Process Documentation Report

Prepared by the Implementing Agency, the South Asia Women’s Network (SWAN)

Introduction

Tourism as an industry is crucial for almost all countries of South Asia, and there are several country-specific successful tourism models across the region. Tourism provides significant opportunities for women’s advancement through formal, informal, and supply-chain employment. Tourism brings tourists to the place of production, and often (especially the proposed rural tourism sites) these are areas that hitherto have had few other economic options for development. Community- based tourism, focused on gender empowerment through the development of women-dominated areas of activity, can be a powerful socio-economic force-multiplier.

Gender Equality and Empowerment (SDG-5): A Central Priority across all the SDGs:

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has established 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are integrated and indivisible. Gender Equality and Empowerment is a key central priority, addressed explicitly through the stand-alone SDG- 5, and implicitly by mainstreaming gender equality across all the postulated SDGs.

Figure 1: SDG-5 as a Cross Cutting Priority across all the SDGs

Source: ADB and UN Women Report (2018).

The mainstreaming of gender issues into each SDG is a recognition that the attainment of SDG targets are possible only if the individual gender-related targets (within each SDG, including SDG-5) are attained.

Attaining these goals is no longer just a rights issue, but a crucial development issue that affects society as a whole, including men, women and children. In order to achieve a sustainable future, ending discrimination towards women, decreasing inequalities, and ensuring gender empowerment are of utmost importance. The public and private sectors across all the developing nations have the collective responsibility to integrate gender equality and women’s economic empowerment into their work, in line with the commitments made by governments to the Sustainable Development Goals, and earlierunder international women’s rights conventions such as the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the 1995 Beijing Platform of Action, and the four key ILO Gender Equality Conventions, among others.

The UNDP Asia Pacific Human Development Reports, the Global Gender Gap Reports published annually by the World Economic Forum, and many others have repeatedly highlighted that South Asia’s rankings for most gender gap indicators including health and nutrition, educational attainments, economic participation, equal remuneration, are among the lowest in the world, often lower than those in Sub-Saharan Africa. Gender inequality in South Asia is a deep-rooted structural issue based on conventional societal norms and attitudes, where the patriarchal mindset has continuously undermined any progress achieved under SDG-5.

There is little doubt that the worst public health and economic crisis in a century, arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, has further adversely and negatively impacted the status of women in South Asia, and around the world. It has severely impacted the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 5. The UN Women’s May 2020 Issue Brief describes the worldwide increase in domestic abuse as a ‘shadow pandemic’ alongside Covid-19, as dangerous as low access to health facilities and essential emergency needs. Even before the pandemic, the women of South Asia were among the worst sufferers in terms of their burden of unpaid women’s work (UWW). The burden of UWW has meant that in South Asia, female labour force participation rates are among the lowest in the world. The Covid-19 pandemic has vastly worsened the situation. Due to this pandemic, women already overburdened with unpaid domestic work, have been forced to live with their abusers and perpetrators within those four enclosed walls, having lost their jobs and their source of livelihood, facing the digital divide that has resulted in poor access to educational facilities and high dropout rates. Thus, the already existing vast differences between men and women on several key indicators have been aggravated to a great extent, with conditions in rural areas being far more difficult for women and girls.

Addressing the Challenges of Sustainable Development and Gender Empowerment through promotion of Sustainable Tourism:

The relationship between the tourism industry and sustainable development has been explored in many tourism studies and in policy-making circles for several decades. It has been found that tourism can greatly empower women, particularly through the provision of better opportunities for women’s participation in the workforce, for women’s entrepreneurship and leadership as compared to the other sectors of the economy. Thus, tourism has a comparative advantage for women in terms of generating employment and livelihood opportunities through three aspects: (i) Entrepreneurship: according to the estimates from UNWTO (World Tourism Organisaton), tourism has almost twice as many women employers as other sectors, (ii) Employment: ILO (International Labour Organisation) data shows that women make up around 60-70% of the labour force in the hospitality industry and (iii) Leadership Roles: according to WTO, women are more likely to have a leadership voice in tourism-related businesses, associations and governance than in other sectors.

The World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as “tourism which leads to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems”. Based on UN General Assembly resolution 70/193, 2017 was declared as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. It simultaneously aimed to perform three important functions namely (i) strengthening conservation efforts with the cooperation of the local communities, (ii) enhancing economic benefits to the indigenous people and local communities and (iii) enriching visitors’ experiences to the destination. Rural tourism is quintessentially sustainable tourism. 

Tourism is recognised as the potential tool for women to become fully engaged and lead in every aspect of society. In February 2022, the UNWTO published the “Gender Mainstreaming Guidelines for the Public Sector in Tourism”. Gender mainstreaming is defined as “the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated”.

Genesis of the Project

ITC Hotels aims to promote rural tourism around ITC Tavleen Chail, centered around Gram Panchayat Jeet Nagar, with the twin objectives of promoting a culture of rural tourism among their esteemed guests, and most importantly, bringing about detectable development in villages neighbouring select ITC/ Welcom Hotels. As agreed with ITC Hotels Sustainability Division, the three sectors of activity identified for special focus in and around Jeet Nagar are (i) Agronomic-entrepreneurship; (ii) Digital literacy; and (iii) Cultural Upliftment.

There are 17 villages and nine panchayats attached to the Janedghat gram panchayat, whose headquarters are located in Jeet Nagar.  Jeet Nagar does not have a separate panchayat, but is attached to the Janedghat panchayat. Jeet Nagar has 250 households. ITC Tavleen Chail, built on a higher reach, overlooks the village of Jeet Nagar.

SWAN has considerable experience in working towards the empowerment of women and thus the coming together of the two organizations towards a sustainable rural tourism initiative with particular focus on the local women, assures positive outcomes.

Women in the Himalaya and Workload

Women in the Himalaya have from time immemorial had a disproportionate workload. Women have been responsible for supplying water and fuel and have played an equally important role in home and food security. The degradation of natural habitats have thus had particularly negative concerns for women. In the past few decades, with increasing male migration and reduced workforce, the load on these women, particularly in agriculture-related activities has increased significantly. This is often referred to as the ‘feminisation of mountain agriculture and livelihoods’. Women are the backbone in the rural areas of this region. As mentioned by the Head of the Keonthal Cluster Level Federation (CLF) established under the NRLM, “Women play a key role in the everday lives of people in rural Himachal Pradesh.  Whatever, the circumstances, women have to carry out their responsibilities”.

Work-Population Ratio: Himachal Pradesh

The active participation of women in economic activity in Himachal Pradesh exceeds the all-India level of 37% with 54.8% women in the state found participating in such activity. The worker-population ratio (WPR) for all ages for Himachal Pradesh in 2022-23 is 58.6 per cent. It is higher than the all-India WPR of 41.1 per cent and also better than neighbouring states like Uttarakhand (40.6), Punjab (39.7) and Haryana (34.1).The WPR is an indicator used for analysing the employment situation and knowing the proportion of population actively contributing to the production of goods and services in the economy.

Source: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/himachal-pradesh-womens-role-in-economic-activity-far-above-national-average-592474

Background on Agencies

South Asia Women’s Network (SWAN

The South Asia Women’s Network (SWAN) brings together women leaders, parliamentarians, media representatives, creative individuals, NGO leaders, and grass-roots workers from nine countries of South Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Veena Sikri is the Founding Trustee & Convener of SWAN. SWAN was established in March 2009 at the Conference on “Women of South Asia: Partners in Development” convened at Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi. This Conference was inaugurated by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. Initially, SWAN was located within Jamia Millia Islamia University. Subsequently, SWAN functioned as a programme of the South Asia Foundation (SAF-India), New Delhi, a registered Trust. Since June 2017, SWAN, now registered as an Article 64 Trust under the Indian Trusts Act of 1882, is functioning independently.

SWAN emphasises the importance of gender empowerment as the key to sustainable economic growth, social development and environmental sustainability in South Asia. SWAN’s vision is to achieve sustainable development for South Asia through an integrated approach incorporating the centrality of women’s agency, voice, participation and leadership. At SWAN’s Fifth Annual Conference in Colombo in August 2013, SWAN agreed upon and adopted its own “Roadmap for Sustainable Development for the Women of South Asia”. Through subsequent Annual Conferences (Thimphu in 2014, Maldives in 2015, Yangon in 2016, Kathmandu in November 2017, and New Delhi in August/ September 2019) SWAN has moved into implementation of this Roadmap through collectively formulated projects. The methodology and objectives are agreed upon collectively at the Annual Conference or at specialised conferences, but ground-work and implementation is by participating institutions in each country.

SWAN recognises the serious challenges facing the women of South Asia, irrespective of their religious beliefs and ethnicities.  These include poverty, poor maternal and child health, low educational achievements and illiteracy, violence, social injustice, economic discrimination, lack of ownership or inadequate control over resources, tremendous vulnerability during and after environmental disasters and armed conflicts, and the socio-political and bureaucratic culture that undermines and constrains women in myriad spheres of national life. These challenges have defied solution, despite decades of effort by individual governments. Despite several outstanding examples of individual and collective achievements, women across South Asia still constitute an overwhelmingly large body of underprivileged citizens, surviving within the limits of an environment that remains de facto hostile.

In every field of endeavor, based on feedback from fieldwork and discussions in SWAN’s ten Annual Conferences, the most consistent refrain is that the crux of the problem lies in the firmly entrenched mind-set towards women, a mind-set that mitigates against respect, equality and empowerment for the women of South Asia. Essentially, the patriarchal system, as it has evolved, has brought in a mind-set that ensures women’s subordinate role within family and society. As a result, women are exposed to violence in its worst forms, the girl-child has seriously reduced access to educational facilities, and mothers to healthcare, including maternal healthcare. Patriarchy and violence, including threats of violence, erode the very foundations of gender justice. They undermine and negate the objectives of constitutional and legal provisions favouring gender equality and obstruct the advancement and empowerment of women in social, political and economic spheres of activity. 

