Plan panel moots 'earn while you learn' scheme

 New member of Planning Commission Narendra Jadhav told PTI that under the scheme “work will be provided to students by the institution on demand ... They would be paid an honorarium on hourly basis.”

The scheme, he said, would help reducing drop out rate at college and university level due to their financial problems and also develop their personality.

“We would prepare a plan to provide work on demand to college and university students across the country to reduce drop out rate at higher education institution like colleges and universities”, he said.

“Apart from providing financial assistance, the scheme would develop a student as a multifaceted personality with academic excellence. They would assist the professors, librarians, administrators, technicians and do other such work,” he said.

One such scheme is being undertaken by University of Pune at the post-graduate and graduate level on the university campus as well as at colleges. Under this scheme a student can work for maximum three hours a day.

“During my stint with University of Pune when the scheme was launched, the students were given work like cutting grass or pruning trees. But later we made it more meaningful by increasing their assistance in academic research, administration and other such works,” Jadhav said.

Honorarium for students

“Now the students are paid an honorarium of Rs 20 per hour. The University of Pune has earmarked Rs 5 crore for the purpose during this fiscal. This scheme can be modified further and could be implemented across the country,” he added.

Besides Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Goa at the Planning Commission, Jadhav would take care of education and Ministry of Labour and Employment.

He said there was need for complete overhauling of higher education at college and university level to improve the quality of human resource in the country.