Minister Pabitra Margherita Launches Upskilling Program for Artisans in Guwahati
In a significant step towards creating a trained workforce in the handicrafts and handloom sector, Minister of State for Textiles and External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, inaugurated the Bunkar and Karigar Utthan Upskilling Programme FY 2024-25: 100 Clusters in 100 Days in Guwahati.
The event, organized by the Office of Development Commissioner for Handloom and Development Commissioner for Handicraft, Ministry of Textiles, was inaugurated virtually across the country. Margherita emphasized the importance of preserving India’s rich craft heritage while adapting to modern market needs. He stated, “By equipping them with advanced skills and knowledge, we are not only preserving our traditional arts but also ensuring that our craft sectors remain competitive and vibrant.”
Under the program, 70 clusters in the handicrafts sector and 30 clusters in the handloom sector will receive focused upskilling through a training program. Margherita encouraged artisans and weavers across the country to take full advantage of this program and upgrade their skills and technologies.
U G Brahma, Minister of Handloom, Textile & Sericulture, Government of Assam, also addressed the attendees, emphasizing the program’s significance for regional development. He mentioned that the state government has introduced various flagship schemes for the betterment of the handloom sector.
During a live interaction with weavers and artisans, Margherita appreciated their work and assured them of all support in this sector. Certificates and toolkits were distributed to beneficiary weavers and artisans under various components of the National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP).
The “Karigar Uthan Programme: 100 Clusters in 100 Days for Upskilling” initiative is a Training and Design Programme under the Government of India’s ‘100 Days Action Plan’. The initiative aims to provide technical and soft skill training to the younger generation, fulfilling the current demand and design needs of the market.
In the 70 handicrafts clusters covering 70 districts in 31 states, upskilling of 2,100 artisans is proposed through 51 Guru Shishya Hastshilp Prashikshan Programme (GSHPP) and 19 Design Development Workshop (DDW) programs in 52 different crafts. In the 30 handloom clusters, upskilling of 1,527 handloom workers is proposed through 29 Weavers’ Service Centres (WSC) in 26 states/UTs.
The primary objective of the Guru Shishya Hastshilp Prashikshan Program (GSHPP) is to transfer traditional craft knowledge from the master craftsperson (Guru) to the younger generation artisan (Shishya) to bridge the skill gap and fulfill market demand. The Design Development Workshop aims to develop new designs/prototypes as per the present requirements of the handicraft sector using the existing skills of artisans.
Doubts Revealed
Pabitra Margherita -: Pabitra Margherita is a Minister of State in India, responsible for Textiles and External Affairs. He helps make decisions and plans for the country in these areas.
Upskilling Program -: An upskilling program is a special training plan to help people learn new skills or improve the ones they already have. This helps them do their jobs better and find new opportunities.
Artisans -: Artisans are people who make things by hand, like pottery, jewelry, or clothes. They use traditional methods and skills to create beautiful and useful items.
Guwahati -: Guwahati is a big city in the state of Assam in India. It is known for its temples, river, and as a gateway to the northeastern part of the country.
Bunkar and Karigar Utthan Upskilling Programme -: This is a special training program for weavers (Bunkar) and craftsmen (Karigar) to help them improve their skills and keep traditional crafts alive while also meeting modern needs.
Handloom workers -: Handloom workers are people who weave fabric by hand using a loom. They create beautiful textiles like sarees, shawls, and other cloth items.
Clusters -: Clusters are groups of people or businesses in the same area who do similar work. In this case, it refers to groups of artisans and handloom workers in different parts of India.
Technical and soft skill training -: Technical skills are the specific abilities needed to do a job, like using tools or machines. Soft skills are personal qualities that help people work well with others, like communication and teamwork.
Certificates and toolkits -: Certificates are official documents that show someone has completed a course or training. Toolkits are sets of tools and materials that help people do their work better.
Government of India’s ‘100 Days Action Plan’ -: This is a plan by the Indian government to achieve certain goals within 100 days. It includes various projects and initiatives to improve different sectors in the country.