The patriarchal mind-set and hierarchy have ensured that most government policies (across South Asia) have been gender-blind in their formulation and implementation, failing to give due weightage to the specific needs of women to help them overcome their disadvantaged position in society. This has only further strengthened patriarchal norms and has denied to most women any substantive benefit from the process of economic development across and within the countries of South Asia. In every SWAN activity, the aspects of changing mindsets and eliminating gender-based violence have strong cross-cutting priority.

SWAN’s flagship project on “Women for Change: Building a Gendered Media in South Asia” recognises the critical role of the media as a reflection of society and an agent of change, through media freedom with responsibility. The media is an important partner in the promotion of gender equality as well as in removing negative gender stereotypes embedded in individual and community mindsets. This project seeks to enhance the role of media in strengthening the struggle for a gender equal society in South Asia. If sufficiently empowered, women in media can themselves play a critical role in creating awareness about the need for gender equality in building inclusive societies. The need to deter, counter and overcome gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual harassment is a cross-cutting priority in this project, as an issue that adversely impacts every aspect of women’s work in media. In Phase I of this project, SWAN has developed and agreed upon Gender Sensitive Guidelines for Women in Media in South Asia (GSGWMSA), covering print, electronic and online media, including the entertainment and advertising sectors. Phase II of the project comprised the comprehensive (quantitative and qualitative) Baseline Survey on the Status of Women in Media, a unique effort attempted for the first time, simultaneously covering nine countries of South Asia. This seminal research, conducted in tandem through Regional Coordinators, covered the sectors of news media, the advertising sector, the entertainment media, teaching about the media (media curricula) in specialised educational institutions, and existing gender and media related legislations and policy mechanisms in each country. The research outcomes have been published (released in March 2020) in the two volume Report on the Status of Women in Media in South Asia. Volume II has the Country Research Reports from each participating institution, and Volume I has the comparative analysis of the data contained in the Country Research Reports, collated under nine chapters. The final Phase III of this project is proposed as the implementation of Chapter 9, on Policy Recommendations and the Way Ahead, bringing together all stakeholders to agree on the right mix of self-regulation and codes of

conduct for editors and owners, regulatory authorities in public private partnership, or formal legislation by governments. The stakeholders include government representatives, existing media associations and organisations, editors and owners and journalists’ associations, individual media professionals, educationists, academics and researchers, and the concerned civil society groups/ NGOs

ITC Group of Hotels

With ‘Namaste’ as the enduring symbol of its brand experience and ‘Responsible Luxury’ as the guiding premise, ITC Hotels are an archetype of the culture and ethos of each destination offering authentic, indigenous luxury experiences which are in harmony with the environment and society. With a platinum grade commitment to its guests and the planet, each ITC Hotel is certified with a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum rating for globally recognised planet positive endeavours. ITC Hotels was named as the 2021 USGBC Regional Leadership Award recipient by the U.S. Green Building Council. This is a global recognition that celebrates organisations around the world who are using green building and sustainable practices to improve the quality of life for those around them.

Under the ethos of Responsible Luxury and a culture that is “rooted to the soil” – ITC Hotels has undertaken a project titled “Responsible Rural Tourism”; a social responsibility initiative that contributes towards the development of Jeet Nagar Village, near ITC Welcomhotel Tavleen, Chail, Himachal Pradesh, in an endeavour to promote rural tourism.

The conflux of tourism and development carried out through this initiative, is mainly pursued to drive us back to our roots and revive our belief in age-old traditions being the premise for a modern circular- economy.

Geographical Backdrop for the Project

Himachal Pradesh has been inhabited by human beings since the dawn of civilization. It has a rich and varied history which can be divided into several distinct eras.

About 2 million years ago humans lived in the foothills of Himachal Pradesh, in the Bangana valley of Kangra, Sirsa valley of Nalagarh and Markanda valley of Sirmour. The foothills of the State were inhabited by people from Indus valley civilization which flourished between 2250 and 1750 B.C. People of Indus valley civilization pushed the original inhabitants of Ganga plains who were known as Kolorian people towards north. They moved to the hills of Himachal Pradesh where they could live peacefully and preserve their way of life. In the Vedas they have been referred to as Dasas, Dasyus and Nishadas while in later works they have been called Kinnars, Nagas and Yakshas. The Kols or Mundas are believed to be the original migrants to the hills of present day Himachal. The second phase of migrants came in the form of Mongoloid people known as Bhotas and Kiratas. Later on came the third and most important wave of migrants in the form of the Aryans. These laid the base of history and culture of Himachal Pradesh.

According to the Mahabharata, the tract which forms the present day Himachal Pradesh was made up of number of small republics known as Janpadas each of which constituted both a state and cultural unit.

A few decades after Harsha’s death (647 A.D.) many Rajput states ascended in Rajasthan and Indus plains. They fought amongst themselves and the vanquished moved to the hills with their followers, where they set up small states or principalities. These states were Kangra, Nurpur, Suket, Mandi, Kutlehar, Baghal, Bilaspur, Nalagarh, Keonthal, Dhami, Kunihar, Bushahar, Sirmour[1].

Chail, Himachal Pradesh

Chail is a hill station in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is 45 kilometres from Solan city and 44 kilometres from Shimla. It is known for its salubrious beauty and virgin forests. The Chail Palace is well known for its architecture: the palace was built as a summer retreat by the Maharaja of Patiala during the British Raj, on the land allotted to him by the British for the former’s assistance in the Anglo-Nepalese War. The cricket ground and a polo ground which is there at an altitude of 2,444 m are owned by the erstwhile royal family of Patiala. It is the world’s highest cricket ground.[1]

Chail is also frequented by hikers as it offers wonderful views of the lower Himalayas. It has good trekking points from Junga, Kufri and Ashwani Khad at Solan. Many Eco camps are held here. There are many camping sites for campers and hikers, so camping in Chail is a most sought-after activity for enthusiasts.

In 1891, Maharaja Rajendra of Patiala incurred the rage of Lord Kitchener. It led to the restriction of his entry into the Indian summer capital, Shimla. This incensed the Maharaja and he vowed to build a new summer retreat for himself. So he rebuilt the palace in Chail as per his requirements. After accession to the Indian Union, Maharaja of Patiala donated most of his buildings to Chail Military School and the Government of India.

Rural Tourism

Tourism is recognised as the world’s fastest growing industry and in recent years, has come to play an increasingly dominant role in the economies of developing countries. In India, tourism is viewed and promoted as a ‘development paradigm’ and a major engine for growth, with strong potential for providing economic, environmental and social benefits. Cultural and sustainable tourism has remained the central plank of India’s tourism strategy. Various surveys show that heritage and culture are the two biggest draws in attracting foreign tourists to India.  While tangible heritage has been the mainstream of tourism development in India, the intangible or ‘living’ tourism (which includes folklore, cuisine, customary practices, etc.) is now increasingly recognised as being the core, with tremendous scope for exponentially realising India’s tourism potential. As a result, promotion of Sustainable Rural Tourism has gained strength over the past few decades in India.

Rural Tourism was first introduced in India in the National Tourism Policy in 2012, when 103 projects were sanctioned by the Government during the Tenth Five Year Plan. This Five Year Plan accorded priority to village or rural tourism showcasing rural culture and bringing economic benefits to local communities. One of the relevant initiatives was the Endogenous Tourism Project (ETP), a joint venture between the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In December 2021, the Ministry of Tourism issued the document on National Strategy & Roadmap for Development of Rural Tourism in India, which provides the framework for strengthening and developing this potential.  The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, subsequently launched the National Strategy and Road Map for Development of Rural Tourism in India in December 2021, an initiative towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat[2].

The document interprets rural tourism, “as any form of tourism that showcases the rural life, art, culture, and heritage at rural locations, thereby benefiting the local community economically and socially as well as enabling interaction between the tourists and the locals for a more enriching tourism experience”.  This is a form of participatory tourism wherein the tourist gets actively involved in the some of the daily activities of village folk.  Further the tourist gets a chance to experience the traditions and culture of the region, thus becoming an immersive experience. This could also range from a day spent in the village or a few nights in a community-run establishment in the village itself. Rural tourism includes a sub-set of tourism types including: agricultural tourism, cultural tourism, nature tourism, adventure and ecotourism. 

The National strategy and roadmap for the development of rural tourism aim at prioritization of rural tourism at the national level. It further aims at the convergence of various schemes addressing issues such as poverty, empowerment of women and strengthening the economic status of the rural people.

The promotion of rural tourism is indeed timely, especially in the post-covid era, where ‘experiential tourism’ is gaining ground with tourists wanting to experience new cultures, cuisines and traditions. The discerning tourist today is prepared to go to extensive lengths to access unique destinations and get immersed in different experiences. There is also an emerging concept called, ‘voluntourism’ where the tourist would like to give back to host communities. Rural tourism can contribute significantly to the economy of the location, as also support the revitalization of indigenous arts and crafts and some traditional lifestyles. This kind of tourism can also provide an incentive to rural communities to conserve their heritage, as also help these communities expand their horizons through their interaction with tourists from across the globe.

The vision of the Strategy is, “To leverage India’s rural heritage in creating a vibrant and responsible tourism segment by creating engaging rural experiences thereby promoting indigenous jobs, and preserving local culture and heritage”. The mission is to,” facilitate an enabling environment comprising Government, Industry, NGO, Community for development and promotion of rural tourism in the country”.

Tourism in Himachal Pradesh

The Himalayan State of Himachal Pradesh is abundant in natural beauty with a range of ecosystems that include: vast expanses of high altitude Trans-Himalayas desert; snow-capped mountain ranges; snowfed lakes; rivers; dense forests; apple orchards and cultivated terraces. The State is also known as the abode of Gods and Goddesses with some beautiful temples and religious spots. Himachal Pradesh also has a rich cultural heritage with unique cuisine and traditions. All this put together makes Himachal a state with tremendous tourism potential.

Up until the 19^th century, tourism in Himachal Pradesh was confined to pilgrims visiting places of religious and spiritual interests. It is only during Colonial times when the British established what are popularly called ‘Hill Stations”, that the State was recognized as a tourism destination. In 1864 the British declared Shimla as the ‘Summer Capital of India”, thus bringing with it further recognition. In the post-Independence era, the State got a considerable boost  through large investments in infrastructure. The 80s and 90s saw a tremendous boost in tourism in Himachal Pradesh. While traditionally known as a summer destination, the State government in its attempt to break the seasonality factor, has developed a range of diversified tourism products that can be availed across seasons and is now promoting Himachal Pradesh as,” A Destination for all Seasons and Reasons”[3].

