IGNOU, QCI certifies village vaidyas: Press Release

In yet another foray, the Indira Gandhi National Open University's (IGNOU's) Center for Traditional Knowledge Systems (CTKS) and the Quality Council of India (QCI) certified and enabled 24 Traditional Health Practitioners (THP), also called the gram vaidyas, for management of jaundice to assess their prior learning and knowledge areas of traditional healthcare practice.

"We should have mechanisms to use CTKS to ensure acceptability and occupational standards. Qualitative mechanisms are necessary with acceptability and employment," said Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, VC, IGNOU.

"This scheme is the first ever scheme to be implemented in the domain of TKS for health care in the world. Starting with the Vellore district of Tamil Nadu, 255 applications were received out of which 80 were from the gram vaidyas who manage jaundice. After their self assessment for their prior knowledge and skills they were evaluated by the members of the collegiums and evaluators of the discipline for their minimum standard of competency through interview and practical demonstrations at their practice stations in Chennai," said Prof. Debjani Roy, Director, CTKS, IGNOU.

She further added that, "THPs would be receiving their certificate of prior learning on October 16, 2011 from the Vice Chancellor of IGNOU in the presence of Mr. G. J. Gyani, Secretary General, QCI and Mr. Darshan Shankar, Vice Chairman, IAIM-FRLHT, Bangalore."

The CTKS initiated and developed this scheme for certification of prior learning and knowledge of the gram vaidyas in eight selected regions of the country with the objective to help the gram vaidyas to access their prior learning, knowledge and skills vis-à-vis a minimum set standard of competency with the help of domain knowledge partners in the field of bone setting, poison bites, skin diseases, cancer and other multiple streams.

The knowledge partners include the following: Institute of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine (I-AIM), Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), Bangalore, QCI, the respective state level nodal AYUSH Institutions and organizations working in the field of Local Health Traditions.

Mr. Anil Jauhri, Director, QCI, while presenting his presentation said that, "Competence is not linked with the degrees one acquires. It could be through education, training or even observation. There should be some way of evaluating and employing this talent. However, evaluation is also now not a one time job. We are now shifting from quality to competence."

Jauhri on how is the certification granted says that, "You need to define the requirements. Here it is people whom we are certifying. Firstly, it is the competency that is accessed. Then, what is the mechanism needed? One part of which is certification. Thirdly, when there are a number of people certifying then what is their quality? Are they accredited of competence?"

"When traditional knowledge comes, India and China are the leading countries for the entire source. The most important component in this area is that we are going beyond knowledge. Here the important point is competency. TKS is something which the world has forgotten; if pushed a little bit, then I am sure it could reach the rural masses," said Mr. G. J. Gyani, Secretary General, QCI.

 

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