VISHWAKARMA RASHTRIYA PURASKAR(VRP)
INTRODUCTION
“Suggestion Schemes” are being operated in many progressive
industrial undertakings in the country for the last several years. These “ Schemes” operate on plant wide
basis. Good suggestions leading to
outstanding achievement or good performance on the part of workers in
increasing productivity, quality, safety, working conditions, import
substitution etc. are suitably rewarded by the Management at the enterprise
level with financial & non-financial incentives including prizes &
citation. The quantum of the prize money is generally related to the
anticipated annual savings in the cost of production, resulting from the
implementation of the suggestion at the plant level.
With the growing tempo of industrialization,
it was considered desirable to provide for public recognition of outstanding
achievement on the part of the workers, at the national level, so that, the
workers could feel that they were accorded a place similar to that of other
recipient of Rashtriya Puraskars
for outstanding achievements in the other walks of life. The Government of
India, Ministry of Labour
& Employment has, therefore, instituted Vishwakarma
Rashtriya Puraskar Scheme
(previously known as Shram Vir
National Awards) in the year 1965 for rewarding & recognizing the efforts
of workers from the industrial undertakings at the national level. Since then this scheme has been in
operation. This scheme is applicable for workers employed
in the factories & docks.
BASIS OF AWARDS
The scheme is open to such Industrial Undertakings where
Suggestion Schemes in the form of Quality Circles, General Suggestion Scheme,
Safety Suggestion Scheme, Kaizen Schemes & Small Group Activities etc. are
in operation. Suggestions accepted by the management and adopted during the
previous calendar year in respect of any of the following qualify for the
consideration of Vishwakarma Rashtriya
Puraskar (VRP).
1.
Inventions
and improvements that bring about saving in materials including fuel & power
reduction in production time and
improvement in the utilization of plant and equipment;
2.
Improving
ways and means for using indigenous materials in the place of imported ones
(Import substitution);
3.
Better
utilization of machinery & equipment, waste or scrap material for raising
productivity;
4.
Lightening
physical efforts/ergonomic interventions in certain operations and thereby
leading to reduced fatigue & increased
productivity;
5.
Improvement
of working conditions including safety, health and welfare, safety standards,
safety devices and
environmental conditions and improvement in methods for
prevention of occupational
diseases;
6.
Increased
efficiency of the organization and management;
7. Improvement
in quality of products or their designs & packing methods;
8. Making
general working environment safe.
There are Total Twenty eight (28) Awards under the following
three classes:
Ø
CLASS
“A” OR PRATHAM SHRENI - (5) FIVE CASH AWARDS OF Rs. 75,000/-* EACH
Ø
CLASS
“B” OR DWITIYA
SHRENI - (8) EIGHT CASH AWARDS OF Rs. 50,000/-* EACH
Ø
CLASS
“C” OR TRITIYA SHRENI -
(15) FIFTEEN CASH AWARDS OF
Rs.25,000/-* EACH
* REVISED PRIZE MONEY
Each year applications are invited
in the prescribed format for the grant of awards through advertisement in
important national & local newspapers.
Respective managements of the organization where these suggestion
schemes are in operation are required to send the applications on behalf of the
workers. The accepted applications are evaluated by both Internal and External
Evaluation Committees consisting of Three Experts in each with specialization
in Mech. Engg./Production Engg./
Indust.Engg./ Elect.Engg./Chemical
Engg./Ergonomics/Envir. Engg/General Magt.
The applications so evaluated by both the Committees are adjudged by a
Tripartite Awards Committee appointed by the Ministry of Labour &
Employment, Government of India, solely on the basis of their technical ability
and expertise. The Tripartite Awards Committee
consists of representatives from Government, Employers & Employees.
The VishwaKarma
Rashtriya Puraskar (VRP)
for each Performance Year will be granted to the awardees by the Hon’ble Union Labour & Employment Minister, Govt. of India at a special function to be held in
To give recognition to good
safety performance on the part of Industrial Establishments and to stimulate
and maintain the interest of both the managements and the workers in accident
prevention and safety
promotion programmes, the Government of India instituted National
Safety Awards(NSA) in the year 1965. Initially the NSA was instituted for
factories registered under the Factories Act, 1948 which work One million
man-hours or more during the contest year.
From the year 1971, separate schemes were introduced for factories working less than One
million manhours and also for Ports. From the year
1978 two more schemes
were introduced for factories working more than one lakh
and less than two and half lacs manhours during
each year of the contest period. Further, the schemes which existed prior to
1978 were modified in 1978 as per the decision of the Awards Committee
specially constituted for this purpose by the Ministry of Labour and
Employment, Govt. of India. At present there are twelve schemes whose details
are furnished as below. These schemes are operated by the Directorate General
Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI), Mumbai, under the
Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India.