In 2005, the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department came up with a revised Ecotourism Policy with a vision to make Himachal Pradesh a leading ecotourism destination in the country while also providing livelihood opportunities to local communities[4].

In the year 2013, the State developed the Sustainable Tourism Development Policy to use sustainable tourism as a means to provide better employment and greater business opportunities for residents, to contribute to the protection of the state’s unique natural and cultural heritage and to ensure the long-term prosperity and good quality of life to future generations of Himachal Pradesh. A revised policy was framed in 2019, to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly SDGs 8 and 12 through various objectives directed towards the socio-economic growth of host communities, offering quality experience to travellers, protection of the natural-cultural environment and State’s destinations, and creating an investment friendly environment for private investors[5].

Ten themes were identified in the policy for development of tourism products: Ecotourism; agrotourism; snow tourism; lake tourism; adventure tourism; pilgrimage tourism; cultural and heritage tourism; health and wellness tourism; film tourism and MICE tourism. Most relevant for this project are: agrotourism and cultural and heritage tourism, with inclusion of other themes as well, where relevant.

Rural Tourism in Himachal Pradesh

Rural tourism has experienced a substantial growth in recent years. According to the 2011 census report of Himachal Pradesh, a significant portion of the State’s population, approximately 89.96%, resides in villages. Rural tourism, through promoting the state’s rich culture and traditions plays a significant role in the rural development of the State. Rural tourism offers a diverse platter of activities, that include cultural and natural attractions, in non-urban areas.

The tourism policy of the State government is also attempting to promote rural tourism in an attempt to showcase cultural heritage as also to diversify tourism destinations and decongest the over-saturated ones.

The State government in 2008, launched the “Himachal Pradesh Homestay Scheme,” which offers visitors the opportunity to experience farm life and stay with local families.

The state tourism department also launched the “Har Gaon Ki Kahani” (The story of every village) scheme in 2010, where 12 villages from each district were selected to promote the associated stories and folklore through outdoor advertising and print media. This effort successfully diverted tourists from popular hill stations to explore the wildlife, adventure, and cultural attractions of the state.

Himachal Pradesh also happens to be the first state in the country to link the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGA) with tourism promotion activities. Funds under MNREGA will be used in selected villages of the development of tourism infrastructure. The ‘Har Gaon Ki Kahani’ scheme generates self-employment. Moreover, local communities have the opportunity to showcase their cuisine, folk culture, arts and handicrafts. For implementation of ‘Har Gaon Ki Kahani’ scheme, a committee has been constituted under the chairpersonship of the Deputy Commissioner, which comprises the concerned District Tourism Development Officer, District Language Officer, District Public Relations Officer, District Panchayat Officer and any other member (non-official)[6].

The state tourism department has also introduced “Har Ghar Kuch Kahata Hai” (Every House Tells a Story) concept. This is a coffee table book depicting stories of various heritage buildings in Shimla from the British colonial era. This is indeed a unique concept and is aimed at attracting foreigners to trace the history of their families (parents and grandparents) who once inhabited Shimla during the pre-independence era.

A new scheme called “Nai Rahein Nai Manzilein” (New Routes New Destinations) scheme has been launched to develop new and lesser-known destinations in Himachal Pradesh, diversifying the tourist experience and encouraging exploration beyond conventional routes.

The map below shows the distribution of hotels and homestays of the State.  in rural regions, specifically Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, and Chamba, as depicted in the figure, serves as a valuable indicator of the relative significance of regional tourism development. The visible increase in the number of homestays in less explored areas of Himachal Pradesh, such as Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, and Chamba, serves as a good indicator of the growing significance of rural tourism in the state. In these areas, homestays are equal and sometimes even more than hotels.

Source: https://www.malque.pub/ojs/index.php/mr

The Process of this Project

The SWAN Core Team

Ambassador Veena Sikri, is the Founding Trustee & Convener, South Asia Women’s Network (SWAN) 

Dr Jaishri Jethwaney is a lead communication expert for many national and international consultancies in the social sector arena.

Shri Sunil Kumar Binjola is a highly experienced IT professional, with exceptional leadership and project management skills.

Ms Seema Bhatt has worked extensively on issues related to ecotourism, biodiversity and climate change. Her particular focus of work is on strengthening the links between conservation of biodiversity and livelihoods of local communities.

The SWAN Core team visited Jeet Nagar on 21-22 April 2023. From Chandigarh Shri Aarvind Dhyani, CEO, Asset Technologies joined for the Digital Literacy component and Ms Arti Gupta, information and outreach expert from Shimla, and Mr Vijay Sharma, marketing expert from Chail were also part of this trip.

The visit was for the team to do a dipstick survey, to get a general feel of the situation and to interact with the key local interlocutors involved in each of the three sectors identified for the project. A survey of this kind does not provide statistical probabilities, but gives valuable insights about the ground reality and what could probably work.

The SWAN team was successful in meeting the key stakeholders in each of the three planned sectors of activity. The SWAN team held excellent discussions with the Panchayat Pradhan, Shri Swaroop Thakur, with Dr Sohan Ranta, Principal, Government Senior and Middle School, Janedghat/ Jeet Nagar, and with a wide cross section of women leaders from 9 Panchayats, who had gathered in Jeet Nagar for a Cluster meeting under the NRLM (National Rural Livelihood Mission), led by Cluster Pradhan, Ms Geeta Thakur. The Gram Panchayat Pradhan and the ladies (more than 35 in all) from the nine panchayats working under the NRLM were keenly interested in the activity proposals we discussed with them on 21 April, 2023 under the rubric of agro-enterprises and cultural upliftment. So much so that all team members reconvened the meeting on 22 April, 2023 so that the exchange of ideas and suggestions could continue on the most practicable and potentially successful ways for developing rural tourism in and around Jeet Nagar.   

The first conclusion from the meeting was that rural tourism for gender empowerment proposal should be implemented with the Janedghat/ Jeet Nagar extended panchayat group. This will provide a wider base for identification of talent and quantification of output, thereby readily assuring economies of scale. All activity will be centered around Jeet Nagar.

Agronomic Entrepreneurship:  The women ofHimachal Pradesh in general, and Jeet Nagar in particular, are hardworking, entrepreneurial, aspirational and committed to improving their living standards. Over the two days that the team was there, they took great pride in showing us the results of their efforts. They are ready to try out traditional recipes for a variety of local fruits and vegetables, and are currently engaged in producing/processing several food items. Some are making pickles, from aamla, galgal (mountain lemon), green chilies, ginger and garlic. Some are harvesting khurmani and organic strawberries. Others are engaged in making home-made juices/sherbat concentrates from fruits and flowers, processing honey drawn from various flower sources like mustard fields and ajwain fields. Many are into milk processing, especially making ghee (clarified butter). Some of them are into crafts, including pine needle craft, making lifestyle items like hair clips, trays, pen stands, bags, knitting woolen outerwear, and making Samigri for Havan.

Their biggest drawback is lack of standardized manufacturing and an acute lack of marketing capabilities and knowhow about pricing their products, understanding supply chain dynamics and quality parameters to meet regulatory requirements, and also for scaling up production. Currently they sell their products in local haats, melas in Shimla and other neighboring places and sometimes even at the roadsides, attracting tourists to buy their products on display.  The most skillful are those who supply handicraft items to Tavleen Chail.

The women of Jeet Nagar are talented but their micro-sized individualised production base is not getting them any return. They are also keen to have their own marketing platform. As one lady said, “We are tired of dealing with middlemen and getting our stuff to them. We want our own marketing platform”.

The second conclusion, therefore,  was on the need to coordinate the women’s activities and establish simple production and bottling lines. After discussion, including with the ladies, and with identified specialists in this field, it was decided that one production and bottling line will be set up for three items (to be bottled separately). These are for ghee, for honey and for some pickles (galgal and garlic to begin with). In addition, coordination for processing the local superfood lingri (a fern, grows predominantly in the rainy season), buransh (rhododendron) and the flower of the kachnar tree/ bush will be worked out through the food processing specialist.  A target of 31 March 2024 was set for the production line to be functional, FSSAI clearance to be obtained, and the women trained and motivated to keep proper records of inputs and expenditures, and on marketing skills with nearby well located hotels and other outlets.  

Digital Literacy : The team’s visit to the school, which is next to the Panchayat Ghar,  had the first pleasant glimpse of young school-girls playing volleyball with their coach with  full power and confidence. The Principal Dr Sohan Ranta has joined his post only recently, but he is fully receptive to the idea of digital literacy for his schoolchildren. The Government Senior and Middle School, Janedghat/ Jeet Nagar (Class 6 to Class 12), has 111 students, of which 65 are girls, and 10 are from a nearby orphanage. The school does have a computer lab, with old computers gifted under ICT@ School Project HP Phase II, very few of which were functional. The school staff strength is missing its computer teacher, even though there is one computer-literate person/ teacher appointed by those who gifted the computers. The faculty takes no interest in computers, and the students themselves do not seem to be proficient at all.

In consultation with the School Principal Dr Sohan Ranta, and with the CEO of Asset Technologies, a plan  was finalized with the target of computer literacy for Class 6 to Class 10 students by 31 March 2024.  This was the third conclusion.  This includes supply of five l-top computers (one each for classes 6 to 10) with NCERT based animated video content (pen-drives) for each of these classes, faculty training in the use of these NCERT pen drives as a teaching-aid, and computer literacy classes for the students of classes 6 to 10.

Cultural Upliftment :  Himachal Pradesh is renowned for its rich traditions of music and folk dance. Each region has its own heritage of costumes and jewellery traditionally worn by the people. Unfortunately, the younger generation is rapidly moving away from this heritage, increasingly influenced by social media, movies and ‘modern’ trends. It is important and essential to revive and preserve old traditions by inculcating love for the heritage of music, dance and literature. The SWAN core team was delighted to find strong resonance among the women of Jeet Nagar for reviving old traditions. A strong incentive for this was the team’s suggestion (to the ladies) that a Jeet Nagar folk music and dance group be created, which could, after training and provision of costumes, perform at social functions in Jeet Nagar, at ITC Tavleen Chail and at other venues such as the Chail Palace Hotel. For those who excel in these performances, this could also become a career option.

