Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment launches TAPAS

Source: PIB

What is the News?

The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment has launched an online portal named TAPAS (Training for Augmenting Productivity and Services).

About TAPAS Portal:

1. Developed by: National Institute of Social Defence, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
2. What is it? It is a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platform that offers various courses in the field of social defence.
3. Objective: The main objective of introducing courses on social defence is to impart training and enhance the knowledge and skills for the capacity building of the participants
4. Courses: It will provide five basic courses
   1. Drug (Substance) Abuse Prevention,
   2. Geriatric/Elderly Care,
   3. Care and Management of Dementia,
   4. Transgender Issues
   5. Comprehensive course on Social Defence Issues.
5. Eligibility: The courses can be taken up by anyone who wishes to enhance his or her knowledge on the topics and there is no fee for joining.

About National Institute of Social Defence (NISD):

1. NISD was originally set up as the Central Bureau of Correctional Services in 1961 under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
2. Since 1975, the Institute has functioned as a subordinate office under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
3. In 2002, NISD became an Autonomous Body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and is registered under Societies Act 1860 with the Government of NCT, Delhi.
4. Mandate: NISD is the nodal training and research institute in the field of social Defence. It is currently focusing on human resource development in the areas of drug abuse prevention, welfare of senior citizens, beggary prevention, transgender and other social defence issues.