TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY TO RURAL AREAS THROUGH COMMUNITY POLYTECHNICS
26.1 The existing scheme of Community Polytechnics has been reoriented in the light of NPE. Its objectives are:
- Selected polytechnic which are now 108 in number will be given further resources and policy support to perform their role effectively.
- The community polytechnic will organise manpower develop ment programmes for villagers to enable them to acquire employable skills.
- The polytechnic will take the responsibility for educating and training the villagers and creating awareness among them for adoption of new technologies.
- Technical services and community support service will be provided by the polytechnic to sustain new technologies.
- Dissemination of information of villagers to enable them to adopt and sustain the relevant technologies.
- The State Governments, the Directorates of Technical Educa- tion and Polytechnic will operate the Scheme within the overall policy frame work.
- The Technical Teachers Training Institutes will act as a resource system to strengthen the scheme of Community Poly- technic.
- The State Directorates of Technical Education will general- ly supervise the performance of the Community Polytechnic to ensure their proper functioning.
- The Regional Offices of the Ministry of Human Resource Development will also monitor the scheme and send reports to the Ministry.
26.2 During 1987-88, over 15,000 people were trained under the scheme. The number of villages benefitted through technical services/transfer of technology was of the order of 1250. The scheme had an approved budget provision of Rs. 100 lakhs during the year.
26.3 The NPE stipulates that the scheme of Community Polytechnic will be appraised and appropriately strengthened to increase its quality and coverage. In accordance with this, a National Expert Committee was set up to appraise the scheme. The committee has just completed its appraisal and given its recommendations, which are now under consideration of the Government.
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