The SWAN Core team has discussed this with experts in Himachali traditional music and dance, who then agreed to be part of the team for this sector of activity. It was agreed that in the first instance, a 30 minute programme would be created, based on local traditions. Nati dance takes pride of place in this programme, together with Pahari Gidda, and Sanskar Geet (folk songs sung on special occasions such as festivals, marriages, birth of a child, and so on). This is was the fourth conclusion.

Natti, a term used for both songs and dance is famous folk form of upper Himachal Pradesh area. There is regional flavour to this form, which includes Shimla Nati, Sirmauri Nati, Lahauli Nati, Kinnauri Nati and Kulluvi Nati. The Natti dance, in general depicts the stories of Krishna and Gopis in Raslila. The Natti dance was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest folk dance in the world. A total of 9892 women participated in this folk dance in their traditional colourful Kulluvi dress on 26 October 2015 during the International Dussehra festival. Unlike the Punjabi Gidda, in the Pahari Gidda dance recital, which is an all-woman group, the dance begins in a sitting posture in a semi-circle, women get up to dance in a pair of two to the narrative of the song, which often is mimicry, especially on various relationships. The Gidda is performed during festivals, weddings, and other social occasions.

                            The SWAN Implementation Team in Himachal Pradesh

Ms Arti Gupta: Principal Conceptualiser, Coordinator and Resource Mobiliser in Himachal Pradesh for SWAN. Ms Arti Gupta has 30 years’ experience working with the Government of Himachal Pradesh, and recently retired as Director in the Information Department. She is a highly respected radio artiste, and has worked extensively in the field of theatre.

Shri Vijay Kumar Sharma, based in Chail, will assist Ms Arti Gupta in all aspects of coordination. Shri Sharma retired recently after a distinguished career in media management.

Shri Swarup Thakur, Panchayat Pradhan, Janedghat/ Jeet Nagar.

Ms Geeta Thakur, based in Jeet Nagar, is Head of Kyonthal, the Cluster Level Federation (CLF), which brings together women from 9 village panchayats in and around Jeet Nagar. Ms Geeta Thakur will coordinate the ladies’ participation and organisation for the Agronomic Entrepreneurship and Cultural Upliftment modules. 

Ms Sunita Verma, will assist Ms Geeta Thakur, particularly for the Cultural Upliftment module.

Ms Reena serves as President of the Shaan-e-Chail Samiti, registered as the organizational vehicle for the activities of the ladies’ group.

Shri Aarvind Dhyani, based in Chandigarh, is CEO, Asset Technologies (incorporated 2013), with extensive experience in the domain of IT infrastructure management and project implementation. They have successfully implemented and managed large projects for schools in and around Chandigarh, as well as for the police department. Shri Aarvind Dhyani  will work with Shri Sunil Binjola with full responsibility for the Digital Literacy module.

Shri Surya Uday Minocha, Head of Business Development & Operations at Minchy’s Food Products, Shimla, has extensive experience in operations and management in the food, beverage and spirits’ industry. He is SWAN’s principal consultant for the Agronomic Entrepreneurship module.

Shri Lekh Ram Pal, now retired, has extensive experience and deep knowledge about the music and dance traditions of Himachal Pradesh, through his decades of service with the Song and Drama Division of the Government of Himachal Pradesh. Shri Lekh Ram Pal will be SWAN’s principal resource person for the Cultural Upliftment module.

Dr Sohan Ranta, Principal, Rajkiya Varisht Madhyamik Pathshala, Janedghat, is the keen and active coordinator in Jeet Nagar for the Digital Literacy module. He sees great benefit for his students and for the school as a whole through the implementation of the Digital Literacy module.

Inception workshop at Jeet Nagar, CHAIL, 21 October 2023

With a full house attendance from the sponsoring organization ITC Hotels’ Sustainability Programme, Tavleen Chail, SWAN, the school principal, representatives from eight panchayats, and experts drawn from among the three proposed activities, namely, augmenting computer literacy for students from 6-10 standards in the Janedghat government school, agri-business activities for women empowerment through economic sustainability; and preservation of local culture through music and dance, the following salient action points emerged, which also reflect the scope for expansion of activities, especially in the economic sustainability of women around Jeet Nagar panchayat who work under the aegis of National Rural livelihood Mission (NRLM). The GM, Tavleen Chail, Mr. Ansul Sanwal evinced a lot of interest in the ITC Hotels’ Sustainability scheme for Chail and offered to support the Women’s Group as one organization. He made it clear that the hotel will not have any business dealings with anyone individually. He offered to support the village in the following areas:

• Purchase of raw vegetables from the village on yearly basis, if a representative on behalf of the women group, say the Sarpanch/ or a designated individual becomes the point-person for working on the terms of reference on this aspect.
• The hotel can plan Village-Experience, an experiential half day or so trips for its guests, if the group is willing to work with the hotel on creating the agreed ambience, besides finding engaging story tellers about the village and village life. This could also include serving the guests local cuisine and providing a window into village life and culture, including songs and dance, etc.
• The hotel on festive occasions can invite a group of women experts in Himachali cuisine to run a breakfast counter under the supervision of ITC Tavleen Chefs and get remunerated for that.
• Invite Natti dance group for showcasing their dance as per the schedule of the hotel for which they would be remunerated.
• To find people who could play musk piper and Dunah (hand drum) every day at the hotel at designated times.
• Keep quality products approved by FSSAI for sale at its counter.

As a first step Mr. Sanwal exhorted the Group on the need to prepare a proposal on the availability of various vegetables in various seasons, panchayat-wise, the quantum available for supply and an undertaking that the supply will be seamless without any hiccups. The representative of the group will work on the terms of reference for vegetable supplies including pricing, supply chain etc. The GM offered that if the vegetables were brought to one place, the hotel will plan to pick them at the designated day/time. 

The Panchayat head raised the issue of employment for the local youth in the hotel, to which the GM said that they were conscious of that and at least 50% of their HR came from HP and locally. It was decided to initiate work on all the three fronts from November itself. The Computer literacy team will initiate the process of purchase of hardware and training of teachers in November itself. The cultural team will identify local talent from among the panchayats around Jeet Nagar, identify dance teachers from the government school to train young girls after the experts conduct a training workshop in November. 

Mr. Suraj Uday Minocha of MINCHY’S FOOD PRODUCTS spent several hours discussing and motivating the ladies who had come for the inception workshop. The first step he suggested was to make a list of vegetables and their availability throughout the year for making pickles. He emphasized on the need to have at least two production managers, who would keep an account of inventories, process, quality, and finances. He   agreed to train the production mangers at his various factories to give them a first-hand exposure to the whole process of supply chain, production, and marketing and promotion. He suggested that young children could be involved in suggesting suitable brand name/s for the upcoming product/s.

Achievements under each Component After the Mobilization Workshop :

Based on the Action Plan, the Mobilization Workshop was followed up with intense coordinated activity by the participants in each of the three modules. Finally,  a series of three workshops, one for each of the modules, were held in Jeet Nagar from 8 to 10 December 2023.

The Digital Literacy Module was able to organise the Teachers’ Training Workshop at the Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Janedghat, as early as 3^rd November, 2023, , less than two weeks after the Mobilization Workshop..  Implementation of the Action Plan for the Digital Literacy Module was the first to take off. The participants in the Workshop were Dr Sohan Ranta,  Principal, and eight faculty members of the school, together with Shri Sunil Binjola from SWAN, a two member training team led by Shri Aarvind Dhyani from Asset Technologies, with a member from School Net India, the creator of digital classrooms through KYAN, the technology led academic support system.

The partnership between Asset Technologies and Kyan at GSSS yielded strong results. A comprehensive training program was conducted for eight teachers from the school, focusing on utilising the NCERT curriculum-based 2-D multimedia approach. The primary goal of this training was to empower educators with the necessary tools and knowledge to enhance their teaching techniques using digital content. The introduction of the multi-media approach in everyday teaching (of almost all the subjects) is expected to generate keen interest among the students in acquiring digital literacy. Several among the faculty members are completely new to digital technology. They will need further hands-on training with the computer to enable their use of the NCERT multimedia modules, specific to each grade. All the faculty acknowledged the transformative potential of digital resources in simplifying complex subjects and engaging students in a truly enlightening educational experience.

During this Workshop, discussions were held with the Principal and Faculty on two major issues : the modalities for students’ training under the Digital Literacy Module, and second,  about the five computers proposed to be supplied to the school under the ITC Responsible Rural Tourism Project. The targeted section of school students is from grades 6 to 10. In GSSS, Janedghat,  Grades 6 to 8 do not have computer skills training as part of their curriculum. In grades 9 and 10, the computer literacy programme has its primary emphasis on MS Office. Based on these discussions, it was decided to provide basic computer training to students in grades 6 to 8, covering topics such as Microsoft Paint and MS Office. For grades 9 and 10, more advanced training in MS Office, and initiation into MS Excel will be offered.

For the supply of computers, it was agreed that each of the five classrooms (grades 6 to 10), would be provided with a laptop and a large screen (32 inches), so that the experience becomes very participatory and interesting for all students. In discussion with the Principal, laptops were preferred to desk-top computers, keeping in mind  the security (of the computers) and to prevent dust pollution and extreme temperatures from affecting the computers. The technical specifications, along with cost estimates were subsequently been cleared with the ITC. Hotels.

The First Students’ Training Workshop was held in GSSS, Janedghat, on 8^th December, 2023, conducted by  Shri Sunil Binjola from SWAN and Shri Yogesh Verma, a proficient IT professional from Asset Technologies. While interacting with the students, they emphasised the pivotal role of digital literacy and IT education across diverse academic streams, especially its enduring impact on future professional endeavours. Shri Binjola described the wealth of Microsoft applications and their educational content, and highlighted how the NCERT Hindi 2D visualizations will make their course curriculum much more interesting and easier to understand.

