PERSONNEL REQUIREMENITS AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES
MANPOWER PLANNING OF all the resources for development, perhaps the most fundamental at the present time is trained manpower. Owing to the rapid advance in science and technology and the growing complexity of industrial and economic Organisation, there is increasing demand for larger numbers of highly skilled and trained personnel drawn from different disciplines and functioning generally in composite teams rather than as individuals. As the economy develops, the requirements of individuals with more advanced and specialised training and of scientifically trained workers increase, while the need for persons at lower levels of skill and for the semi-skilled and unskilled steadily diminishes. It takes five years or more to give the, basic training needed by an engineer or a doctor, and a much longer period to provide research and practical experience essential for filling positions of greater responsibility. To secure the required outturn of scientific and technical personnel and build up an adequate foundation of scientific research may take a nation, a whole generation.
2. In relation to the long-term economic development of a country, the extent of trained manpower available and the training facilities established constitute a major determinant of the measure of advance which can be achieved in different directions. As the economy grows, there has to be emphasis not only on numbers but also on quality and experience. Problems of producing the requisite trained manpower have to be seen in their broader context. On the one hand, they bear upon the character of education at each stage in school And college and on life in the home ; on the other, they en- compass the entire system of management and organisation in industrial and other undertakings, and the lines along which research is undertaken and its results applied.
3. In the context of programmes for the training of manpower, the demands of rapid economic development are like those of a national emergency. It calls for the reorganisation and expansion of existing institutions, development of large numbers of new institutions, special measures for obtaining and training teachers and instructors, introduction of new techniques for intensifying training and shorten- ing the periods needed, expanding facilities for imparting practical training, and developing new ways of making use of trained personnel as a scarce key resource. In the light of experience and assessment of the developing needs of the economy there must be constant re- examination of ideas and practices in vogue in the field of training. In manpower planning the economy has to be viewed as a whole, the entire range of facilities and possibilities available in all undertakings, whether public or private, being deemed to be at the service of the community. There is need to encourage experiment and innovation on the part of every organisation and training institution and to provide ever-increasing opportunities for original and creative activity.
4. Over the first two Plans valuable experience in manpower planning has been gained in several fields. There has been considerable expansion in facilities for the training of scientists, engineers and technologists, of agricultural, veterinary and health and medical personnel and of skilled craftsmen. Steel plants and other major industrial projects have made it necessary to take up large-scale training, both within the country and abroad, and in this other nations have also generously shared their experience and facilities. Trained personnel are required in large numbers, not only for the development of industry and transport and power but also in many other fields. Rural development programmes undertaken in com- munity development and other areas have already involved large training programmes. As the role of democratic institutions at the district, block and village levels, of the cooperative movement, of municipal bodies and of voluntary organisations becomes more decisive in fields close to the welfare of the community as a whole, their need for trained personnel will become even more marked and much larger numbers of trained workers will be needed. Progress in education, health services, family planning and welfare programmes, as envisaged in the Third and later Plans, will also depend to no small. extent on the adequate supply of teachers and other trained personnel.
5. In each field personnel requirements have to be estimated carefully and over a long period. This calls for improved statistical information, and development of techniques of manpower assessment so that the necessary estimates call be made with reasonable accuracy and a comprehensive picture built up for the economy as a whole. Estimates of personnel requirements have necessarily to be reviewed from time to time in the light of changing needs and experience. Manpower planning is, thus, an integral part of the economic, plans formulated by the Central and State Governments and their agencies, and, within their own specific fields by
PERSONAL REQUIREMENTS AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES 89
industrial associations and other organisations representing different activities or interests as welt as by individual undertakings and institutions, both public and private. They call for constant interchange of knowledge and experience and for special investigations. In view of the wide range of issues to be considered, and the great importance of manpower planning for the country's future development, it is proposed shortly to set up an Institute of Applied Manpower Research, which will work in close collaboration with the Central and State Governments and with industrial and other organisa- tions. Among the main aims of the Institute will be to provide a broad perspective of requirements of trained manpower for economic development in different fields, arrange for facilities for advanced training in manpower planning, develop methods for training and building, up the existing work-force, evolve methods for up the existing work-force, evolve methods for and, generally, secure the most effective utilisation of the country's human resources.
