State to map jail inmates’ educational qualifications

Alok KN Mishra

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government will survey the educational qualifications and interests of nearly 20,000 inmates currently lodged in Delhi’s jails, officials said on Thursday. The government wants to identify inmates interested in studies and upskilling so it can provide them with further education and vocational skills training to help them become employable upon release, they added.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday held a meeting to discuss the upskilling project with director-general (prisons) Sandeep Goel, secretary, education, Ashok Kumar, and senior officials of the education department. Delhi government teachers who work with inmates also joined the meeting. “The AAP government believes that education is the only way to set the right mindset among people and help them lead a better and meaningful life.

There are nearly 20,000 inmates in Delhi’s jails. We now need to understand their educational background and their interest in future education or skilling,” Sisodia said.

Sisodia said as part of the project, Delhi government teachers will talk to the inmates to understand their educational background and skilling needs, and, accordingly design new programmes for them.

He added the study will also help the government understand gaps in the education system.

A Delhi government official said skill training is likely to take place inside the three jail complexes. “Delhi has 16 jails across the three complexes – Tihar, Mandoli and Rohini. Training and upskilling exercises are an ongoing process in the jails--especially Jail No. 2 of Tihar and Jail No. 14 of Mandoli, which are meant for convicts only. The inmates are regularly trained in various skillsets, including bakery, handloom, carpentry, the use of powerlooms, the extraction of mustard oil, assembly of LED bulbs, and others. But besides these traditional skills, the government wants to provide them with modern skills according to market demand, so that they are better equipped to cope up in the modern world,” said an official.

The official said both undertrials as well as convicts are part of the education programme that is already being run in the prison complexes, and they are currently pursuing degrees and post-graduation courses through distance mode.

Delhi’s jails have 20,000 inmates. We need to understand their interest in future education or skilling.

Delhi deputy chief minister