Shri Yogesh Verma’s digital literacy training for the students commenced with an introductory session on Microsoft Office applications. The first training module, focusing on MS Word, unfolded on the newly installed Croma screen, providing students with a comfortable view of the controls. Live practical demonstrations, employing various MS Office shortcut keys, showcased the students’ proficiency and enthusiasm. The subjects covered were : overview of MS Word, opening screen and Ribbon Functionality; cut, copy, paste and selection tips; and applying pre-designed style to texts.

The afternoon training session on 8^th December  involved students from classes 6 to 8, received an overwhelming response. These students have no exposure to computer training. They are familiar only with the use of social media through their handheld mobile phones. Shri Sunil Binjola and Shri Yogesh Verma introduced them to the use of Microsoft applications, especially MS Paint and Notepad. Quite surprisingly, these young students swiftly grasped the concepts, displaying eagerness to delve deeper into digital skills. Live practicals were held, involving drawing shapes filled with colours and experimenting with fonts in Notepad, allowed the students to apply their newfound knowledge.

Simultaneously on 8^th December, the Agronomic Entrepreneurship Module held its Workshop at the Panchayat Pradhan’s Office in Jeet Nagar, with the participation of the SWAN Core Team and the SWAN Implementation team from Himachal Pradesh, including Shri Surya Uday Minocha and Smt Sonia Minocha from Minchy’s, Shimla, and the ladies from the nine panchayats  in and around Jeet Nagar.

The Cultural Upliftment Module Workshop was held on 10^th December, also at the Panchayat Pradhan’s office in Jeet Nagar, with the participation of the SWAN Core Team, the SWAN Implementation team from Himachal Pradesh, and the expert team of dance and music trainers from Shimla under the leadership of Shri Lekh Ram Pal.   Potential participants in the planned 30 minute cultural presentation, both for the music and dance segments, came to Jeet Nagar.

Learnings

Dr. Sohan Ranta, principal, got a feeling that he has great expectations from the proposed activity and looks forward to having five smart classes in the school soon. He believes that this will bring a paradigm change in teaching on the part of teachers and learning by students for a small school in Jeet Nagar that could set standards for others.

Agronomic Entrepreneurship

The Approach

The focus from the very beginning was on identifying the most appropriate  organizational structure for each of the three modules under the ITC Responsible Rural Tourism project.

In the initial phases, the SWAN Core Team began its discussions with the women’s groups organized into the CLF (Cluster Level Federation) already working in and around Jeet Nagar under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). The Government of India (GoI) established the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) in June 2010 to implement the new strategy of poverty alleviation woven around community based institutions, renamed as “Aajeevika”. The core belief of National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) is that the poor have innate capabilities and a strong desire to come out of poverty. The challenge is to unleash their capabilities to generate meaningful livelihoods and enable them to come out of poverty. NRLM focuses on universal inclusion of the poor, prioritizing the poorest of the poor, identified through participatory processes and converted into institutions of the poor that are supported to leverage formal credit and access services and benefits meant for the poor, as well as develop innovative community led interventions leading to sustainable livelihoods and improved quality of life. Mission: The mission of NRLM is “to reduce poverty by enabling the poor households to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities, resulting in appreciable increase in their incomes, on a sustainable basis through building strong grassroots institutions of the poor. These institutions enable and empower the poor households to build-up their human, social, financial and other resources, solidarity, voice and bargaining power. They, in turn, enable them to access their rights, entitlements and opportunities.” In Jeet Nagar, work began with ladies from the Keonthal Cluster Level Federation (CLF) established under the NRLM.

THE MINCHY’S STORY

The Minocha Family has been involved with the food processing industry for the last 4 generations. Prior to the inception of Minchy’s, the previous 2 generations were well established food industry traders. In 1993 the young Minocha couple, Sonia and Girish took it upon themselves to start a new food processing venture. With the vision to utilize the fruit and vegetable surpluses of Himachal Pradesh to the fullest, Minchy’s set out to provide its customers with the best quality preserved/ processed food products and beverages. Their main focus has always been on manufacturing the best quality products, right from family recipe pickles, jams and chutneys to the delicious juices, ciders and fruit wines. It is said, “Part of secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside”. This is exactly what Mrs. and Mr. Minocha have been doing for the past 25 plus years. They started with a humble beginning in a tiny unit on the highway just outside of Shimla. The then total production capacity was 200 litres of Juice/ beverage a day and the total product portfolio was 4 beverages. Minchy’s since then has been nurtured with the same love and care as the Minochas showered upon their children and because of that Minchy’s has reached where it is today, with a daily production capacity of approximately 20 tonnes and a diverse product portfolio of more than 200 products. Minchy’s has always tried to focus on healthier living of its customers and thus they have a variety of wondrous therapeutic products meant for a tastier form of naturopathy. Apple Cider Vinegar, Apricot Kernel Oil, Raw Turmeric Pickle and Bitter Gourd Pickle are amongst their highly recommended products. This is one of the aspects of a holistic approach method that Mrs. and Mr. Minocha have adopted for their clientele ensuring a healthier customer lifestyle. Their efforts to locate and procure some of the most exquisite raw materials from the Himalayas has put Minchy’s at a new front in the Food Industry. With unique products like the Chichri honey, Seabuckthorn Berries and Rhododendron flowers, innovative blends have been devised and are being promoted in the super luxury segment to connecters across the world. Source: https://minchys.com/about-us/

In November 2023, the ladies from the nine panchayats finalized the year-long list of produce availability in Jeet Nagar and other member panchayats, together with the indication of quantities, covering vegetables, fruits, dry spices and flowers. Based on this list, the first Production Workshop was convened in Jeet Nagar on 8December 2023. Around 40 women from across the nine panchayats participated in this workshop.  The workshop was conducted by Smt Sonia Minocha and Shri Surya Uday Minocha of Minchy’s Food Products, Shimla. The selected products (for pickling and /or other food processing) included gal-gal (hill lemon), nimbu (lemon) and amla (Indian gooseberry). The ladies from the nine panchayats brought in the required raw material (10 kg gal-gal, 10 kg nimbu and 5 kg amla). Smt Sonia Minocha purchased and brought to Jeet Nagar all the utensils, glass jars, electronic weighing machine, and related equipment (gloves, caps, rubber aprons), as well as the edible oil and spices required for preparing the pickles. After the workshop, all the non-perishable items (and even perishables like the spices left over) have been listed in an inventory being coordinated by Shri Vijay Sharma. The items listed in the inventory are under his custody. Smt Sonia Minocha involved the ladies in every stage of the preparations, including showing them how to carve the lemons/amla, the proportion of spices (including salt) to be added per kilogram of the material being pickled, the importance of maintain the highest standards of hygiene, and so on. The Minchy’s group uses no preservatives, and their traditional recipes have been with the family for generations. Shri Surya Uday Minocha explained the costing process in great detail, including cost of ingredients, cost of containers and cost of storage, value of the time spent on this process by the ladies themselves.

Members of the ladies’ group were extremely appreciative of the intensive guidance and extensive knowledge provided by Smt Minocha, most of which was new for them. The ladies appreciated that the ITC-SWAN project is paying for the basic raw materials. This effectively serves as seed-money for this module, enabling the ladies to gauge and decide on how best they can manage this activity for their economic empowerment. The four products demonstrated and prepared at the workshop were gal-gal pickle, nimbu pickle, amla pickle and amla chutney. The completed pickles and chutney have been bottled and are now ready for sale. This is the first test-case, a steep learning curve for the ladies. Discussions are ongoing among the members of the ladies’ group on pricing (preliminary price of Rs 200 for a 250 gm jar of pickle is being tried out), brand name and labeling.  

Learnings

Distance among panchayats and a general lack of public transport to reach at one place at a designated time and day could pose challenges, but this hurdle is not big enough that it cannot be surmounted. Pickle making season comes twice a year with the harvest season. The women may not have to spare more than five to six days in each season when they bring their produce, get paid for it and join in the joint activity of pickle and allied products manufacturing. Based on the contribution of their produce and sharing of equivalent expenditure on other ingredients, including selling the produce, they can receive a share of profit at the end. Given the right direction and hand holding, this activity over a period  of time can become a game changer in the livelihood options for women of this region.

Field visit to Panchayats (09 December 2023) for insights into expansion of agro-enterprises

The visit to6-7 Panchayats on 09December for the entire day provided the baseline team with interesting findings and valuable insights on the potential of women in agronomic entrepreneurship. The team was exposed to the making of handicrafts from pine needles and bag stitching. In talks with women from various panchayats, it was evident that under the NRLM and self-hep groups, some women are active in various livelihood activities, but a lot more remains to be tapped. Several NGOs have been active in various panchayats under the skill-enhancement activity for women under various government schemes including the overarching NRLM.

Most of the women are into farming and help their male members in farm related activities. The following table illustrates the names of panchayats visited and the activities undertaken by them currently or which can have the potential of augmentation under the ITC-SWAN project. The following matrix illustrates major livelihood activities undertaken by women as pursued under the NRLM.

