DIMAPUR GOVERNMENT COLLEGE
Dimapur – 797112: Nagaland

NAAC Accredited Grade B+

Best Practice – 1

Title: Skill Development: Empowering Students

Objectives:

1. To develop an ecosystem for life skill training in keeping with NEP-2020 guidelines for Higher Education Institutions.
2. To enrich the undergraduate curriculum with skill courses for holistic education as per the local requirements.
3. To provide short-term training under the identified skill sectors through the college Skill Hub and external agencies.
4. To create awareness about formal education and employability by organising workshops, seminars and invited talks.

Context:

The Annual Periodic Labour Force Survey report (July 2021-June 2022), projects around 40% of urban youth of Nagaland as unemployed, the fourth-highest in India.

The mission statement of the college emphasises on the holistic development of students, aimed at a skilled, self-reliant and viable job-giver, not job-seeker, community.  The college graduates exhibit drive, commitment and potential but are often unable to navigate through the changed job-market scenario. By providing skill and entrepreneurship courses, the college aspires to become an enabler and facilitator of change.

Implementation of the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) as per the NCrF from the academic session 2023 onward shall provide an opportunity to impart training for skill enhancement courses in 1^st, 3^rd and 4^th Semesters of 3 credits each. Moreover, the college has been established as a Skill Hub under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna-4.0 (PMKVY.4.0) by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) on 18^th April 2023.

The Practice:

1. The Skill Development Committee of the college oversees the training across trades and aspires to maintain quality in delivering the required resources to the trainees.
2. An overall survey has been conducted for all college students  to find their area of interest in various job sectors.
3.  Before the students are enrolled, proper orientation programmes  in various skill sectors by the  relevant experts are  organised.
4. Efforts have been made to offer different Skill Courses for the students  under various sectors. At present the college has been allotted 240 targets by NSDC to train the  students in various job sectors. At present, the college has started the training  in Sewing Machine Operator (NSQF Level 3) and (ii). Assistant Technician-Home Appliances (NSQF Level 3) job roles.
5. Further approval is sought from the Skill Sector Council to start the additional courses in  (i) Assistant Beauty Therapist (ii). Assistant Installation Computing and Peripherals   and (iii). IT Coordinator in School. 
6. Introduction of Skill Enhancement Courses in three semesters  with a total of  9 credits (3 credits each): the following  soft skill  courses are  identified to be introduced in the undergraduate curriculum  under the Skill Enhancement Component: 1^st  semester:  Environmental Science;;  2^nd  Semester: Critical Thinking and Decision Making;  Creative Writing; Literature and Cinema;  Peace and Conflict Resolution;  Basic Mathematics;  Speech Disorder and Therapy; Naga Folklore; 3^rd  Semester:  Understanding Heritage; Feminism: Theory and Practice; Mental Health & Stress Management; Tourism Management.
7. The Skill Development Committee takes initiatives to facilitate short term skill training in various sectors by external agencies.
8. For punctuality, course attendance under the Skill Hub is maintained with Aadhaar Enabled Biometric System (AEBAS).
9. The working hours of the skill training modules have been seamlessly incorporated after regular class hours.

Evidence of Success:

Successfully completed trainings on

• Soft Skills by Tata Consultancy Services for 53 students (50 hours); culminated on   10^th February, 2023.
•   Soft Skills by UNNATI UNXT, Bangalore, for 65  students (90 hours); culminated   on 24^th  March, 2023.
• SEBI-sponsored Financial Investments in Securities Markets for 60 students conducted by National Institute of Securities Markets from 13^th-16^th February 2023.
• “Financial Education for Young Citizens” for 78 students, conducted by National Institution of Securities Markets under the aegis of SEBI during 23^rd -25^th March 2023. 
•  (i). Sewing Machine Operator (NSQF Level 3) and (ii). Assistant Technician-Home Appliances (NSQF Level 3) with 15 and 12 students respectively under NSDC.
•  (i) Assistant Electrician (ii) Fibre Extraction and Handicrafts, (iii) Post Harvesting Management of Fruits & Vegetables and (iv) Solid Waste Management  of 45 days with 136 students in total, in collaboration with Nagaland Tool Room & Training Centre (NTTC), Dimapur; culminated on  6^th May, 2023.

Conducted awareness programmes on

•  Students’ Survey on Career Guidance and Skill Development on 28^th October, 2022.
•  Training in Hospitality Sector on 3^rd December, 2022, with Pinnacle Skills, Dimapur.
• “Startup Nagaland and Entrepreneurship” on 5^th December, 2022 by EduCentre School of Business, Dimapur.
•  Entrepreneurship Awareness Programme on 21^st-22^nd March 2023 by Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, Guwahati.

 Problems Encountered and Resources Required:

1. Shortage of physical infrastructure for the conduct of skill training.
2. To break down old habits and perception of complacency and mediocrity and embrace skill training for a successful future.
3. To change perceptions in society as skilling is considered inferior to general/mainstream education that leads to a life of mediocrity, and not to academic excellence and white collared jobs. The reality is that even college student aspirants for white collared jobs can enrol in skill courses as they are designed to empower and not to limit intellectual energy.
4. At times, convincing the students to enrol for skill courses becomes arduous. They need to be made aware of the great advantage skilling can give them.
5. Financial resources are chronically meagre. Though the financial help from NSDC is timely and much appreciated, additional funding is required for the meaningful sustenance of the skill initiatives.

