Standard Operation Procedure of Utkarsh Bangla

Government of West Bengal
Department of Technical Education, Training & Skill Development, Establishment Branch
Karigari Bhawan, B/7, Action Area – III, New Town, Rajarhat, Kolkata

No. 990-TET (Estt.)/2E-07/2016 Dated, Kolkata, the 31st August, 2016

NOTIFICATION

1. To address the requirement of skilled manpower across various sectors and to narrow the existing gap between the demand and supply of skills. Government of West Bengal has constituted the West Bengal Skill Development Mission (WBSDM) under chairmanship of the Hon’ble Chief Minister along with constitution of the Paschim Banga Society for Skill Development (PBSSD) under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to implement the decisions of the WBSDM.

2. On 16th February, 2016 the Hon’ble Chief Minister has unveiled the Utkarsh Bangla 2016 scheme under the purview of the PBSSD for the entire non-institutional, non-project mode, short term Skill Development interventions to provide wage/ self-employment linked skills training to the residents of the State. The scheme was notified vide No. 211-TET(Estt.)/2E-07/2016 dated 16.02.2016.

3. Government of India has issued the Common Norms Notification with amendments (No. H-22011/2/2014-SDE-I) on 20.05.2016. According to the common norms all skill development courses must conform to the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) notified on 27.12.13. All training courses should be NSQF compliant by 27.12.2016 and all the State Governments are expected to align their skill development schemes with the Common Norms so as to bring in uniformity and standardization.

4. Furthermore, West Bengal has been approved as an AP (Action Plan) State by the MoRD (Ministry of Rural Development) vide No. J-17031/01/2015-DDU-GKY during the EC (Empowered Committee) meeting to operate project-mode trainings under the DDU-GKY (Deen Dayal Upadhyaya – Grameen Kaushalya Yojana) scheme. The PBSSD would act as the implementing arm for executing the scheme. Now, the PBSSD intends to implement a scheme of Project Mode Interventions (Non-DDU-GKY) under the ambit of Utkarsh Bangla aligned to the CNN.

5. Furthermore, with the intent of recognizing the skills of experienced but not certified skilled population of the State, the PBSSD intends to introduce the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) interventions aligned to the CNN under Utkarsh Bangla. The major objectives of RPL would be:

i) To align the competencies of the un-regulated workforce of the State to the standardized National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF)

ii) To enhance the career/employability opportunities of an individual as well as provide alternative routes to higher education and

iii) To provide opportunities for reducing inequalities based on privileging certain forms of knowledge over others

6. In view of the above developments, the Governor is now pleased to amend the “Utkarsh Bangla” scheme by modifying the Standard Operation Procedure of the existing scheme by aligning it to the Common Norms Notification. Also in addition to the non-project mode short-term skilling interventions, two additional modes of interventions namely Project Mode and Recognition of Prior Learning Mode (RPL) has been brought under the ambit of “Utkarsh Bangla”.

7. Accordingly, the main amendments to the scheme are:

i) The Utkarsh Bangla Scheme would be categorized into three modes of training where the Project Mode and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) modes would be added to the existing Non-Project Mode. The SOP for the Project and RPL mode interventions would be aligned to the CNN under the Utkarsh Bangla Scheme and notified in due course.

ii) As the Standard Operating Procedure of the existing Utkarsh Bangla Scheme is required to be aligned to the Common Norms Notification released by Government of India to standardize the ecosystem of skilling, the following modifications are notified for the present to the Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) of Utkarsh Bangla – Non-Project Mode:

(1) Changes to SoP:

Input Standards

(2) The other Cost Heads, which are specific to the trainings imparted, would be notified by the
PBSSD from time to time with the concurrence of the F.D. of GoWB. Such Cost Heads shall cover the following:

• Assessment Cost
• Transportation Cost
• Boarding & Lodging Cost
• Reimbursement of Conveyance for BPL/Special Groups
• Post Placement Support Special Groups under wage employment
• Training for PwD (person with disability)

iii) While adhering to the CNN norms, the highlights of the Project Mode interventions would be as follows:

• PBSSD would float an Expression of Interest (EOI) and invite proposals and detail project reports from interested Training Providers for the Project Mode interventions.
• The Detailed Project Reports of the Training Providers must mention the training targets to be achieved in next 1 year.
• All the proposals for the Project Mode interventions would be assessed through a Project Appraisal Committee and subsequently the shortlisted projects would be forwarded to the Project Approval Committee. The Project Approval Committee would sanction the final projects depending on viability.
• The funding for the projects would be done according to the CNN, or as per the concurrence of the Finance Department on case to case basis.
• The Process of implementation of the Project Mode interventions will adhere to the Standard Operating Procedure of the Utkarsh Bangla – Project Mode as will be published.

iv) While adhering to the CNN norms, the highlights of the RPL interventions would be as follows:

• The interested Training Providers for the RPL interventions would be notified by PBSSD to submit the Detailed Project Reports through the format given in the Expression of Interest floated for this purpose. The projects may be either for RPL Center or for Industry Premise or Cluster.
• The Detailed Project Reports of the Training Providers must mention the training targets to be achieved and should adhere to the CNN.
• All the proposals for the Project Mode interventions would be assessed through a Project Appraisal Committee and subsequently the shortlisted projects would be forwarded to the Project Approval Committee. The Project Approval Committee would sanction the final projects depending on viability.
• The funding for the same would be as per the CNN or as decided by the PBSSD with the concurrence of the Finance Department.
• The Process of implementation of the RPL interventions should be adhered to the Standard Operating Procedure of the Utkarsh Bangla – RPL.

v) In case of subsequent modifications in the CNN made by Govt. of India from time to time or in cases of deviations from CNN, the concurrence of Finance Department shall be taken while notifying the changes.

8. The funding method for Project Mode and RPL Mode interventions also would remain same as per the original Utkarsh Bangla Scheme. The additional expenditure for such modifications would be borne from the Budget Provision of the concerned Departments requesting project/ non-project training or for initiating the course under RPL.

9. This has the approval of Finance Department vide their U.O. No. 22 Group B dated 30.08.2016.

10. This order now issues with the approval of the appropriate authority.

By Order of the Governor,

Sd/- H. Mohan
Principal Secretary to the
Government of West Bengal

No. 990-TET dated 31.08.2016, Source