Srinagar: Union Minister of State for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, today launched two ambitious projects.
According to an official press note the projects are- “‘Revival of Namda craft of Kashmir as a special pilot project under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0” and “Upskilling of artisans and weavers of Kashmir under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), component of PMKVY.”
The objective of these projects is to boost and preserve the traditional Namda craft of Kashmir and upskill the local weavers and artisans of the UT to enhance their productivity through RPL assessment and certification.
The Namda project will benefit 2,250 people of 30 Namda Clusters from six districts of Kashmir including Srinagar, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Budgam and Anantnag while RPL initiative targets to upskill 10,900 artisans and weavers of J&K.
Pertinently, Namda craft is a rug made of sheep wool through felting technique instead of normal weaving process. Due to low availability of raw material, lack of skilled manpower and marketing techniques, the export of this craft has declined almost 100 percent between 1998 and 2008.
Therefore, through this special project under PMKVY, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has designed short-term training curriculum to preserve this endangered craft.
The Namda project will be an industry-based training program with beneficiaries involved in Namda Crafts Production who will contribute towards preserving and reviving the rich heritage associated with the unique craft in Kashmir. This will also improve the access of existing artisans of Namda crafts cluster in Kashmir besides enhancing their prospects of employability.
Launching the initiative, Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “India has a rich heritage and is home to several traditional art forms. It is an article of faith for the Modi Government to revive and promote traditional and heritage skills of artisans and weavers of J&K thus empowering them economically and socially as well. Not only that, we should strive to offer them exposure to the international markets so that the world becomes aware of our vibrant culture.”
He added that when he travelled to Jammu and Kashmir, people of J&K sought support to boost the local economy through customised skill training programmes. This prompted the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to come up with this programme in a bid to meet the economic aspirations of the local youth and take them on the path of development.” I am confident that with the local industry coming on board with us, we will be able to increase the carpet exports from 600 crore to 6000 crore and create employment for 8 lakh people,” he maintained.
He asserted, “The programme will also focus on continuously skilling, upskilling and reskilling local youth to create a ladder of career progression and make them strong pillars of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
“The Government is working with a laser focus towards J&K’s development and is delivering on all its promises,” said Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
He said that the upskilling project under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is expected to improve the competencies of the unorganized workforce of the Handicrafts and Carpet sector.
The artisans and weavers shall be aligned to the standardized NSQF (National Skills Qualifications Framework). It will also improve the access of existing artisans and weavers to sustainable livelihoods and lead to increased skills and technical knowledge among them.
Additionally, the pilot project will enhance the marketing skills and techniques that will promote traditional and local crafts by artisans and weavers, he said adding that it will help them in making designs to match the current market demand.