Major Livelihood Activities pursued under NRLM by nine panchayats under Jeet Nagar

S.No.	Name of the Gram Panchayat	Name of the Gram Pradhan	Major Livelihood Activities pursued under NRLM
(1)	Janedghat (Jeetnagar)	Swaroop Thakur	– Milk production, – Processing of fruits and vegetables for pickle making like lemon, Galagal and Amla.
(2)	Balog	Om Prakash	– Production of medicinal herbs like aloevera and Giloy
(3)	Bhadech	Madan Mohan Thakur	– Processing of fruits and vegetables for pickle making (lemon, Galagal and amla.
(4)	Junga	Baansi Lala	-Milk production – Pine needle craft products – Knitting – Jute bags – parachute and Mati products – Cotton fabric readymade garments
(5)	Koti	Ramesh Sharma	– Milk production – Ghee making – Making of a local cuisines Siddus and momos
(6)	Pirran	Kiran Devi	– Production of medicinal herbs like aloevera and giloy – Processing of fruits and vegetables for pickle making like lemon, galagal and amla.
(7)	Satlai	Ranjana	– Production of medicinal herbs like aloevera and giloy – Production of Makke ka Atta – Production of vegetables like Arbi etc. – Processing of fruits and vegetables for pickle making like lemon, galagal and amla.
(8)	Darbhog	Tara
(9)	Padechi	– (not found)	– Milk production – Knitting

Cultural Upliftment

This module has drawn the most enthusiastic response from the women’s groups, and from the younger generation of Jeet Nagar, Janedghat and the surrounding panchayats. There is great receptiveness towards this opportunity to revive and re-learn their own traditional heritage and culture, moving away from the popular Bollywood music and dance numbers that have submerged all else. After the Mobilization Workshop, Ms Arti Gupta, Lekh Ram Pal and others sent a clear message that talent would be the sole criteria for selection. It was also conveyed that the younger generation should be selected for dance, while the older ladies would be included in the song numbers. During November 2023, in discussions with Arti and Shri Lekh Ram Pal, the repertoire for the Cultural Upliftment module was finalised. This has been planned as a 30-minute well- choreographed presentation, of the region’s heritage. Shri Lekh Ram Pal, through his experience in the Song and Drama Division of the Government of Himachal Pradesh, is a strong repository of the heritage of the Keounthal region (where all the panchayats are located). He has a four-member group, which includes an excellent dance-trainer, Ms Rita. After discussions with all, the following repertoire for the proposed 30-minite cultural programme has been finalized :  

Nati Dance (6 female, 4 male participants): 10 minutes, two songs

Pahari gidda (10 female): 6 to 8 minutes

Sanskari geet (four female singers): 6 minutes (includes two minutes for a special duet)

Specially written and choreographed song, with accompanying dance, on women transforming pine needles (collected from the forest floor) into objects of beauty and utility, thereby achieving economic empowerment : 6 minutes.

During December 2023, three sets of rehearsals were held with the objective of teaching the dance steps, practicing the singing, finalizing the selection and fine-tuning the choreography. The first of these rehearsals was held in Jeet Nagar on 10 December 2023, as part of the Cultural Upliftment Workshop. The second and third rehearsals were held, also in Jeet Nagar, on 17 and 24 December 2023. Each rehearsal, while attracting large number of participants, has been very useful in narrowing down the field of selection by spotting and encouraging talent.

During the Cultural Upliftment Workshop on 10 December 2023, other important issues discussed were purchase of musical instruments for the cultural group, and identifying local talent to play each instrument. In addition, the selection of fabric (focus on natural materials: silk, satin, velvet, but no synthetics) for the costumes was discussed, together with stitching of these costumes. Ms Jyoti, the talented young mother from Koti village, who heads the dance group, also runs her own tailoring establishment. The team visited her workshop in Koti on 09 December. She expressed willingness to stitch the costumes, which could be a good encouragement for local talent.

Learnings

An interface with at least 10 dancers who seemed enthusiastic, willing to spare time and had no qualms in dancing before an invited audience at Chail Tavleen and elsewhere. They also see it as a profession that can bring earnings for them. Most of these young dancers , who know the basics of both the dances, were very graceful in their movements. What they just need is refinement and the requisite rhythm to dance in a group, professionally. This project has helped nurture a lot of local talent. Three young brothers all musically talented have been inducted into the cultural upliftment part of the project. The project has also actively supported a visually impaired young girl, Mamta, giving her an opportunity to express her musical talent. She is now confidently singing in the group. 

Baseline Survey : As agreed with ITC Hotels’ Sustainability Division, the Baseline Survey was conducted from 8^th to 10^th December, during the SWAN core team’s visit to Jeet Nagar and surrounding villages.

January-February 2024 :

These were slow months,especially because of the adverse weather conditions with sharpsnowfalls and thunder storms.

January and February 2024 have been the slowest for the Digital Literacy module, primarily because the GSSS school was closed for its long winter break of over six weeks. Nonetheless, based on the strong enthusiasm of Principal Dr Sohan Ranta, and the detailed exchange of views the SWAN team had with him in October and December 2023, followed by continued discussions on WhatsApp, we were able to focus (during January and February 2024) on finalizing the purchase of the equipment (lap-tops, screens and related paraphernalia).

During January and February 2024, important action was completed for the Cultural Upliftment Module on purchase of musical instruments for the cultural group. This was vital to facilitate all further rehearsals and for speeding up the process of recruiting local talent as instrumentalists.  Equally important action was initiated on selection of fabric (focus on natural materials : silk, satin, velvet, but no synthetics) for the costumes, together with stitching of these costumes. Despite severely inclement weather, the team designated for this task, led by Ms Arti Gupta and Shri Vijay Sharma visited Theog on 21 January 2024, with subsequent visits on 10 February and 18 February 2024. Through video calls, and couriering the samples to Delhi, the process of selection was narrowed down. Additional visits were made to shops in Shimla, and some more samples were couriered to Delhi. The traditional dress for Nati dance, the rejta, requires specialized stitching, which will be have to be done through the Theog group. The Pahari gidda costume, which is much simpler, could be done by Ms Jyoti, the talented young mother from Koti village, who runs her own tailoring establishment. The fourth rehearsal for the Cultural Upliftment Group was successfully held on 7 and 8 January 2024, amidst great enthusiasm, but all subsequent plans for rehearsals  had to be postponed to March due to severe weather conditions.

Agronomic Entrepreneurship Module : On 13 February 2024, the ladies’ group involved with pickle making, accompanied by Shri Vijay Sharma, were able to visit the Minchy’s pickle-making unit located in Shogi. This visit was included in the original Action Plan, the aim being familiarization with methodologies of production, especially cleanliness and hygiene.  During this visit, discussions were also held with Shri Surya Uday Minocha on organizational issues, like branding and labelling, development of the logo, and the continued coordination with the Keonthal CLF.

On detailed discussions with the members of the Cluster Level Federation Group, Keonthal, it came to light that Keonthal is working, on a day-to-day basis, with a private NGO appointed by the Government of Himachal Pradesh. As a result, they have some liabilities on their account books, that will require to be settled. After discussion among the SWAN core team, it was agreed that it will be appropriate to create afresh a new SHG (Self Help Group), or Self Help Samiti (Committee) for conducting the business associated with pickle-making and allied entrepreneurial activities. It was agreed that the new SHG should seek to involve young ladies (and as relevant) some men from the younger generation to develop their interest in agronomic entrepreneurship for gender empowerment. Efforts to establish this SHG have been initiated. Intense discussions have been held, even remotely on WhatsApp calls, to identify those from the younger generation who have a genuine interest in this field of work, and who would be sincere and responsible enough to give their time for this work. Rules and regulations have been ascertained, together with requirements for opening a bank account, and nominating the President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer of the new group.

March 2024 :

Formation of the Shaan-e-Chail Self Help Committee

In follow-up to the discussions held among the SWAN core team and all stake-holders in Chail and Shimla, during January and February, the formal decision was taken that a new Group should be created for conducting and carrying forward the work related to the Cultural Upliftment and Agronomic Entrepreneurship modules. This new group would be the custodian of all the assets that have been created, including musical instruments, dance costumes, jewelry and related accessories, spices, pickled material and pickle/ jam/ chutney jars. This group will conduct all the business associated with pickle-making and allied entrepreneurial activities. It will also be the nodal point for arranging participation by the Cultural Group in dance performances in and around Jeet Nagar. Rules and regulations have been ascertained, together with requirements for opening a bank account. Ms Reena has been nominated the President of the newly created Shaan-e-Chail Committee (Samiti). The name (Shaan-e-Chail) was finalized after discussion with all stake-holders.  Reena is a young and talented person, who has displayed leadership qualities and has shown keen interest in leading the group in activities under this project. The Secretary (Sachiv) of Shaan-e-Chail is Ms Anita. The Treasurer (Koshadhyaksh) is Ms  Abita.

A beautiful logo has been agreed upon for Shaan-e-Chail, with the motto “Empowering women in the Himalayas”, reproduced below. The formal address of the Shaan-e-Chail Samiti  is Village Jeet Nagar, Janedghat Panchayat Building, Tehsil Junga, Distt Shimla, Himachal Pradesh-173217. The Panchayat Pradhan has agreed to rent out a room in the Panchayat building to Shaan-e-Chail Samiti for its use. A rent agreement has been signed by the Advisers of the Shaan-e-Chail Samiti, Shri Vijay Sharma and Ms Geeta Tthakur, with the Up-Panchayat Pradhan, for a monthly amount of Rs 2,500/- (Rs two thousand five hundred per month). This will come into operation once the room is made available by the Panchayat Pradhan. The room is currently under construction. The room needs to have facilities for water-supply, so that the Agronomic Entrepreneurship module can conduct its work there.

The detailed Baseline Survey Repot was submitted separately to ITC Hotels Sustainability Division on 27 March 2024.

Workshops Held in Jeet Nagar from March 29 to 31 during Visit by the SWAN Core Team :

The SWAN Core Team made an important visit to Jeet Nagar from 29 to 31 March 2024, with the principal objective of assessing the progress made under each of the tree modules, Digital Literacy, Cultural Upliftment and Agronomic Entrepreneurship.

Under the Digital Literacy module, the laptops and screens, which had been purchased were now installed in each of the 5 classrooms, from grades 6 to 10, to the full satisfaction of the school authorities. This equipment has been formally handed over to the School Principal, Dr Sohan Ranta. This included installation of the NCERT e-training software on each of these laptops, and supply of ERP software to GSSS, Janedghat.

Two student-training sessions were convened, the first from 19 to 23 March 2024, and the second from 27 to 30 March 2024, conducted by Asset Technologies and Shri Sunil Binjola.

These two sessions gave students the basic appreciation of the importance of digital literacy, including familiarization with use of the laptop. The first session, from 19 to 23 March 2024, had the following syllabus :

• Introduction to Computers: What is a computer, parts of a computer, and full forms of common terms like CPU and UPS.
• Identification of computer parts.
• Practical practice on PCs.

The second students’ training session, from March 27 to 30, had the following syllabus :

• Types of Computers and basic operations
• Learning shortcut keys (A-Z)
• Introduction to Email and Operating Systems, including types of operating systems.
• Practical application of shortcut keys in Microsoft Word.

The Shaan-e-Chail Samiti will coordinate the work of both the Agronomic Entrepreneurship and Cultural Upliftment Modules. On 29^th March, the SWAN Core Team held detailed discussions with the full Committee of the Shaan-e-Chail Samiti, including Advisers Shri Vijay Sharma and Ms Geeta Thakur. The Samiti President, Ms Reena, explained to us their planned activities over the next few months, including on cultural performances, product preparation, marketing, and income generation.  They are extremely conscious of the advantageous start they have received through the support of the ITC Hotels’ Sustainability initiative, the Responsible Rural Tourism Project in Jeet Nagar. The Shaan-e-Chail Samiti feels confident that they can build successfully on the strong initial impetus received through ITC’s Responsible Rural Tourism Project. They seek to strengthen and develop their existing assets, and create new ones. However, the Shaan-e-Chail Samiti requests the continued support from ITC’s Responsible Rural Tourism Project for some more time. Their organization is too young and too new to be completely independent within just a few weeks of its establishment.

The SWAN Core Team emphasized the need for team work and close coordination between all members of the Shaan-e-Chail Samiti. With collective decision-making and participatory support from all stake-holders, including specialized training as necessary (for example in book-keeping, stocks inventory and accounts), the Shaan-e-Chail Samiti can grow from strength to strength. The SWAN Core Team will convey to the leaders of the ITC Hotels’ Sustainability Initiative the request of the Shaan-e-Chail Samiti for continued support.  Already, both ITC and SWAN are in close discussion with the GM of Tavleen Chail on the ways in which Shaan-e-Chail can be supported through regular cultural performance for hotel guests (with adequate remuneration), and through the purchase of the products being produced under the aegis of the Agronomic Entrepreneurship Module.  

On 30^th March 2024, SWAN Founding Trustee & Convener had a detailed telephonic discussion with GM Tavleen Chail to establish modalities for supporting the activities of the Shaan-e-Chail Samiti. It was agreed that (a) a WhatsApp group would be established with the participation of all stakeholders so that performances at Tavleen Chail could be easily  coordinated and worked out. This has subsequently been done; (b) remuneration, as well as transport arrangements to bring the performers spread out across several villages to Tavleen Chail and transport them back home, were discussed; (c) Tavleen Chail would consider gifting to their guests jars of pickles and chutneys made by Shaan-e-Chail  Samiti, after testing these for quality and taste; (d) young students, with minimum school-leaving degrees could apply to Tavleen Chail for  training internships in various departments, including house-keeping, accounts and others,  for which a stipend would be paid; and (e) qualified youngsters with graduate or post-graduate degrees cold apply for regular jobs by submitting their respective bio-datas. All this has been communicated to the Shaan-e-Chail Samiti.

On 30^th March, under the Cultural Upliftment module, the SWAN Core Team participated in the final rehearsal of the Cultural Programme put together by the ladies of Shaan-e-Chail, in close coordination with and under the training and supervision of the Pooja Kala Manch, Shimla. The costume materials and accessories have been purchased and these are now being tailored. The SWAN Core Team appreciated the tremendous progress achieved by the ladies of the Shaan-e-Chail cultural group in the rhythm, coordination and aesthetic presentation of the Cultural Programme. Local talent in and around Jeet Nagar has also been identified for the musical instruments, especially for playing the harmonium and table. These young boys have been receiving training from the Pooja Kala Manch experts. In addition, a talented singer has been identified from the villages near Jeet Nagar. She is Mamta, who is visually impaired, but is blessed with a beautiful, melodious voice. Bringing together all these talented individuals would greatly help Shaan-e-Chail in planning their activities and costings as an independent organization, empowering the women of Jeet Nagar and the surrounding villages.

April 2024

The month of April is the final one for the first phase of ITC’s Responsible Rural Tourism Project in Jeet Nagar. The final Concluding Workshop was planned for 26th April 2024. In preparation for this, hectic activities were underway throughout the month in each of the three modules.

Digital Literacy Module :  The students’ training schedule continued during April 2024, with two sessions, the first from April 1 to 6, and the second for April 8 to 10, 2024. The syllabus for these two trainings were as follows :

• Introduction to Microsoft Excel: Basic operations such as zooming,
  scrolling, and using the Microsoft Office button.
• Formatting text: Changing font style and size.
• Basic Excel formulas: IF ELSE formula (pass/fail), grand total/total
  formula, and percentage formula.
• Creating a marksheet in Excel.
• Hands-on practice in Excel.

The response of the Principal and students  of the GSSS, Janedghat has been of enthusiasm, even excitement at this new stream of knowledge the students are acquiring. They are keen to continue with this acquisition of knowledge through training in digital literacy. They do realise that unless the training is continued, and regular practice is possible, the acquired knowledge can fade, or errors can creep in, even if self-practice is kept up.

Following the completion of this training, Asset Technologies conducted a brief assessment to gauge student understanding and comprehension of the subject matter. Based on the results of the assessment, Asset Technologies recommends continued training to build upon the initial phase completed in April 2024. It is necessary for the students to do a recap on MS Excel in order to gain a better grip on it , and to continue with  additional training on Excel to further enhance their computer proficiency and allow them to utilize these tools more effectively. Asset Technologies believes that this additional training will significantly improve
the students’ comfort levels and ability to leverage these applications for skill development and improved productivity, leading to greater employment opportunities. .

Agronomic Entrepreneurship Module : On 4^th April 2024, the ladies of the Shaan-e-Chail Samiti participated in the Workshop led by Ms Sonia Minocha of Minchy’s Food Products, where two new products were added to the repertoire of the Agronomic Entrepreneurship group. These were ginger pickle and rhododendron chutney (Rhodo Chutney). Rhododendron chutney is made from the  brilliant red flower (known locally as Buransh) that blooms  in the forests of Himachal Pradesh for a short fortnight every March/ April.

Finally, in April, 2024, Shaan-e-Chail Samiti  succeeded in receiving clearance from the FSSAI, allowing it to bottle and sell under its own label a specified number of products.  With this, Shaan-e-Chail Samiti can now go ahead with its marketing activities for the products it has already made and bottled, namely ginger pickle, galgal pickle, lime pickle, and rhododendron chutney. In addition, Shaan-e-Chail can now confidently plan ahead for the agro-products it wants to develop during the coming months, since the seasonal availabilities, including quantities, have already been identified.

Shaan-e-Chail Samiti has completed the bottling and labelling processes for all the agro-products it has successfully put together. Given below are photographs of the jars that are now beautifully labelled and ready to enter the market.

Cultural Upliftment Module : In preparation for the Concluding Workshop on 26 April, a full dress rehearsal was held in Jeet Nagar on 24^th April. This enabled the SWAN Core Team and the trainers, Pooja Kala Manch, to iron out a few niggles, especially as regards timing and entry/ exits. In coordination with ITC Welcomhotel Tavleen Chail, and based on earlier discussions with them, the Shaan-e-Chail Cultural Group was invited to give a ful-length performance there on 25th April. This served as a tremendous confidence-booster for the ladies of Shaan-e-Chail. Their performance received accolades from the hotel guests (they were arriving in large numbers for a special Conference) and from the hotel staff, who were delighted to see this presentation by local talent featuring local cultural traditions. The Shaan-e-Chail group performed the enormously popular Nati dance, interspersed with Pahari gidda, Sanskari geet, and a special choreography (to the words of a specially composed song) depicting the work of the Shaan-e-Chail ladies in multiple areas, including pickles, pine-needle products, local cuisine, and preserving their cultural heritage. The Shaan-e-Chail ladies served the arriving hotel guests with local gastronomic delights, including Himachali Siddu, which was greatly relished by one and all.

Audio-visual Documentation :  The SWAN  Core Team has already provided for audio-visual documentation covering each stage of ITC’s  Responsible Rural Tourism Project in Jeet Nagar, Chail, Himachal Pradesh. In March 2024, in response to the request received from ITC Sustainability, SWAN agreed to include (within the existing budgetary provisions) the preparation of three one-minute films, covering each of the three modules : Digital Literacy, Agronomic Entrepreneurship and Cultural Upliftment. In April 2024, the SWAN Core Team’s visit to Jeet Nagar included an enlarged audio-visual documentation team, with Prof Dr Ambrish Saxena as film-maker, Shri Vishal Sahai and his assistant. After intensive consultations, editing sessions, and exchange of views between the film-maker, ITC Sustainability and the SWAN Core Team, these three films are now complete and have been submitted to ITC Sustainability.

April 26 2024 : The Concluding Workshop :

The Concluding Workshop for the ITC Responsible Rural Tourism Project was held on the premises of the Government Senior Secondary School, Janedghat, on April 26, 2024. This colourful, joyous and celebratory event was attended by close to 300  individuals, including the Principal, faculty and students of the school, the Jeet Nagar Panchayat Pradhan and  his senior colleagues, the Shaan-e-Chail Self Help Samiti office bearers and a wide cross-section of ladies from nine panchayats (including Jeet Nagar), all the sector-partners associated with this project, such as Minchy’s Food Products (Shimla) , Asset Technologies (Chandigarh) and Pooja Kala Manch (Shimla), community members and civil society representatives, such as the Hotel and Tourism development group representatives from Chail, representatives from ITC Hotels, the SWAN Core Team and audio-visual documentation team, among others.

The community leaders of Jeet Nagar, and the participating ladies’ groups hailed this project as a significant contributor to women’s empowerment in the entire region. The formation of the Shaan-e-Chail Self Help Committee was seen as a valuable institutional arrangement, as the vehicle that would allow the women the independence and creativity to decide on the most appropriate activities and means to achieve and strengthen their socio-economic empowerment. The project was lauded for the substantive results in all the three modules of activity.

The Principal of the school, faculty and students were all appreciative of the equipment they have received (laptops, screens and allied software), combined with the positive steps taken towards digital literacy. They pleaded for the continuation of the training so that the benefits of the early gains are not lost.

The ladies of the Shaan-e-Chail cultural group gave another full-length performance (their second in two days), resplendent in the costumes, jewelry and accessories all provided as part of the project. The warm applause and appreciation they received bore ample testimony to the success of this module’s outcome.   

