Encouraged by the successful RUDSETI (Rural Development and Self Employment Training Institute) model initiated in 1982 in Ujire, Karnataka, by SDME Trust in partnership with Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank for promoting entrepreneurship amongst rural youth, the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India decided to replicate the model across the country.
In partnership with banks and the State Governments, Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) were established in each district of the country. The RSETIs’ unique training model includes short term training for market linked entrepreneurship development followed by continuous hand holding support with bank linkages. RSETIs promote in situ self employment for the rural youth and thus discourage stress migration to the cities for alternative means of livelihood. Currently 566 RSETIs are functioning across the country.
The second National meet of Rural Self Employment Training Institute (RSETI) stakeholders for recognition of best performing RSETI and their promoting banks is scheduled to be held on 21st November, 2013 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. This meet is held each year to encourage a spirit of competitiveness amongst the Rural Self Employment Training Institutes across the country.
Last year the meet was held on the 29th July, 2012 wherein 117 well performing institutes were honoured. This year, 233 institutes across the country have been recognized as well performing institutes.
The well performing institutes are selected on the basis of a transparent grading mechanism. In the year 2012, a single stage grading mechanism was used to grade all institutes. However for the year 2013, the grading mechanism has been further fine-tuned by introducing a two stage grading mechanism, wherein institutes that have existed for one to three years old have been graded on one set of parameters and the more experienced ones have been graded in two stages on more stringent parameters.
Among the banks, Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank have been adjudged as the best banks for promoting maximum number of well performing institutes followed by Andhra Bank and the State Bank of India. As far as States are concerned, Karnataka state has been adjudged the best for nurturing maximum number of well performing institutes, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. A time bound plan has been made by banks for bringing all the RSETIs to the level of best performing RSETIs.
About RSETIs:
Aajeevika- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) is the flagship programme of the Government of India that aims at creating effective institutional platforms of the poor rural women enabling them to increase household income through sustainable livelihood enhancements and improved access to financial services. The programme outlay for the 12th Five Year Plan is Rs. 29, 000 Crores and it has set out with an agenda to cover 7 crore poor households across all the 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats in the country.
NRLM focuses on stabilizing and promoting existing livelihoods portfolio of the poor through its three pillars:
· Vulnerability reduction and livelihoods enhancement through deepening/ enhancing and expanding existing livelihoods options
· Wage employment- building skills for placement in the job market
· Enterprises- nurturing self-employed and entrepreneurs (for micro-enterprises)
To facilitate self-employment to the rural unemployed youth through short duration experiential learning programme followed by systematic long duration hand holding support, NRLM is encouraging public sector banks to set up RSETIs in all the districts of the country on the lines of RUDSETI model. National Academy of RUDSETIs is supporting RSETIs in this effort.