The
Schemes I to X are applicable to the Factories
registered under the Factories Act, 1948, Construction Sites under the Building
& Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service)
Act, 1996 and Installations under Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB). The
Schemes XI to XII are applicable to establishments under Ports.
FOR FACTORIES/CONSTRUCTION SITES/INSTALLATIONS UNDER AERB, WORKING ONE MILLION
MANHOURS AND MORE
Scheme I : Based on Lowest Average Frequency Rate
There is one Winner and one
Runner-up in each of the 15 Groups of industries as given in the Schedule which
achieve the lowest average weighted accident frequency rate over a period of
three preceding consecutive years ending with the performance year. Each awardee will
be presented with a shield and a certificate of merit. The weighted frequency
rate is the sum
of –
(i)
The
number of non-fatal accidents per million manhours
worked
(ii)
The
number of total fatal accidents per million manhours
worked multiplied by ten and
(iii)
No. of total permanent disabled cases per million manhours worked multiplied by ten.
Scheme II : Based on Accident Free Year
There is one winner and one
runner-up in
each of the 15 groups of industries as
given in the Schedule which has worked the largest number of manhours, without any fatal/non-fatal accident/total
permanent disability during the performance year. Each awardee will be presented with a shield
and a certificate of merit.
FOR FACTORIES/CONSTRUCTION
SITES/INSTALLATIONS UNDER AERB, WORKING LESS THAN ONE MILLION MANHOURS SUBJECT
TO A MINIMUM OF HALF
A MILLION MANHOURS
Scheme III : Based on Lowest Average Frequency
Rate
There is one Winner and one Runner-up in each of the 11 Groups of
industries as given in the Schedule which achieve the lowest average weighted
accident frequency rate over a period of three preceding consecutive years
ending with the performance year. Each awardee will be presented with a shield and a certificate
of merit.
Scheme IV : Based on Accident Free Year
There is one winner and one runner-up in each of the 11
groups of industries as given in the
Schedule which has worked the largest number of manhours,
without any fatal/non-fatal accident/total permanent disability during the
performance year. Each awardee will be presented with a shield and a certificate
of merit.
FOR FACTORIES/CONSTRUCTION
SITES/INSTALLATIONS UNDER AERB, WORKING LESS THAN HALF MILLION MANHOURS SUBJECT TO A MINIMUM OF ONE
QUARTER MILLION MANHOURS
Scheme V : Based on Lowest Average Frequency Rate
There is one Winner and one Runner-up in each of the
11 Groups of industries as given in the Schedule which achieve the lowest
average weighted accident frequency rate over a period of three preceding
consecutive years ending with the performance year. Each awardee will
be presented with a shield and a certificate of merit.
Scheme VI : Based on Accident Free Year
There is one winner and one runner-up in each of the 11
groups of industries as given in the
Schedule which has worked the largest number of manhours,
without any fatal/non-fatal accident/total permanent disability during the
performance year. Each awardee will be presented with a shield and a certificate
of merit.
FOR FACTORIES/CONSTRUCTION SITES/INSTALLATIONS UNDER AERB,
WORKING LESS THAN ONE QUARTER MILLION MANHOURS SUBJECT TO MINIMUM OF ONE LAKH MANHOURS.
Scheme VII : Based on Lowest Average Frequency Rate
There is one Winner and one Runner-up in each of the
11 Groups of industries as given in the Schedule which achieve the lowest
average weighted accident frequency rate over a period of three preceding
consecutive years ending with the performance year. Each awardee will
be presented with a shield and a certificate of merit.
Scheme VIII : Based on Accident
free Year
There is one winner and one
runner-up in
each of the 11 groups of industries as
given in the Schedule which has worked the largest number of manhours, without any fatal/non-fatal accident/total
permanent disability during the performance year. Each awardee will be presented with a shield
and a certificate of merit.
FOR FACTORIES/CONSTRUCTION SITES/INSTALLATIONS UNDER AERB, WORKING LESS THAN
ONE LAKH MANHOURS
SUBJECT TO MINIMUM OF FIFTY THOUSAND
MANHOURS.