Conclusion:

Skill training has a positive transformative effect on the students. They become more confident with a renewed sense of purpose. The community of teachers in the college understands the paradigm shift in teaching after the commencement of the Skill Hub in the college. The advantages are many. A positive note is that in the pursuit of skill learning, academics and research activities are not sacrificed. Due orientation is given to the students and teachers alike. Skill training opens new opportunities, while it does not close existing vistas.

Best practice – 2

Title: Water Conservation

Objectives:

1. To create awareness among the stakeholders and build various measures to improves public health by protecting the ecosystem and prevents water pollution such as providing drainage to the ground water storage for underground water recharging.
2. To ensure availability of water resources for future generations.
3. To improve sustainability of water supply by preventing its wastages.
4. To ensure cost-effective process and prevents economic loss.
5. To improve the quality of water supplies for better accessibility and sufficiency through rain water harvest.
6. To create policies for water conservation through proper assessment, regulations and information

Context:

Dimapur city is the commercial hub of the State. According to Meteorological Observatory, Dimapur, the Dimapur district receives an average annual rainfall of 1140.6 mm, i.e., 1056.78 million m³ or 1.05 m³ (BCM). Out of which, 80% of the rainfall amounting to 0.84 billion m³ are lost in the streams and rivers as runoff, while only 20% i.e., 0.21 billion is able to retain in various forms. The same loss can also be attributed to the college too and it thus needs rectification. Hence, Jal Shakti Team of Dimapur Government College (DGC) was formed and it has initiated civic programme on various occasions involving the volunteers from teachers, students and staff of the College. The team has conducted cleanliness drive where water tanks in the campus, drinking water area, roof top of rain harvesting area and damages of water channel were addressed.

A state level seminar was jointly organized by Jal Shakti Team & Swachhta Action Plan Committee, Unity College, Dimapur on water conservation on 3^rd November 2022, with the theme “Urban Ground Water Management in Nagaland: Issue and the Way Forward”. Mr. Limasunep, Joint Director, Directorate of Soil & Water Conservation, Government of Nagaland was the resource person of the Seminar.

Also, along with the rest of the world, the Jal Shakti Team organized an awareness walk on 22^nd March 2023 in commemoration of ‘World Water Day’ on the theme “Catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls.” The walk was from Duncan Junction to the Dimapur Government College campus. Teachers and students of DGC participated in the programme.

Practice:

Groundwater is a vital for water supply to humanity. It provides drinking water to as much as 50% of the global population and it accounts for 43% of all water sources for irrigation. Globally, 2.5 billion people depend solely on groundwater resources to satisfy their basic daily water needs. Dimapur Government College being the premier college in Dimapur district, it shared the responsibility to promote the importance of groundwater and recharging the same to regenerate itself. Dimapur Government College aims to inculcate the importance of groundwater by its action on the public and thereby highlight its importance to make the earth greener for the betterment of humanity.

In order to meet availability of clean water for safe drinking and sanitation, the team constantly monitor the management of water conservation through volunteers and committee supervisions.The Jal Shakti Team DGC constructed 100/40 ft. wide and 8 ft deep fishery pond for the dual purpose of underground water recharging & fishery which also benefits in the protection of ecosystem. The continuous maintenance is employed and monitored effectively. The importance has given on both scientific and traditional knowledge which was developed for effective watershed management in the form of collecting and storing water using indigenous method of harvesting rain water. Such practices are also the best way of preventing the wastage. The team with a sense of ownership and commitment carries out the awareness programme along with the rest of the world within the college campus and outside to disseminate the clear objective. Also, agreed upon to collaborate with the other colleges or any voluntary organisation to build on both scientific and traditional knowledge of water conservation. The applications of such resources have an impact on policy planning responsible and college community as well. Action has been put on by the college to implement effective management in coordination with the experts in the department of soil and water conservation Nagaland.

Achievement:

The implementation of the water conservation scheme in the college through participatory approaches such as awareness programmes, workshops and social works has benefited the stakeholder of college community. Many have come forward expressing their cooperation how to strategize the environmental stability through this mission.

The amount of water harvested during rainy season are collected and stored for other useful purposes such as watering flowers and sanitations which was left unattended and neglected before the implementation. The rain water harvesting has been the important source of water storage in the ponds which has the dual purposes of fishery and underground water recharging. Constant monitoring of water quality to ensure sanitary protection has shown its significant impact. It has improved the quality and supply of water for better accessibility and sustainability such as rain water harvesting.

Problems:

In the pursuit of improvement for water resources many factors need to be considered, the blame for water scarcity cannot be put to one entity. As a faculty the academic objectives taking forward need to compromise while engaging in those activities. The initiatives of the government on the implementations of the scheme should go along with the fair funding and adequately provided. However, with the limited resources as an educational institution, the provisions for infrastructural development without the support of external agencies become a distant dream.

To engage expertise in the area of local knowledge and technical know-how involves time and financial constraints. Therefore, it cannot be systematically delivered and purposeful in the project execution as desired.

Due to lack of awareness, the sense of ownership towards the project in the form of mass participation is challenging. Therefore, it is an urgent need to be taken up by the political leaders, policy and decision makers at the highest level of the government to implement integrated watershed management as an alternative approach for sustainable development.

Conclusions:

In spite of many challenges, the team is committed to encounter water crisis through various methods to conserve water through rainwater harvesting and monitoring. This is used to protect and revive ground water considering that it is not only replenishes the stored underground water but also improves its quality by effecting dilution of pollutants and other harmful substances. In addition, the traditional water management practices and scientific knowledge are employed to partner with other agencies wherever there is a feasibility and connectivity. Thus, the effort of water conservation is to ensure sustainable water supply and leads to policy formulations on the improvement of water quality, prevent water pollution and wastage so that it is sustainable to present and future generations.