EDITORIAL
Cause of concern
It is a matter of serious
concern that every major terrorist attack elsewhere in
the country should have its roots in the State. The
latest revelation in this newspaper can only make us sit
up and take notice. According to it a Karnataka police
team has already arrived in the State looking for
facilitators in the sensational strike on the Indian
Institute of Sciences at Bangalore. It has been told by a
top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander in its custody that at
least three of his accomplices continue to operate in
Jammu and Kashmir. This trio including one Pakistani
national had helped him in execution of the dastardly
exercise in one of the biggest international hubs of
information technology. What is equally disturbing is
that the arms employed in the killing of a venerable
professor and inflicting injuries on three others are
also stated to have gone from our turf. Prima facie there
is no reason to suspect both the findings which are
plausible given the past record. By now it is well
established that at least three major acts of terror in
as many states were planned in this territory. The
strategy to rock the makeshift Ram Temple in Ayodhya
(Uttar Pradesh) was conceived by Jaish-e-Mohammad in
Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district. If it had stopped
short of hitting the target it was only because of the
courage and high degree of alertness shown by the
security forces. Before that the bloodshed in Akshardham
Temple in Gandhinagar (Gujarat) had nearly shaken the
State's ruling coalition with the arrest of some of those
allegedly involved from a house belonging to a minister
in south of the Valley. The pre-Diwali fireworks in the
national capital that eliminated scores of innocent
citizens too were provided final touches in the Kashmir
region. Only recently a Delhi Police posse had travelled
all the way to the Valley to get the better of
perpetrators of the most heinous crime.
Should we not worry about
these happenings? As it is our reputation as the
possessor of a paradise has got a knocking with blood at
one time flowing all over particularly on the other side
of the Pir Panjal. Our lakes, rivers, hills, plains and
places of worship have all been sullied by the ugly and
merciless terror machine. Perhaps no other State has seen
so many distinguished sons of the soil being gunned gown
by the militants as we have done during the last 15
years. Some of them have been knocked out of the scene
virtually unsung. An entire generation has grown up in at
least one region having totally oblivious of the State's
fabled social and communal harmony. Now one disclosure
after the other tells us that the environment has come in
handy for cunning schemers to chart out and launch a
similar offensive beyond Lakhanpur. Our State has become
a hideout for them to indulge in heartless deeds in other
regions of the country.
There is thus a double
tragedy that has gripped our State. They slay us and they
slay others. There can't be two opinions that the
presence of such elements in our midst poses a key
challenge. They are eroding the State's image. Before
they besmirch it beyond recognition we must wake up. We
must call their bluff.
Will HM learn?
If we still feel for
Hizbul Mujahideen it is because some of its visible faces
are those of "boys" belonging to the State. The
involvement of any of them in cruel and intimidatory acts
becomes a matter of regret and shame for us. Their
killing in the process leaves behind an acute sense of
loss. Therefore, we have consistently pleaded in these
columns that the HM should give up gun and settle instead
for peaceful dialogue. Its emphasis on continuing
"armed struggle" has placed it in the category
of Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad both of which
have evoked global aversion. How does it serve its
purpose to set its own house on fire? Why does it not
realise that it has a stake in normalcy, tranquility and
prosperity of the State? Or is it that it has ceased to
be homespun and is having its wires being pulled by some
other forces? There is greater suspicion that it is
playing into the hands of the elements inimical to the
social and cultural ethos of the Kashmir Valley in
particular. Of course, its approach is also harmful to
the economic well-being of the ordinary people. Who does
not know that the trade and commerce had become a serious
casualty because of bloodshed in the nineties more so in
the Kashmir region? The latest reports that it has warned
the Kashmiri youth against joining the Central forces
including the Army are indicative of its way of thinking.
It has issued threats that those who join the security
apparatus and their families will have their houses
"locked and they will be asked to leave the Kashmir
Valley". It has let out more fire by utterances like
confiscating their property and holding them responsible
for their own death. According to the HM, the recruitment
drive by the security forces "is part of a
conspiracy to goad the Kashmiri youth". It has
minced no words while expressing the view that such
attempts will be foiled. Obviously it seems to apprehend
that such efforts will push the "freedom
struggle" into background. It is small wonder then
that it has visualised a spectre of "civil war"
rising in Kashmir.