( NEWLY INTRODUCED)
Scheme IX : Based on Lowest Average Frequency Rate
There is one Winner and one Runner-up in each of the
11 Groups of industries as given in the Schedule which achieve the lowest
average weighted accident frequency rate over a period of three preceding
consecutive years ending with the performance year. Each awardee will
be presented with a shield and a certificate of merit.
Scheme X : Based on Accident free Year
There is one winner and one
runner-up in
each of the 11 groups of industries as
given in the Schedule which has worked the largest number of manhours, without any fatal/non-fatal accident/total
permanent disability during the performance year. Each awardee will be presented with a shield
and a certificate of merit.
FOR PORTS
Scheme XI : For work on
ships (Based on Lowest Average Frequency Rate) – Previously designated
as
Scheme IX
Provides
for the grant of three awards to employer handling any cargo, except bulk oil
on board the ship who achieves the lowest average weighted frequency rate of
accidents over a period of three consecutive years ending in the performance
year. One award is for employers who work a minimum
of 1,00,000 man-hours(Group A) during each of the
three consecutive years ending in the performance year. The second award is for employers who work a
minimum of 50,000 manhours but less than 1,00,000 manhours(Group B) and the third award is for employers who
work a minimum of 25,000 manhours but less than
50,000(Group C) manhours during each of the three
consecutive years. Under each group a
shield is given to the winner and the runner-up. A certificate of merit is also
given to the awards winners.
Scheme XII : For
work on shore (Based on Lowest Average Frequency Rate) - Previously designated
as Scheme X
Provides for the grant of three awards for
shore employers, including port authorities, who achieve the lowest average
weighted frequency rate over a period of three consecutive years ending in the
performance year. One
award is for employers who work a minimum of 2,50,000 manhours(Group A) during
each of the three consecutive years ending in the performance year. The second award is for employers who work a
minimum of 1,00,000 manhours
but less than 2,50,000 manhours (Group B) and the
third award is for employers who work less than 1,00,000 manhours
but subject to minimum of 25,000 manhours (Group C)
during each of the three consecutive years.
Under each group a shield is given to the winner and runner-up. A certificate of merit is also given to the
awards winners.
Every
year applications are invited in the prescribed form for the grant of the
awards through advertisement in important national and regional newspapers. Organisations are required to apply for awards under each
scheme as applicable to them. The
applications are adjudged by Tripartite Awards Committee constituted for three
years by the Ministry of Labour and consisting of not less than five members
selected solely on the basis of their experience and technical ability. The decision of the Awards Committee is final
with regard to the final result.
The National
Safety Awards(NSA) for each Performance Year will be
granted to the winners and Runners up by the Hon’ble Labour & Employment Minister, Govt. of
India, in a special function to be held
in
SCHEDULES FOR SCHEMES I AND II
1.
Manufacture
of Textiles
2.
Manufacture
of Paper & Paper Products, Publishing, Printing and Reproduction of
Recorded Media.
3.
Manufacture
of Chemicals & Chemical Products
4.
Manufacture
of Coke & Refined Petroleum Products
5.
Manufacture
of Rubber & Plastic Products
6.
Manufacture
of Machinery & Equipment other than Electrical Machinery & apparatus.
7.
Manufacture
of Electrical Machinery and apparatus.
8.
Manufacture
of Electrical & Electronic machinery & equipment/apparatus &
Medical Precision
and optical instruments and
watches and clocks.
9.
Manufacture
of Transport Equipment
10.
Manufacture
of Motor Vehicles, Trailers and Semi Trailers.
11.
Manufacture
of Basic Metals & Fabricated Metal Products Except Machinery &
Equipment.
12.
Manufacture
of Non-Metallic Mineral Products.
13.
Manufacture
of Food Products and
Beverages.
14.
Construction
15.
Miscellaneous
(not included elsewhere)
SCHEDULES FOR SCHEMES III, IV, V, VI,VII, VIII, IX AND X
1.
Manufacture
of Textiles
2.
Manufacture
of Chemicals and Chemical Products
3.
Tanning
and Dressing of Leather : Manufacture of Luggage, Handbags, Saddlery,
Harness and
Footwear.
4.
Manufacture
of Rubber and Plastic Products
5.
Manufacture
of Non-Metallic Mineral Products.
6.
Manufacture
of Food Products & Beverages.
7.
Manufacture
of Electrical and Electronic machinery & apparatus, Medical Precision
and optical Instruments,
Watches and Clocks.
8.
Manufacture
of Machinery and Equipment except Electrical machinery.
9.
Manufacture
of Fabricated Metal Products Except Machinery and Equipment
10.
Construction
11.
Miscellaneous
(not included elsewhere)
*******