ESA(CBWE)

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) related to CBWE

Question 1. WHAT IS CBWE?
Answer 1. The Central Board for Workers Education (CBWE) is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India. It is registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. Started in 1958, the Workers Education Scheme in India has been playing a very significant role in our national development; creating an enlightened and disciplined work force and bringing about desirable behavioural changes in our workforce in the organized, unorganized and rural sectors. It gets grants-in-aid from the Ministry of Labour & Employment to operate its activities. The Scheme of Workers Education aims at achieving the objectives of creating and increasing awareness and educating the workforce for their effective participation in the socio-economic development of the country. To achieve these objectives, various training programmes are conducted by the Board for the workers of formal and informal sectors at national, regional and unit levels through a network of 50 Regional and 09 Sub-Regional Directorates spread all over the country and an apex Training Institute viz. Indian Institute of Workers Education (IIWE) at Mumbai.

Question 2. WHAT ARE THE AIMS & OBJECTIVE OF CBWE?
Answer 2.

To strengthen among all sections of the working class a sense of Patriotism, National Integrity, Unity, Amity, Communal Harmony, Secularism and pride in being an Indian.
To equip all sections of workers, for their intelligent participation in socio-economic development of the nation.
To develop amongst the workers a greater understanding of the problems of their social and economic environment, their responsibilities towards the family and their rights and obligations as citizens.
To develop capacity of workers in all aspects to meet the challenges of the country.
To develop strong, united and more responsible Trade Unions.
To empower the workers as employees of the organization.
To meet the needs of workers to have access to ways of acquiring and continuous upgradation of knowledge and skills.

Question 3. WHAT IS THE SETUP OF CBWE?
Answer 3. The Headquarter of the Board is at Nagpur. The Board is having:

50 Regional Directorates
09 Sub-Regional Directorates

To supervise the training activities of the Regional Directorates there are six Zonal Directorates at:

Delhi
Kolkata
Chennai
Mumbai
Bhopal
Guwahati

Question 4. WHAT IS THE ADMINISTRATIVE SET-UP OF CBWE?
Answer 4.

ADMINISTRATIVE SET-UP OF CBWE

Question 5. WHAT ARE THE ACTIVITIES OF CBWE IN NORTH EAST REGION?
Answer 5.

The Central Board for Workers Education focuses special attention to the workers of North-East. The region is covered by the CBWE through its four regional Directorates situated at
- Guwahati
- Imphal
- Tinsukia
- Siliguri.
Besides regular training programmes, special programmes on topics such as HIV/AIDS, Human Rights, National Integrity and Communal Harmony etc. are also conducted for workers of tea garden.
A Zonal Directorate to monitor the workers education activities of the North- East Region has been established by the Board at Guwahati.

Question 6. WHAT ARE THE AIMS & OBJECTIVE OF INDIAN INSTITUTE OF WORKERS EDUCATION (IIWE)?
Answer 6. The Indian Institute of Workers Education, an apex training institute under CBWE, was established in March 1970.

Aims and Objectives

The Aim of establishing IIWE is to enable the Board to conduct National level training programmes.
The institute serves as a demonstration and information center and designs specialized schemes for training.
The institute is designed to function as an interdisciplinary training center.
A Tripartite Managing Committee plan and direct all academic activities of the institute.

Question 7. WHAT KIND OF ROLE CBWE IS PERFORMING IN PROMOTING HARMONIOUS INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS?
Answer 7.The aim of the CBWE is to inculcate awareness among the working class about their rights and obligations for their effective participation in socio-economic development of the country. To change the mind-set to facilitate promotion of harmonious industrial relations many programmes are conducted by the Board such as:

Advanced Training Programme for Activists of Trade Union Organizations/Federations
Joint Educational Programme for New Members of Joint Councils at Enterprise Level
Joint Educational programme on Participative Management
Personality Development Programme
Programme for Training of Trainers
Need based seminars

Question 8. WHAT KIND OF SERVICES ARE RENDERED BY THE CBWE?
Answer 8.The Board imparts training to the different segments of workers. The training programmes cover workers from the following sectors:

Organised Sector
Unorganised Sector
Rural Sector

ORGANISED SECTOR

First level – training is given to the candidates selected through a country-wide advertisement for employment as Education Officers under the Board. After successful completion of training at IIWE, Mumbai, these Education Officers are posted at different Regional Directorates.
Second level, workers from different establishments, sponsored by the Trade Unions and released by employers, are trained at the Regional Directorates. The workers so trained are called Workers Trainers.
Third level, which is the most important level, the Workers Trainers conduct classes for the rank and file of workers in their respective establishments.

UNORGANISED SECTOR
The Board has taken task of educating the workers of unorganised sector with a view to develop awareness about their problems.The workers of following units are covered under these programmes:

Handloom
Powerloom
Khadi and Rural Industries
Industrial Estates
Small Scale Industries
Handicrafts
Sericulture
Coir Industries
Beedi Industries
Other Categories

RURAL SECTOR
The Board has launched the rural workers education scheme in 1977-78 with the following objectives:

To promote among rural workers, awareness of the problems of their socio-economic environment and their privileges and obligations as workers, as members of the village community and as citizens;
To educate rural workers to enhance their self confidence and build up a scientific attitude;
To educate the rural workers in protecting and promoting their individual and social interests’
To educate rural workers in developing their organizations through which they can fulfil socio-economic functions and responsibilities in rural economy and strengthen democratic, secular and socialist fibre of rural society; and
To motivate rural workers for family welfare planning and to combat social evils.

Question 9. HOW CBWE IS CREATING AWARENESS ABOUT MAHATMA GANDHI NATIONAL RURAL EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE ACT, 2005?
Answer 9. The special programmes for the beneficiaries of MGNREGA are being conducted by CBWE through its Regional Directorates spread across the country to enlighten the rural masses about the benefits of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme

Following activities are being conducted under the Project -