration training courses (not exceeding one year) in non- traditional trades would be expanded for rehabilitating women in distress and their dependent children. Construction/expansion of hostels for working women from low-income groups will be accelerated with a view to provide accommodation with improved standards of service at reasonable cost. The possibility of involving the inmates in the management of these hostels would be explored. The scheme of training of rural women in public cooperation will be extended to develop leadership qualities among them and to involve them in the developmental activities of the country.
14.47 A new scheme, namely, Women's Development Corporations, would be taken up for promoting employment-generating activities by supporting schemes for women's groups and women from poorer sections of society. These corporations would identify potential areas of employment and assist beneficiaries in project formulation, raising the requisite finances and marketing of their products. A Women's Development Planning and Monitoring Cell will be set up for collection of data and monitoring of Plan programmes. Provision has also been made for a few innovative schemes/projects which, if found successful, would be replicated.
14.48 Voluntary organisations: At present the effort by voluntary agencies is rather uneven, and is mostly concentrated in the urban areas. These agencies have to be stimulated to extend their programmes to rural, hilly and backward areas. They would be encouraged to create public opinion against social evils like child marriage, dowry, illiteracy and atrocities on women. Sustained effort would be made for increasing the age at marriage of girls and for improving the adverse sex ratio. There is lack of awareness about the existing social legislation to protect the interests of women. Voluntary agencies would be supported to undertake educational work and bring in awareness among women regarding their rights and privileges. They would also be associated in extension activities.
14.49 The voluntary organisations would be involved in delivering the "Messages" on preventive and promotive health and social and nutritive care for women and children. It has been well established that blindness, leprosy, tuberculosis, polio, accidents, drug addiction and prostitution afflict vast numbers of our population. Instead of expending large sums on therapeutic and rehabilitative services (which are costly for those affected), emphasis would be on preventive care. Voluntary agencies, educational institutions and training centres would be involved and aided to take up various activities for promoting preventive measures in a planned and coordinated manner. Production of films, documentaries, literature and other forms of mass communication and deployment of non-formal channels of communication by these agencies and institutions would be fully supported. Besides, they can also take up porgrammes of vocational training for adult women and girls from poorer sections on a large scale in order to enlarge and improve the avenues of employment. There is an urgent need for 'public conveni- ences' for women at those bus stands, railway stations, theatres and market places which lack this amenity. Voluntary agencies would be encouraged to take up this work in a big way.