The HM may be well within
its rights to claim that there is no difference between
its "words and deeds". It can, however, do
better by indulging in introspection. More than 5000
Kashmiri young persons who fulfilled the qualifying
standards have already joined the Army, Central Reserve
Police Force, Border Security Force and the armed wing of
the State Police. This has brought cheer to their
families that are faced with the problem of limited
employment opportunities. Without doubt one can say that
they have also understood the futility of hatred spread
in their name during the last 15 years. They have seen
with their eyes numerous rags-to-riches stories in the
"secessionist" camp while they have been
condemned to live in penury. More than anything else the
HM alone can judge the fall-out of its misplaced
"diktats" over the years. It has just to
compare the sort of strength it was able to demonstrate
in the early nineties and it does these days. If it does
so it will be wiser. It will find that much water has
flown down the Jhelum in the intervening period.
Development
of Doda
By Prof P
R Khajuria
The sprawling Doda
sub-region with its peculiar
geophysical characteristics and
unique socio-cultural scenario;
with its centuries old known
history that almost runs parallel
to the history of Kashmir valley,
with its brimming, calling
natural resources in the form of
alpine forests, sparkling streams
and murmuring springs, sanguine
sapphire and challenging
Chandrabhaga has glued to its
traditional backwardness despite
the soaking sunshine of
independence. The ethnic,
religious and dialectical
multiplicity of Doda sub-region
has remained intact despite the
onslaught of alien influences;
thus creating a variegated
society. The tolerant hill folk
who stalk the mountain slopes of
Doda represent the essence of
Indian ethos, which is a matter
of pride for all of us. Doda
sub-region though steeped in
poverty has nurtured eminent
persons in different fields who
have played outstanding roles at
regional as well as national
level.
The peculiar
geophysical conditions of Doda to
require area specific, innovative
and imaginative planning to
alleviate and strengthen its
economy. The plethora of plans
devised without taking into
consideration the topographical
features, climate, soil
composition and availability of
inputs have failed to yield the
desired results, thus creating a
kind of stagnation in the
economy. The infrastructure
created so far needs to be
further strengthened and expanded
to meet the ever increasing
population pressure and mobility.
The areas which need to be
addressed are as follows.
Agriculture : Diversification
of agriculture is the need of the
hour. The marginal farmers of
Doda have been cultivating
traditional crops for centuries.
The unpredictable weather
conditions marked by long dry
spells have rendered most of the
district drought prone one. Micro
planning requires to be evolved
so that the small landholders
get/benefited. The cultivation of
saffron, the cash crop of
Kishtwar could be introduced in
other parts of district,
introduction of hybrids, lifting
of ban on the cultivation of
poppy in Doda parts will improve
the lot of the ruralites of Doda.
Apiculture is yet another aspect
of agriculture which needs to be
focused resulting into the
lessening of bitterness from the
lives of thousands of village
folk.
Horticulture : Schemes
like ''Technological Mission''
put in place recently do not
match with the ground realities
of Doda. Area specific schemes
for the development of
horticulture can give long term
as well as short term dividends.
The denuded hill slopes of Doda
are most suitable for walnuts,
pomeganate and olive. Development
of fruit plant nurseries,
distribution of saplings to the
prospective fruit growers,
setting up of fruit markets,
juice, jam and pickle plants in
the private sectors are tasks
that need to be undertaken by the
concerned department in concreted
manner.
Forests : A
major chunk of labour force is
invariably involved with
activities related to forest.
Doda had the distinction of
having more than one fourth of
the total forest cover of the
State. Over the years timber
mafia has done enough damage to
the luxuriant forest of Doda; but
the economic condition of
thousand of labourers and their
dependants has only worsened.
Doda forest cannot be compared
with the decidous forests of
Assam or Uttaranchal Pradesh. It
takes decades to a deodar to grow
to its full stature. The concept
of afforestation may not be
absolutely true in Doda context.
The forest waste could be
utilized in the manufacture of
paper. Joinery mills should be
set up within the district in
public sector. It will provide
employment to-hundreds of people.
Setting up of industries related
to minor forest produce and
medicinal hubs will also boost
the economy of Doda. The
cultivation of medicinal plants
could be taken up as experimental
basis. For this purpose a branch
of Regional Research Laboratory
is require to be opened in the
district. Small Industrial units
for manufacture of turpentine oil
etc from the tones of resin
collected in Doda will lessen the
burden of unemployment to some
extent.