6. As compared to the First Plan, the Second Plan presented problems of manpower planning on a much large scale. To a consi- derable extent, profiting from the lessons of the Second Plan, steps were taken sufficiently in advance to secure trained personnel for the Third Plan. In many fields, though by no means in all, training programmes, which form part of the 'third Plan, are designed to produce trained workers for the still more intensive development envisaged in the Fourth and later plans. There are still large areas in which personnel with adequate experience will not be available in sufficient number, and small numbers of trained and experienced persons will have to carry a disproportionate load. In these fields, while making the maximum use of the available indigenous personnel, there should be no hesitation in taking advantage of technical assistance programmes and other sources for obtaining Such highly trained personnel as may be needed. Since the requirements of person- nel are commonly reckoned chiefly in terms of assumptions and possibilities, based on past or current experience and unforeseen demands will continue to be thrown up on account of the rapid technological changes within the country and abroad and the growing needs of the economy, the present estimates are likely to need upward revision. It will be of particular importance during the Third Plan to reassess requirements in different fields from time to time and to take a view of these requirements not merely for the Fourth Plan, but also for the Fifth Plan. In this Chapter it is proposed to set out briefly the present estimates of requirements of personnel and the training programmes for which the Third Plan provides in such fields as engineering, technology and science, agriculture and rural development, education, health and social welfare, and statistics and administration.
II
ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY and SCIENCE 7. Requirements of engineers and technicians may be considered at three principal levels-graduates, diploma holders and skilled craftsmen. In each group there has been rapid increase in the additions needed during each Plan period. On present estimates 5 1,000 additional engineering graduates are likely to be required for the Third Plan as compared to about 29,000 in the Second Plan. the demand in the Fourth Plan is estimated at about 80,000. Estimates for different branches of engineering are given in the Table below
Table 1 : Estimated additional requirements for graduates in engineering and technology
Second Third Fourth
Plan Plan Plan
civil engineering 12400 13000 20000
mechanical engineering 5300 15300 24000
electrical engineering 5600 10500 17000
telecommunication engi-
neering 1600 2500 4000
chemical engineering 2300 3500 7000
metallurgy 700 1100 1600
mining 500 1600 2400
others* 1000 3500 4000
total 29400 51000 80000
8. The additional requirements of diploma holders in engineering and technology in the Third Plan are estimated at about 100,000 compared to about 56,000 in the Second Plan; estimates for the Fourth Plan are at present placed at about 125,000. The break-up of the additions needed by different branches of engineering is shown in the following Table:
Table 2 : Estimated additional requirements of diploma holders in engineering and technology
Second Third Fourth
Plan Plan Plan
civil engineering 29000 39000 48000
mechanical engineering 12200 26000 33500
electrical engineering 10400 18000 22500
telecommunication
engineering 600 600 800
chemical engineering+ 800 3500 5000
metallurgy 200 1100 1300
mining 600 4000 5000
others* 2000 7800 8900
total 55800 100000 125000
* Includes sugar technologists, jute technologists, leather technologists, architects and town planners, automobile, aeronautical, marine, public health and sanitary, and agricultural engineering personnel
+ Training at the diploma level is provided by sandwich courses at training centres for chemical operators
90 THIRD FIVE YEAR PLAN
9. With the stepping up of industrial development in the Third Plan and developments visualised for the Fourth Plan, the requirements of mechanical, electrical and chemical engineers Will increase relatively faster than those of civil engineers. There will also be greater need for training specialists in branches like mining. metallurgy and other technologies. These changing trends will be taken into account while determining the distribution of the addi- tional facilities for engineering education which are now being provided. In the course of the Third Plan the admission capacity of engineering colleges will increase from 13,860 at the end of the Second Plan to 19,140, the corresponding increase in polytechnics being from 25,570 to 37,390. Provision is also being made for part time and correspondence courses in engineering and technology. Estimates of requirements and out-term of engineering personnel for the Third and Fourth Plans are indicated in the Table below :
Table 3 : Estimated additional requirements and outturn of engineering
personnel
Second Plan Third Plan Fourth Plan
requirement outturn requirement outturn requirement outturn
graduates 29000 26000 51000 51000 80000 80000
diploma holders 56000 32000 100000 82000 125000 127000
The shortage of diploma holders, which has been considerable during the Second Plan, will not be altogether made up in the Third Plan. The present plans need to be reviewed further from this aspect and in the, light of more detailed information regarding the requirements of engineering personnel for major industrial programmes which is likely to become available as programmes are worked out. Estimates for the Fourth Plan are provisional and will be studied in greater detail with reference to the possibilities of long-term economic development indi- cated in Chapter II.
