India to help in skill development of Afghanistan

New Delhi, June 16 (PTI) Recognising capacity building
as a key element in rebuilding of Afghanistan, India will help
the war-torn country in skill development programme and
employment generation initiatives under a pact signed
Wednesday.
The MoU signed between India's Labour and Employment
Minister Mallikarjun Kharge and Afghanistan's Deputy Minister
in Ministry of Labour Mohammad Ghous Bashiri in Geneva
envisages expansion of vocational training programmes in
Afghanistan with India's support as well as technical support
in its other skill development initiatives.
The initiatives include selection of viable vocational
skill, setting up the procedures for providing modular skills
and procedures for certification.
India will also provide technical support in developing
a comprehensive employment strategy for Afghanistan in order
to enable Government of Afghanistan to tackle its major
problem of large scale unemployment, said a senior Labour
Ministry official here.
Besides, India will offer technical assistance for
drafting labour related rules and regulations for its new
labour laws and in developing mechanism for better enforcement
of labour laws there.
The official said India will also give technical
support to the Afghanistan Government's Ministry of Social
Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled in establishment of the Labour
Research and Resource Centre in Afghanistan.
This institute will act as a nodal department for
coordinating and conducting research, providing resources and
conducting training on labour related issues.
The MoU also envisages that the Indian Government will
provide technical support to Afghanistan in developing a
policy to handle issues relating to child labour and designing
the rehabilitation programs on the line of the National Child
Labour Project (NCLP) scheme.
India has been undertaking reconstruction and rebuilding
programmes in Afghanistan since 2002 under a 1.3 billion
dollar package as part of capacity building of the country.
As part of the assistance, India is building roads,
power projects and schools and providing medical care and
undertaking social development. PTI