Tourism : The
State Government has been
considerate enough to set up
tourist authorities at Bhaderwah
and Kishtwar. A third tourism
authority needs to be set up at
Doda also which would cover the
entire tourist circuit lying
above the right bank of river
Chenab. To induce tourists to
visit Doda areas, the landlocked
district needs to be thrown open
by constructing/ completing roads
leading to adjoining Himachal
Pradesh and Kashmir valley. The
ancient rout passing through
Umasi La Pass should be developed
for vehicular traffic. It will
facilitate an alternate route to
Ladakh via Zanskar and attract
foreign tourists in large
numbers. Completion of
Doda-Dessa-Kapran road will be
enormously advantageous from
tourist point of view. The
tourism development policy for
Doda should cover pilgrimage
tourism also. Doda sub-region has
remarkable potential for
pilgrimage tourism. Shrines of
Muslim Saints and age old temples
of serpent gods and local deities
attract devotees from all over
the temples of serpent gods Suber
Nag at Suber Dhar, Roshara Mata
and local deities attract
devotees from all over the State.
Development of proper
infrastructure and appropriate
publicity will brighten the
chances of increased tourist
traffic. Tourism related
activities will have a sanguine
bearing on the life of the people
of this economically backward
sub-region. The departments of
archeology, information, cultural
academy are required to
collaborate with tourism
department to explore the vast
tourism potential of Doda.
Power Sector : The
elephantine hydro-electricity
projects presently under
construction should be completed
sooner than later. Along with
these macro-projects micro-power
projects should be constructed on
the streams which have perennial,
recourses. Micro power projects
are suitable for the fragile
ecosystem of Doda with lessened
baggage of transmission risks and
expenditure. Doda hills being the
youngest one in the Middle
Himalayan region, as such there
is greater need of preserving the
fragile eco-balance in these
parts.
Education : The
coalition Government of the State
deserves our thanks for
sanctioning a University campus
at Bhadarwah. Like other
districts of the State a women
college needs to be established
within the confines of Doda
district, which will cater to
educational needs of female
population; whose literacy rate
is very low in these parts a
compared to other parts of the
state.
Work culture : To
inculcate work culture in the
institutions initiated by your
goodself is a most welcome step
and will go a long way in
streamlining the institutions
paralised for the last three
decades. In view of the
topography and vastness of
District Doda special attention
needs to be ensured.
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Higher
technical rducation in J&K
By O. N. Wakhlu*
The growth
of higher technical education in Jammu
and Kashmir, in the last four decades has
been phenomenal. In the early thirties of
the twentieth century the State had to
hire Engineers from outside. At that time
the State Government encouraged young
talented people to get training in
countries abroad. A dozens or so young
men were sent to USA and UK to get
trained as graduate engineers. On their
return they were the first to launch the
technological era in the State. They rose
to ranks of Senior Engineers under whose
guidance developmental works were
executed and a pool of able technicians
created by imparting training locally to
students in technical/vocational schools.
The next
generation of engineering graduates
comprised young people of merit who
pursued engineering studies in institutes
of repute in the country, namely, Patna,
Roorkee, Aligarh, Banaras, Calcutta and
Guindy, Poona etc., The output of
graduates from J&K was however, still
a trickle. This was not of much
consequence though, because engineering
works and jobs were equally negligible.
In fact, it so happened that Er. R. L.
Sharma, a renowned engineer of J&K
after graduating in Electrical and
Mechanical Engineering from Banaras Hindu
University, sometime in early forty's,
did not get employment or work to do in
the State. It was then that he blazed the
first ever entrepreneurial trail by
constructing the first micro-hydel power
plant at Muzaffarabad (now in PoK) as a
Private Project. Later on he pioneered
many power projects in the State.
Growth
of new colleges and IIT's:
After the
country gained independence in 1947,
developmental plans for Agriculture,
industry and infrastructure demanded the
construction of a vast network of
engineering structures throughout the
land. The demand for engineering manpower
grew exponentially giving rise to the
building of five Indian Institutes of
technology (IIT's) in the fifties and
later to the establishing of eighteen
Regional Engineering Colleges in the
country. These Institutes were
established with great foresight by Acts
of Parliament and given complete
autonomy. This ensured that the
Institutes made rapid strides in the
advancement of various disciplines of
engineering. Continuous effort was
devoted to further research and
development in emerging areas of
technology. The quality output from these
institutions did excellent service to the
engineering profession.
