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Social Stratification

Notes while they adjust and cope with their personal situations. The scheme envisages the provision of
services/facilities, viz., medical care, psychiatric treatment, counselling, occupational therapy,
education, vocational and creational activities and social facilities for adjustment. The new Homes
are sanctioned by the Department, but maintenance of the existing Homes is looked after by the
Central Social Welfare Board through the State Board.
Employment and Training
The programme of Support to Training-cum-Employment for Women (STEP) was launched in
1987 to strengthen and improve the skills for employment opportunities for women below proverty-
line, in traditional sectors of agriculture, small animal husbandry, dairying, fisheries, handlooms,
handicrafts, cottage and village industries and sericulture, social forestry and waste land
development where women are employed on a large scale. The focus is mainly on marginalised
and assetless women, female-headed households and women of other dispossessed groups. Since
the inception of the programme about 5,63,983 women have been covered under 131 projects in
different parts of the country.
The schemes of Training-cum-Employment Production centres was launched in 1982-83 with
assistance from Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). Under this
programme, financial assistance is given to Women’s Development Corporations, Public Sector
Corporations, autonomous bodies and voluntary organisations to train poor women mostly in
non-traditional trades to ensure their employment in these areas. Some of the trades are computer
programming, electronics, watch assembling, radio and television repairs, garment making,
secretarial practices, community health workers, embroidery and weaving. Financial assistance is
given to the grantee organisations. Since the inception of the programme, 3.03 lakh women have
been benefited through 2,895 projects in different parts of the country.
Under the scheme, grant is given to voluntary organisations for conducting courses of two-year
duration for preparing candidates for primary, middle and matric-level examinations and one-
year duration of matric failed candidates. During the year 2001-02, the CSWB has sanctioned
Rs. 381 crore (Central Board/States Board level) for 9,665 women at a total cost of Rs. 388.26 lakh.
Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB) had started the Scheme of the Vocational Training Programme
in the year 1975 and 1997 to train women in marketable trades and also to upgrade their skills.
The Training Programme is organised in rural, tribal, backward, urban slum areas through
voluntary organisations in the traditional and non-traditional trades like computer training,
community health workers, paramedical vocations, typing and shorthand, to enable them to get
employment. The organisations are identified through State Social Welfare Advisory Boards in all
States/UTs. And implementation of the training programme is monitored through field machinery.
During 2001-02 Rs. 1,172.22 lakh was sanctioned to 556 voluntary organisations benefiting 24,830
women.

The scheme of Condensed Course of Education for Women was started by the Central
Social Welfare Board (CSWB) during the year 1958 for providing basic education and
skills to needy women.

Socio-Economic Programme
The Socio-Economic Programme endeavours to provide employment opportunities to destitute
women, widows, deserted and the physically handicapped. Besides, women entrepreneurs are
encouraged to exhibit and sell their products. The Central Social Welfare Board assist voluntary
organisations for setting up agro-based units like dairy, poultry piggery, goatary, etc., for poor

220 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY