TAPAS (Training For Augmenting Productivity And Services):
The Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment has launched an online portal TAPAS (Training for Augmenting Productivity and Services).
- The idea of TAPAS was conceptualised at a time when exploring the online medium for work and education had become imperative due to the outbreak of Covid 19 pandemic.
- It offers various courses in the field of social defence for the capacity building of stakeholders. It is an initiative of National Institute of Social Defense (NISD).
- Social defence is generally understood as the protection of society against crime through a systematically organized and coherent action by both the State and civil society.
- It is a standard MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platform with course material such as filmed lectures and e-study material.
- MOOC is a free Web-based distance learning program that is designed for the participation of large numbers of geographically dispersed students.
- It also includes discussion forums to support and encourage interactions among students and course coordinators.
- It will provide access to lectures by subject experts, study material and more, but in a manner that it supplements the physical classroom without compromising on the quality of teaching.
- It can be taken up by anyone who wishes to enhance his or her knowledge on the topics and there is no fee for joining.
- The platform has been made with a quadrant approach, which is: Video, Text, Self Assessment and Discussions.
- Courses:
- The five basic courses are on Drug (Substance) Abuse Prevention, Geriatric/Elderly Care, Care and Management of Dementia, Transgender Issues and on comprehensive course on Social Defence Issues.
- Objective:
- To impart training and enhance the knowledge and skills for the capacity building of the participants.
- Significance:
- In our education system, where the offline mode of teaching is so deeply entrenched, this course will lead the path of change and open up new possibilities.
- It will enable the Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment in reaching out to an even larger number of people working in the area of social defence.