The State
Governments also made their efforts to
expand higher technical education to meet
higher demand. The demand for engineers
both in India and abroad was more than
numbers graduating from institutions.
Many engineers, therefore, found
excellent jobs in USA; UK and elsewhere.
They are now contributing to the wider
spheres of technology in many ways. What
was once detested as a "brain
drain" is now rightly glorified as a
contribution of great value to the home
country.
Strides
made in J&K
The State
of Jammu and Kashmir also benefited from
these developments. Thanks to then Prime
Minister of J&K, Bakshi Ghulam
Mohammad's efforts, the north zone
Regional Engineering College, being
planned to be established at Chandigarh,
was got approved by him instead for being
located in Srinagar. In May, 1959, Prof.
S. R. Singh of the University of Roorkee
was appointed to Advisor to the
Government of J&K for the College.
Later, Dr. Z. U. Ahmad of the same
University became the first Principal of
the College in 1960. Classes were held in
September, 1960 in the renovated army
barracks in Naseem Bagh. At the same time
Prof. S. Radhakrishnan, President of
India visited the College with Bakshi
Ghulam Mohammad and blessed the first
batch of students.
The REC,
Srinagar, being the first to be
established in J&K, became a pace
setter for the growth of higher technical
education. This is evident from the fact
that today there are five fully fledged
engineering Institutes in the State
including one deemed University. Besides,
there are six Universities in the State
including two Universities for
Agriculture Sciences which offer degree
level vocational technological courses as
well. The REC, Srinagar is now a Deemed
University with the status of National
Institute of Technology (N.I.T.). Three
Colleges out of five are private sector
enterprises under the scheme of All India
council of Technical Education
(A.I.C.T.E). Considerable progress has
been achieved by these Institutes as a
result of good leadership and academic
inputs partly provided by the former
staff of the REC, Srinagar as well as
from other IIT's. The progress of higher
technical education over the last four
decades is evident from the following
growth of Institutes in J&K:-
*Regional
Engineering College, Srinagar now
National Institute of Technology (Deemed
University, Established 1960 (Autonomous
B.O.G.)
*
Sher-i-Kashmir University of Agriculture
Science and Technology, Established in
1983 (Government of J&K).
*Government
College of Engineering and Technology,
Jammu established in 1994 (Government of
J&K).
*Model
Institute of Engineering and Technology,
Jammu. Established in 1998 (Privately
managed).
* MBS
College of Engineering and Technology,
Jammu, Established in 1999 (Private Trust
and Board of Directors).
*SSM
College of Engineering and Technology,
Divar, Parihaspora, Kashmir, Established
in 1999 (Privately owned and managed).
Sher-i-Kashmir
University of Agriculture Science and
Technology, Jammu Established in 2002.
* Shri
Mata Vaishno Devi University, Established
in 2003, Private Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine
Board, Autonomous Management.
*Baba
Ghulam Shah Badshah University,
Established 2005, Awqaf Trust, Autonomous
Management.
The
progress is to be appreciated as good
when seen in juxtaposition of the fact
that the first ever modern University was
established in the State in 1949.
Deficiencies
- Quality of Output:
Whereas,
the expansion of higher technical
education is impressive there are some
aspects, however, which need immediate
attention. The quality of output needs
much improvement in terms both of
qualified graduates as well as the
research output. This aspect is to be
tackled at two levels. One is the quality
of students intake and how to ensure this
through the selection/admission process.
The second is the academic excellence of
the teaching staff including their
capabilities for doing research and
extension work. Improvements are needed
in both. Some thought has been given to
streamline the admission process and
select the very best for engineering
training.
Inadequate
teaching staff:
But the
problem of deficiency of adequate
teaching staff is acute and rather
neglected for sometime. This problem was
faced in the earlier decades of 1960-80
as well. Because the engineering
industries pull away the cream of
engineers at high salaries, it is
difficult to attract young graduates for
academic studies and research. It is very
essential, therefore, to provide young
graduates ample opportunities and
incentives for higher education leading
to M. Tech. and Ph.D. (Engineering)
degrees. Without such a pro-active market
intervention by the Government; the
situation will worsen further. This
proactive intervention was indeed a
policy zealously followed at Reginal
Engineering College, Srinagar with good
results. As of now this has slowed down.