The Shaan-e-Chail Self Help Samiti’s Agronomic Entrepreneurship group proudly displayed the outcome of their efforts, through the bottled products (lemon pickle, ginger pickle and rhododendron chutney), all in glass jars, beautifully labeled with fssai clearance and prices on show.  The Rhodo Chutney attracted so much interest that one jar was circulated all around as part of an impromptu tasting session! The quality and taste received full approbation. 

In consultation with each of the module leaders, the SWAN Core team had prepared certificates (Praman Patras) for distribution to each of the participants, under four categories, covering each of the three modules. The digital literacy module had two certificates, separately for the students and the teacher participants. The recipients were tremendously appreciative of this gesture, as a permanent memento of their participation.

The Concluding Workshop received laudatory, widespread coverage in all the regional media of Himachal Pradesh and Shimla district. ITC’s Responsible Rural Tourism Project came in for strong praise as a valuable endeavour, benefitting the women’s groups and educational institutions of this region.

The Way Ahead

This is an excellent project, well-conceived and implemented with the participation of sectoral experts across many sectors. The Mobilization Workshop for this project was held in Jeet Nagar in the third week of October 2023, and the Concluding Workshop on 26 April 2024. In this short span of six months, tremendous progress has been made. The institutional structure is in place for the continued activities of the ladies of Jeet Nagar and the surrounding villages/ panchayats, for both the Cultural Upliftment and Agronomic Entrepreneurship modules. The Shaan-e-Chail Samiti has generated a lot of interest, and its activities are continuing apace.

A quick revisit to the Baseline Survey conducted in December 2023 reveals that the immediate targets have been met for all the three modules. For the Cultural Upliftment module, the ladies have enthusiastically joined the special training provided for traditional folk dances and music of Himachal Pradesh. Their interest is now focused on this, switched away from their earlier preoccupation with Bollywood numbers. They have been quick learners, talented as they are with a natural flair for music, singing and rhythm.

The Agronomic Entrepreneurship module attracted equally intense interest, particularly because this is an area of keen activity for the ladies of this region. Earlier, there had been great frustration, because their products were unable to find a market, perhaps due to indifferent and uneven quality of the goods produced. After specialized training through product-oriented workshops, and under the rubric of the especially established Shaan-e-Chail Samiti, the ladies now have a stock of high-quality products, approved by fssai, bottled in glass jars, and attractively labeled.

Under the Digital Literacy module, the Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Janedghat, has received five laptops (with screens and peripherals), one each for grades 6 to 10. These are now ‘smart class-rooms’. The school faculty has received training on how to effectively use the NCERT Teaching Module Application in the classrooms and make learning for students more engaging, interesting, and interactive. The students (grade-wise, and keeping in mind their existing computer literacy syllabus, as appropriate) have been successfully initiated into a carefully formulated digital literacy programme. The students have received this enthusiastically, and are eager to continue.

For all the three modules, the critical issue is one of sustainability. Given that the initial targets have been successfully met, can the benefits accruing from this be sustained if the project is abruptly shut down at this stage? This is most unlikely. The initial benefits that have accrued in ITC’s Responsible Rural Tourism Project in Jeet Nagar need to be sustained through effective hand-holding measures in each of the three modules, in order to ensure that the goals of developing rural tourism, of bringing in gender empowerment and sustainable development through rural tourism, are met. In addition, while the GSSS, Janedghat is excited to receive the laptops, screens and peripherals, they want the training to continue in order that this can translate into enhanced job opportunities (immediately after school-leaving) or can help them in their higher education, for those who are so inclined. It is in the interests of ITC’s Sustainability initiative that the early positive outcomes be consolidated, with the focus on strong returns to the women’s groups and sustainability of their efforts for long-term benefit to the community, especially the youth.

The ladies of Shaan-e-Chail Samiti need continued support. Even though the Samiti members are tremendously enthusiastic about their work, they are essentially housewives with no prior training and experience in planning and management. They need guidance on preparation of annual activity plans in order to ensure regular cash-flow and income generation. They also need specialized training, including in accounts, book-keeping, and inventory management. To ensure a regular income stream, additional areas of activity need to be explored and developed, including the local cuisine, hand-crafted objects from pine needles, arranging natural heritage walks, nature walks around the village, with the local youth as tour guides, among others.

For the work of the Agronomic Entrepreneurship module, the ladies need guidance in managing supply chains and in the all-important market access. The required training workshops are linked to the seasonal availability of raw materials (fruits and vegetables), so these workshops need to be continued to ensure that they cover all the major seasons, other than winter.

The Cultural Upliftment group has been remarkably quick in acquiring skills. They have achieved high proficiency in the folk dances and music of Himachal Pradesh. Strong talent has been identified among the youth, boys and girls. However, the ladies of the Samiti have little or no experience in managing these skills effectively, especially through planning performances, for which they can receive strong economic returns. This group needs hand-holding and guidance on this aspect.

Dr Sohan Ranta, Principal, GSSS, Janedghat, along with his faculty members and students, have used every occasion to convey the need for continued trainings in computer literacy. The first round of training was very useful, but without the consolidation of these benefits through a second round, the initial gains would dissipate. A vigorous second round of training would highlight the ‘smart classroom’ context and focus on advanced learnings in digital literacy.

ln conclusion, the Shaan-e- Chail Samiti needs a hand-holding phase, so that the ITC Responsible Rural Tourism project in Jeet Nagar may visibly and substantially empower the women of this region, leading to sustainable development for all. At the end of the hand-holding phase, the Endline Survey could be conducted, yielding quantitative figures about the outcomes in all three modules. During the hand-holding phase, it may be useful to consider including the nearby ITC property in Mashobra, so that the benefits of this project can be spread geographically, with only a comparatively modest increase in expenditure.

June, 2024

New Delhi

List of attached photographs :

1. Agronomic Entrepreneurship module outcome : jars of pickles and chutneys ready for the market
2. Certificate of Participation : Digital Literacy (for teachers)
3. Certificate of Participation : Digital Literacy (for students
4. Certificate of Participation : CulturalUpliftment
5. Certificate of Participation : Agronomic Entrepreneurship
6. Media Coverage : Him Prakram, April 28, 2024
7. The Shaan-e-Chail logo
8. Cultural Upliftment Group at the Tavleen Chail on 25 Apeil 2024

 हिमाचल

ग्रामीण महिलाएं बन रही आत्म निर्भर, पर्यटन को बढ़ावा देने के लिए स्वयं सहायता कमेटी शाने चैल स्थानीय उत्पादों के साथ पहाड़ी संस्कृति से करवा रही रुबरु.

April 27, 2024 

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शिमला:- स्वयं सहायता कमेटी शाने चैल की  गतिविधियों से प्रदेश के ज़िला शिमला की  जुन्गा तहसील की जनेडघाट पंचायत इन दिनों सुर्खियों में है. चूल्हा -चौका ,खेत- खलिहान, पशुओं को चारा- पानी आदि कार्यों को निबटाकर यहां की महिलाएं शाने चैल स्वयं सहायता कमेटी के कार्यों में व्यस्त हो जाती हैं. पंचायत घर जीतनगर में इन महिलाओं को स्थानीय उत्पाद अदरक ,लहसुन, अमला ,बुरांश आदि के अचार चटनी मुरब्बा बनाने और इन उत्पादनों को बेचने का व्यवसायिक प्रशिक्षण भी दिया जा रहा है.
गवर्नमेंट सीनियर सेकेंडरी स्कूल जनेडघाट शिमला की छठी से दसवीं कक्षा तक के विद्यार्थीयों विद्यालय में मुफ़्त कंप्यूटर प्रशिक्षण दिया जा रहा है. जिससे बच्चे सुनहरे सपने बुन रहे हैं. कंप्यूटर साक्षर बनकर जीवन में वैश्विक स्तर पर स्पर्धा के लिए तैयार भी हो रहे हैं। रचना, सुनीता, चंपा, ज्योति, रीना, श्रुति, अदिति  आदि के लिए भी शाने चैल  के माध्यम से आत्मनिर्भरता के रास्ते खुल रहे हैं. लोकगीत, संगीत, वादन ,गायन, नृत्य इत्यादि में रुचिकर विद्यालय महाविद्यालय के छात्र-छात्राएं  और अन्य महिलाएं समृद्ध सांस्कृतिक धरोहर के संरक्षण और संवर्धन में प्रयासरत हैं.

विद्यालय में विद्यार्थियों व अध्यापकों के लिए डिजिटल लिटरेसी प्रोगाम के तहत एसेट टेक्नोलॉजी ,चंडीगढ़ ने प्रशिक्षित किया तथाकल्चरल अपलिफ्टमेंट प्रोग्राम के अंतर्गत पूजा कला मंच ,शिमला ने प्रशिक्षण प्रदान किया। इस मौके पर आई टी सी की ओर से सुश्री आयुषी मांगो, स्वाॅन की अध्यक्षा श्रीमती वीना सिकरी (सेवानिवृत अधिकारी , भारतीय विदेश सेवा)  पंचायत प्रधान, विद्यालय के प्रिंसिपल और बड़ी संख्या में गणमान्य व्यक्ति और विद्यार्थी  उपस्थित थे.

घर से निकल कर बच्चे ,युवा ,विद्यार्थी सभी शाने चैल के बैनर तले आत्मनिर्भरता की नई कहानी लिख रहे हैं . वह दिन अब दूर नहीं जब शाने चैल की सफलता की कहानियां घर-घर में कही और सुनी जाएंगी.

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[1] https://himachal.nic.in/en-IN/at-a-glance.html)

[2](https://www.rural.tourism.gov.in/images/pdf/National%20Strategy%20of%20Rural%20Tourism_May%202022.pdf).

[3] https://himachaltourism.gov.in/

[4]https://himachalecotourism.hp.gov.in/assets/document/Act_Rules/Re Revised%20Policy%20of%20ET%20in%20HP%202005.pdf

[5] https://himachaltourism.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Himachal-Pradesh-Tourism-Policy-2019.pdf

[6] https://ijcrt.org › papers › IJCRT1872284