Centre aims to make UP open-defecation free state

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) along with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) have united and taken up the task of making India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh Open Defecation Free (ODF).

As a part of the initiative, the ministries organised a training camp for nearly 1000 masons in Jhansi city for the construction of twin pit toilets. Later, the skilling sessions under the guidance of NSDC and others, is expected to reach out to approximately 50,000 masons residing in other nearby areas of the city, leading to more such training sessions in the future.

This is the first such training camp to be launched in the province and is expected to be an intense drive towards making India Open Defecation Free (ODF) by October 2019.

On the basis of the skill levels of the masons, each candidate will be required to undergo stages of training programmes beginning from, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). RPL is a seven-day training programme aimed to determine and certify the informal learning and working skills that the individual has learned and given a performance equivalent to the requirements of the NSQF levels.

Apart from the RPL, the candidates will also be provided with additional training for 45 days under Short Term Training program (STT) of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna's (PMKVY). The skill training sessions aim to educate masons to construct smaller and cheaper twin systems.