Continuing
Education:
Heads of
technical education in Jammu &
Kashmir could together meet and prepare
as Action Plan to encourage continuing
education of staff to solve the problem
for the guidance of all concerned. Every
shade of opinion in the professional
could be taken into consideration through
the medium of professional societies like
A.I.C.T.E.; I.S.T.E; and Institution of
Engineers (India).
The Jammu
and Kashmir State Council for Science and
Technology under the Department of
Science and Technology, Government of
J&K could also take up this matter
with the concerned Institutions and
arrange a Workshop on the subject. There
is no time to delay this matter further
and wait for the wake-up call when it
will be too late and we can think only
about disaster management.
Private
Colleges:
Private
College managements have a greater
responsibility in this regard, because
they tend to save on expenses by cutting
corners and employ academic staff of poor
merit at lower costs. Also they are
tempted to cringe on making provision for
essential equipment and services. Such
attitudes end up with compromising on
quality. This also tentamounts to fraud
on students.
Autonomous
Management:
All higher
technical educations should have autonomy
of management by a Board of Directors,
thoughtfully and legally constituted to
direct and manage its affairs and achieve
well recognized and expected objectives.
With well-trained and qualified staff in
place, the institutions should embark to
begin post-graduate studies and research
programmes. Thereby, we can ensure
continued growth of better education,
research and development in engineering
and technology.
The best
solution to meet the need for more
qualified and meet the challenge of
shortage of good teachers in the many
areas of ever widening specialization is
to sponsor a large number of young
graduates for higher studies. All those
who are challenged to correct the grim
situation today ought to realize that in
the age of information technology the
developments in ideas and know-how in
science and technology move with
electronic speeds. We cannot therefore,
keep pace with developments with a
mind-set of rules and regulations that
belong to the medieval era. Changes are
vitally important to hasten growth.
(The
author is a former Principal, REC,
Srinagar)
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Knights
and warriors of growth
By Anupam Dasgupta
Worldwide, the
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are being
viewed as an engine of equitable economic growth
and poverty alleviation. They generate high rates
of employment growth and account for a major
share of industrial production and total exports.
Thus, SMEs constitute one of the most important
segments of the economy in a labour abundant
country like India. In the present global
environment, survival of an enterprise depends
largely on how quickly it can adapt to rapid
change in the market conditions. The SMEs score
over their larger counterparts in this respect.
Further, SMEs generally have lower capital costs
for important deliverables because of their
flexibility and size.
Global
Competitiveness
There are,
however, several preconditions to enhancing the
global competitiveness of the SMEs. These relate
mainly to easy access to capital, technology,
marketing, infrastructure, critical information
and simplified systems and procedures. In the
Indian context, the Government has taken several
initiatives to help enhance the competitive
strengths of the SMEs. These include measures for
provision of adequate and timely credit, support
for domestic and export marketing, provision of
infrastructure facilities, promotion of domestic
and foreign investment and technology
upgradation. Since the early 1990s, the
Government has been pursuing economic reforms in
all segments of the economy. The liberalised
set-up has posed some significant challenges as
well as provided opportunities to the SMEs. The
challenges lie mainly in the increased
competition and reduced protection while the
opportunities include better access to modern
technology, availability of a variety of raw
materials and components at lower prices, new
markets, impetus to improve quality, efficiency
and opportunity to restructure and diversify.
Major
Initiatives
To help the SMEs
in meeting the challenges of globalisation, two
major initiatives taken by the Government are
setting up of the National Manufacturing
Competitiveness Council (NMCC) and the National
Commission of Enterprises in the Unorganised
Sector (NCEUS). The NMCC has been set up to
formulate strategies and design intervention
measures for improving manufacturing
competitiveness of all enterprises, bulk of which
are SMEs. On the other hand, the NCEUS has been
established to identify the constraints faced by
the unorganised sector, which accounts for a
large proportion of the SMEs.
Success Stories
Studies on the SME
sector’s export performance conclude that,
by and large, the Indian SMEs are globally
competitive in products that require materials
available locally and high inputs of skilled
labour, relatively simpler technologies and
flexible entrepreneurship. The more successful
Indian SMEs practise total quality management,
cost savings through rationalisation and
innovations and firmly stick to delivery
schedules. Indian SMEs in textiles and garments,
home furnishings, leather products, handicrafts,
carpets, silk and silk products and natural
stones have carved a niche for themselves in the
international market. The success of Indian SMEs
in the auto components sector in exports is a
well documented, on-going story. Gradually, the
success of the auto components sector is being
replicated in machine tools, chemicals, bulk
drugs and even electronics, due to technical
progress and increasing R&D activities.
