A commission two many?

A commission two many?

The Union Cabinet has sealed its approval for a National Resource Centre for Women (NRCW). The proposal for the Centre was made by the Department of Women and Child Welfare, headed by Minister of State for Human Resource Development Sumitra Mahajan, to bridge the gap created in research on women issues, crucial for framing policy. The Finance Ministry recently cleared a Rs 2 crore budget for the new Centre.

So far, so good. The question now arises: will the establishment of this centre cut into the functioning of the National Commission for Women (NCW)? The doubts arise from the wording of the proposal submitted by Mahajan’s Department: ‘‘Collecting and disseminating information, coordinating policy and program-related research and act as a focal point for all data and information relating to women.’’

These functions are similar to those of the NCW as specified in the National Commission of Women Act of 1990. The NCW already has an agenda for research, though the Department admits that the commission doesn’t have the ‘‘wherewithal’’ to do it.

One of the NCW’s listed functions is to ‘‘undertake promotional and educational research so as to suggest ways of ensuring due representation of women in all spheres.’’ Another function is to ‘‘participate and advise on the planning process of socio-economic development of women.’’

Are the wings of the NCW being clipped with the emergence of a better equipped and funded body? NCW chairperson Vibha Parthasarthy says she has heard about the proposal, but hasn’t seen the proposal. ‘‘It is only after the 1995 Beijing Conference that India geared up to create a National Resource Centre for Women. To an extent, it’s true that we don’t have the mandate. The NCW is also badly under-staffed, and doesn’t have the space required to build up a resource centre,’’ she told The Indian Express. Former chairperson of NCW and founder of Guild of Service for Women Mohini Giri also ruled out the need for setting up another research centre. ‘‘During my tenure, I had opposed the move for the formation of a research centre because that’s the NCW’s prerogative. It cannot be separated from the NCW. And if the NCW doesn’t have the wherewithal and mandate for research, it should be created.’’ The NCW gets Rs 3.5 crore as grants from the Centre.

However, Ritu Menon, co-founder of publishing house Kali for Women, feels that a research centre shouldn’t be confused with the NCW. Says co-founder Ritu Menon, ‘‘A research centre is a 15-year-old idea, and it can do a lot since research into women issues has just started in the country.’’

The proposal does address the issue: ‘‘The National Commission for Women is a statutory body created under the NCW Act and has neither the mandate nor the wherewithal to take up research, training and documentation activities that is proposed to be taken by the NRCW.’’

‘‘It is already burdened with lots of issues relating to women and, therefore, cannot undertake these activities,’’ the note says.

The proposal also rules out the utility of other sources of research, like women study centres that are present in universities across the country. The note says, ‘‘...Women studies units set up in a few universities are neither equipped nor oriented to perform the tasks and the objectives of the proposed NCRW...They are adjuncts to the department of sociology and social work, women studies and political science to carry out region specific research.’’

Besides research, the NCRW would also evaluate existing government programmes relating to women’s development. It would also train women for various job profiles like for the military and other armed forces. This training would be available from the ‘‘training division to be set up by the Department of Personnel and Training with Rs 11 crore,’’ the note adds.

In a special package for adolescent girls, the NCRW proposes setting up five zonal schools in Bangalore, Guwahati, Delhi, Lucknow and one in the Western region for special training in various aspects necessary for joining the forces. This project would be jointly managed by the Ministries of Defence and the Human Resource Development.