Vibhash Kumar Jha, Raipur
Raipur. The National Council of Vocational Education and Training (NCVET), a national body for vocational education, has given consent for the provision of training in repairing weighing and measuring instruments and eliminating technical errors. The Central Government has also given its approval to this proposal, moved by veteran artisan and social activist V. Vishwanathan achari. Mr Achari, hails from Bhilai and has worked with many technical plants like Bhilai steel Plant and others, providing them various types of weighing instruments during the last four decades. Incidentally, Achari, the chairman of Vanshanugat Artisan Development Foundation (VADF), a national organization related to artisans has been chiefly instrumental behind this initiative, to ensure that the customers do get actual quantity of goods and utensils, what they are paying for. He says this approval from NCVET is a historical victory for the artisans and customers, who were helpless until now, as they could not do anything, even after getting less quantity of goods, due to technical manipulations in the weighing machines at different shops, petrol pumps etc. Since, Achari has been a manufacturer and professional repairer of various kinds of measuring and weighing instruments for nearly forty years, he happens to know each and every aspect of these electronic weighing machines. He said that ever since electronic devices have become common in shops and different selling points, consumers are having a sense of assurance, that they are getting the actual quantity of goods, which they have paid for. However, due to lack of information regarding such devices, consumers do not realize that these weighing machines can also be tampered with, Achari further said.The veteran artisan reveals that he has been doing research in making various types of electronic and traditional measuring instruments for the many years. Therefore, he made an attempt to fight for a cause on behalf of the consumers. Who are not aware of the intricacies of electronic measuring instruments . So he approached the National Council of Vocational Education and Training (NCVET). After examining the facts of Achari’s proposal, the institution approved the course for Repairing and Maintenance of the Weighing Equipment. Eventually, the consistent endeavour of around six months turned out to be successful, and Achari had a sigh of relief. Thanks to his initiative, this course (for repair and proper calibration of weighing instruments) has been included in the curriculum of vocational training. Achari got a formal letter in this regard, on 31 August this year. The institution also gave approval for training and certification in this subject, by including the subject in the technical education curriculum. Mr. Achari says that this decision of the Government of India, is a milestone in the larger interest of the consumers and the day will be written in golden letters in the history of independent India.