Credit Flow to
SME
Access to credit
is a critical factor for the growth and
development of SMEs. However, adequate and timely
credit flow to the SME sector continues to be an
area of concern. According to the Third All-India
Census for Small Scale Industries (SSI), only
14.3 per cent of the registered units had loan
outstanding with banks and financial
institutions. The available trends also indicate
that the share of SSI credit from scheduled
commercial banks has been declining since 1998.
Bank credit to SSIs is constrained by demand for
higher margin and collaterals and rigid
procedures, due partly to the problem of
Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) and the "play
safe" attitudes of bank officials at branch
level. The problems in SSI lending are high
transaction costs, high-risk perception,
asymmetry of information on business prospects
and borrowers’ financial standing. However,
the fact is that the share of NPAs in the SSI
sector was much lower than that in the
non-priority sector in 2004.
In recognition of
the fact that delivery of credit continues to be
a serious problem for SMEs, the Government has
announced a ‘Policy Package for Stepping up
Credit to Small and Medium Enterprises
(SME)’ on 10th August 2005 with the
objective of doubling the credit flow to the
sector within a period of five years. Further,
the Government has recently launched a
‘Performance and Credit Rating Scheme for
SSIs’ through the National Small Industries
Corporation Ltd. The Small Industries Development
Bank of India (SIDBI) too, in collaboration with
major banks, has set up the SME Rating Agency of
India Ltd. (SMERA) exclusively for SMEs. The
credit rating is expected to enable the SMEs to
get bank loans at attractive and competitive
rates.
Modernisation
Some other
concerns also need to be addressed to help the
SMEs in attaining global competitiveness. These
relate to issues like technology upgradation,
responsive marketing facilities and supporting
infrastructure. To facilitate technology
upgradation for SMEs, the investment limit (in
plant and machinery) is proposed to be raised
from Rs.1 crore to Rs.5 crore in respect of 69
items reserved for manufacture in the small-scale
sector. Further, the Credit Linked Capital
Subsidy Scheme (CLCSS) for Technology Upgradation
has been amended with effect from 29 September
2005 to, inter alia, raise the eligible ceiling
on loans from Rs.40 lakh to Rs.1 crore and the
rate of subsidy from 12 per cent to 15 per cent.
These steps will further facilitate modernisation
of small enterprises through technology
upgradation.
Market
Development
The Government
also implements a Market Development Assistance
(MDA) Scheme under which financial assistance is
provided for exhibiting SSI products in
international exhibitions/fairs, for conducting
market studies, contesting anti-dumping cases,
etc. In the field of basic infrastructure, the
efforts of the State Governments are being
supplemented by the Government of India through
the Integrated Infrastructure Development (IID)
Scheme under which Central grant of Rs.2 crore is
provided for each IID project (Rs.4 crore for
North Eastern States including Sikkim, Jammu
& Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal).
Fiscal
Incentives
The Government
also continues to extend fiscal incentives to the
SMEs for providing them a level playing field
vis-a-vis their larger counterparts who enjoy
significant economies of scale. Under the General
Excise Exemption Scheme, SSI units with annual
turnover of up to Rs.4 crore are eligible for
full excise exemption on their first clearances
of Rs.1 crore. Further, small service providers
with gross annual turnover less than Rs.4 lakh
have been exempted from the purview of service
tax.
Self-employment
An eminent
economist had called the entrepreneurs
"Knights and Warriors" in the market
driven growth process. This is even more valid of
the present global economic scene. Enterprises
like Microsoft and Wal Mart started small and
have grown to become global leaders, thanks to
the superior entrepreneurial skills of their
promoters. SMEs nurture entrepreneurs to become
future leaders. The need to motivate such
entrepreneurs to take up self-employment is
sought to be met through the Entrepreneurship
Development Programmes (EDPs) conducted by the
national level Entrepreneurship Development
Institutes and the Small Industries Service
Institutes (SISIs) spread across the country.
Modern management practices are also disseminated
through Management Development Programmes
conducted by these institutes.
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