UDHAMPUR : Shikshit Bharat Club, in collaboration with Heritage Club, Government College for Women Udhampur today organized one day hands on training programme on vocational and craft education based on Gandhian thought and values in the light of National Education Policy 2020 here on the College campus.

Principal of the college, Prof. Dr. Monika Sharma inaugurated the training by lighting the ceremonial lamp, who was also the chief guest on this occasion.

Block Programme Manager Dudu Basantgarh from Jammu and Kashmir National Rural Livelihood mission [JKRLM] Naresh Kumar Mathur was the chief resource person.

In her address, Dr. Monika Sharma appealed the participants to adapt the skills of vocational and craft education to commercialize the local products of the area for economic independence of students with small startups.

She also emphasized on identification of local craft having the potential to attract demand in the national market. She further called for generating awareness among the masses for the use and promotion of local products and being Vocal for Local.

Dr. Monika lauded the efforts of Shikshit Bharat Club and Heritage Club for organizing such events for the larger benefit of the student community. She further urged the respective clubs to organize more such programmes in the future keeping in mind the relevance of the vocational and value-added courses in the National Education policy 2020.

The resource person Naresh Kumar Mathur, Block Programme Manager Dudu Basantgarh, while deliberating on the topic, highlighted the importance of such startups, especially for the people living in rural India.

Mathur apprised the audience about the initiative of the government in extending the help to self help groups in the form of loans up to Rs 20 lakh @ 4% interest under the scheme UMEED.

The exhibition of the products like Kalari, Solar dried apple, Honey, Walnut, Guchhian, Rasond, Kaimbloo, Desi Ghee, Anardana and Rajmash being commercialized by women of self-help groups of Dudu and Basantgarh area was also arranged. Naresh also appealed to the students to organize a student bank in the college to take initiative for popularization of vocational, craft and value-added courses along with local products.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Nodal Officer Shikshit Bharat Club and Convenor Heritage club, Prof.Yash Paul [HOD History] highlighted the vision of one day hands on training programme and advised the participants to follow the practice of vocational and craft education in the daily life to grow economically prosperous.