10. Craftmen.-The requirements for craftmen during the Third Plan are estimated at nearly 1.3 million, about 810,000 being in en- gineering trades and the rest in non-engineering trades. Several industries as well as establishments under the Railways, Posts and Telegraphs, Defence, etc., have their own training programmes. A proportion of skilled and semi-skilled workers are also trained through traditional methods, the skills being imparted from father to son. Facilities for institutional training at centres maintained by State Governments in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour & Employment, are, thus, required for a much smaller number. The number of industrial training institutes and centres has increased from 59 in 1955-56 to 167 in 1960-61, and the Third Plan provides for a further addition of 151. The intake capacity increased correspondingly from 10,500 in 1955-56 to 42,000 at the end of the Second Plan, and will increase further during the Third Plan to 100,000. The apprenticeship training scheme, which was to be implemented by industry on a voluntary basis with a measure of support from Government, did not make much progress during the Second Plan. Legislation will be shortly introduced for placing apprenticeship on a compulsory basis. The programme for evening classes for industrial workers will also be extended.
11. Inservice training programmes.-Over the Second Plan inservice training programmes have been introduced by a large number of organisations, both public and private. These will be further enlarged. Thus, the major industrial enterprises have, set up their own training schools, and some of them have also provided facilities for apprenticeship training. For the training of personnel at higher levels, the National Laboratories, the Atomic Energy Commission, the Ministry of Irrigation and Power, the Meteorological Department and others have arranged for special facilities.
12. Scientific personnel.-The National Register for Scientific and Technical Personnel maintained by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, carries about 106,000 registrations of whom Indians abroad account for nearly 5000. Of the number registered with the Council, about 33,000 are post-graduates in science subjects or graduates in agriculture, and about 66,000 are engineers and technologists both at the degree and diploma levels, the rest being specialists in medical profession. It is estimated that the coverage in the National Register is about 80 per cent of the total number of scientists. The "Scientists Pool" which has been maintained by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research for the last three years for providing temporary placements for highly qualified scientists and others, especially those returning to India from foreign countries so far assisted the selection of 653 scientists and technologists. The following Table brings out the position of postgraduate scientists in India :
Table 4 : Estimated additional scientific
personnel
total additional
numbers personnel
in position in Second
in 1955 Plan
Mathematics and Statistics 5700 6300
Physics 4600 2200
Chemistry 7300 1700
Botany 2100 1400
Zoology 2300 1400
Geology 1300 1200
total 23300 14200
PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES 91
13. Enduring foundations for expansion of scientific education can be laid only through the provision of larger facilities for science education both in the secondary schools and at the university stage. The demand for scientists comes from many different directions-science teachers, maintenance engineers, research scien- tists, etc. Out of 27,000 teachers required for colleges in the Third Plan, as many as 17,000 will be scientists. There has been marked in- crease in facilities for science education in universities as may be seen from the following Table :
Table 5 : Facilities for science, education-enrolment
degree 1950-51 1955-56 1960-61
Bachelor of Science 32600 52300 84000
Master of Science 3800 6500 11300
Doctorate 630 1120 2000
total 37030 59920 97300
By the end of the Third Plan, science as an elective subject will be available in 9,500 secondary schools out of a total of 21,800 and at the university stage facilities will be provided for additional enrolment of about 230,000 students in science out of a total of about 400,000 students.
The need for scientists for fundamental and applied research and employment of scientists in other fields will have to be reviewed con- tinuously during the Third Plan and increase in facilities considered in the light of such estimates.
III
AGRICULTURE and RURAL DEVELOPMENT 14. Programmes in agriculture and allied fields of development in the Third Plan entail a very considerable expansion in personnel. The necessary training facilities were developed to a large extent during the Second Plan, so that in most fields the demands at present anticipated are expected to be met with only a small increase in the facilities available. However, the possibility of the total demands under different heads increasing as the Plan proceeds has to be kept in view. Tables 6 and 7 below show the additional requirements of agricultural and allied personnel during the Third and Fourth Plans as at present estimated and the programme for expanding training facili- ties during the Third Plan :
Table 6 : Estimated additional requirements of agricultural and allied personnel
Numbers Third Fourth
in position Plan Plan
in additional additional
1960-61 requirements requirements
agricultural graduates 14000 20000 30000
veterinary graduates 5000 6800 7000
dairy technologists
degree 52 625 1150
diploma 308 975 1150
forestry
forest officers 1100 480 600
rangers 3000 1520 1900
fisheries
administrative and
statistical personnel 460 1475
fishery engineers 150 240
fishing boats personnel 120 250 2410
technical shore
personnel 50 170
Table 7 ; Additional training facilities in the Third Plan
1960-61 1965-66
institutions intake outturn institutions intake outturn
agriculture colleges 53 4600 2300 57 62,00 4500
veterinary collages 17 1300 1200 19 1460 1350
dairy technological
institutions 5 110 100 7 170 154
fisheries institutions 2 50 50 3 80 75