The Scheme of Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) or Institute of People’s Education (formerly known as Shramik Vidyapeeth) was initially launched as a polyvalent or multi-faceted adult education programme aimed at improving the vocational skill and quality of life of workers and their family members. The programme was evolved to respond to the educational and vocational training needs of numerous groups of adult and young people living in urban and industrial areas and for persons who had been migrating from rural to urban settings.
Changed Focus
With the emergence of millions of neo-literates through the Total Literacy Campaigns launched across the length and breadth of the country and the transformation that has taken place in the economic and social set up over the years, the role and scope of these polyvalent educational institutes have widened manifold. In the changed scenario, the focus of Jan Shikshan Sansthan has been shifted from industrial workers in urban areas to the numerous neo-literates and unskilled and unemployed youth throughout the country. Now these Sansthans act as district level resource support agencies especially in regard to organization of vocational training and skill development programmes for the neo-literates and other target groups of the continuing education programme. The operational areas of the Sansthans earlier restricted to urban, semi-urban and industrial areas have now been extended to the entire district including rural areas. As per the revised guidelines issued by the Govt. of India, at least 25% of the beneficiaries of the Jan Shikshan Sansthan should be neo-literates.
Number of JSSs
The first Jan Shikshan Sansthan in the country was established at Worli, Mumbai in the year 1967 and gradually the number had increased to 58 by the end of Eighth Five Year Plan i.e. 1996-97. Fifty more Jan Shikshan Sansthans were set up in the Ninth Five Year Plan period (1997-98 to 2001-02) and in the Tenth Five Year Plan, so far 86 Jan Shikshan Sansthans have been sanctioned taking the total number to 194. The year-wise break-up of JSSs set up during the Tenth Five Year Plan is as under:
| 1. | 2002-03 | 14 |
| 2. | 2003-04 | 18 |
| 3. | 2004-05 | 18 |
| 4. | 2005-06 | 14 |
| 5. | 2006-07 | 22 |
Number of Jan Shikshan Sansthans – State wise
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | 10 |
| 2 | Assam | 3 |
| 3 | Arunachal Pradesh | 1 |
| 4 | Bihar | 7 |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | 2 |
| 6 | Delhi | 2 |
| 7 | Gujarat | 7 |
| 8 | Goa | 1 |
| 9 | Haryana | 5 |
| 10 | Jammu & Kashmir | 1 |
| 11 | Jharkhand | 5 |
| 12 | Karnataka | 10 |
| 13 | Kerala | 9 |
| 14 | Madhya Pradesh | 24 |
| 15 | Maharashtra | 16 |
| 16 | Manipur | 3 |
| 17 | Mizoram | 1 |
| 18 | Nagaland | 1 |
| 19 | Orissa | 12 |
| 20 | Punjab | 2 |
| 21 | Rajasthan | 6 |
| 22 | Tamil Nadu | 9 |
| 23 | Tripura | 1 |
| 24 | Uttar Pradesh | 42 |
| 25 | Uttaranchal | 5 |
| 26 | West Bengal | 8 |
| 27 | Chandigarh | 1 |
| Total | 194 |
Courses & Activities
The JSSs offer around 300 different types of vocational courses – from candle and agarbatti making, sewing and embroidery to computer courses. In the year 2005 – 06 alone, around 14.00 lakh beneficiaries had been covered under various vocational training programmes, activities and other activities, of which around 65% were women.
Management
Earlier, the Jan Shikshan Sansthans were being set up under the aegis of non-government organization, State Governments and Universities. One Jan Shikshan Sansthan – Delhi is directly under the Govt. of India. As per the revised guidelines issued by the Govt. of India in April 2000, the Jan Shikshan Sansthans can function only under the non-government organizations. Hence, a few Jan Shikshan Sansthans run under the aegis of State Governments have been transferred to NGO sector and a few more will be transferred in due course.
The administrative and financial affairs of the Jan Shikshan Sansthans are managed by the respective Boards of Management. In order to enjoy a considerable degree of autonomy, these institutes are required to be registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 with their own Memorandum of Association, Rules and Regulations.
Funding
The government of India provides annual lump sum grant to these institutes in a set pattern. The funds provided by the government are to be spent under different heads – Emoluments, Honorarium, Office Expenditure and Teachin/Learning Material, the ceiling for which has been prescribed in the guidelines issued by the Government. There is no interference of the Government in the day-to-day affairs of the Sansthans except monitoring their performance and also ascertaining before releasing further grants whether the funds are being utilized as per the guidelines issued by it. The Government of India representatives in the Boards of Management of the Institutes facilitate in taking appropriate decisions and guide the institutions in organizing various programmes and activities.
Funding Pattern
The funding pattern for different categories of Jan Shikshan Sansthans is as under:
Recurring
| Category ‘A’ | Rs. 35 lakh |
| Category ‘B’ | Rs. 30 lakh |
| Category ‘C’ | Rs. 25 lakh |
Non-recurring
| Category ‘A’ | Rs. 15 lakh |
| Category ‘B’ | Rs. 10 lakh |
Categorization
The Jan Shikshan Sansthans are classified into three categories depending upon their location and performance.
Category A
JSSs in major towns
Category B
28 identified JSSs
Category C
Remaining JSSs and all new JSSs.
JSSs can be up-graded or down-graded depending upon their performance.
Evaluation
The performance of JSSs is evaluated every three years by reputed evaluating agencies empanelled with National Literacy Mission. So far, 105 Jan Shikshan Sansthans have been evaluated. However, the reports of 15 Jan Shikshan Sansthans evaluated in the year 2005-06 are still awaited from the evaluating agencies.
Number of Jan Shikshan Sansthans evaluated year-wise:
| First batch | 2001-02 | 22 |
| Second batch | 2002-03 | 52 |
| Third batch | 2003-04 | 6 |
| Fourth batch | 2004-05 | 10 |
| Fifth batch | 2005-06 | 15 |
| Sixth batch(on-going) | 2006-07 | 11 |
Budget allocation for X Five Year Plan and expenditure so far
Allocation under Tenth Five Year Plan for the Scheme of Jan Shikshan Sansthan is Rs.130.00 crore.
The expenditure during the first four years of the Tenth Five Year Plan under Scheme of Jan Shikshan Sansthan is as under:
| 2002-03 | Rs. 23.32 crore |
| 2003-04 | Rs. 25.86 crore |
| 2004-05 | Rs. 27.82 crore |
| 2005-06 | Rs. 42.08 crore |
HB/RP/SB