BRIEF NOTE ON STAFF TRAINING COLLEGE (HARCOBANK) PANCHKULA
Agriculture Cooperative Staff Training Institute in the State of Haryana was established in 1982 as per decision of BODs meeting held on 24.03.1982 with the objective to improve the efficiency & performance of the employees. But the same had been closed by the Board of Bank during the year 1990 and remained closed upto 1992. Thereafter, BODs reviewed the importance of the training college and decided to restart the college in 1992. The main aim of setting up of this Institute was to provide training to the staff and committee members as well as education to the ordinary members of the Primary Agricultural Service Societies. The institute is getting full support from the bank in the field of training. The institute is acting for the development of a cadre of professional bankers to meet the challenges of changing banking scenario.
Since 1991 there has been tremendous changes in banking sector which had effected Cooperative Banks to a great extent. The Tarapore Committee, Narsimham Committee and Vaidynathan Committee recommendations have put profound challenges to cooperative banks. The technological changes in the banking sector are also effecting these banks. This institute is aware of these transformations and has geared up its training plans. The training institute of cooperative banks cannot remain passive but must play an active role in providing consultancy, latest knowledge and skills to cooperative banks. Acting as a catalyst in the change proves, this institute has decided to diversify its activities to face the challenge of time.
Vision statement
The most important asset of any organization is its Human Resource. We as an Apex Institution, are required to constantly update knowledge, enhance skills and maintain right aptitude of the officers/ staff of SCB/DCCBs/PACS. Our endeavour has, therefore, always been to make the training of our Staff more and more useful on these lines “To develop credit Cooperatives for serving as a catalyst of socio-Economic Development of Haryana”.
Mission Statement
ACSTI Panchkula aims at :-
- Playing proactive role in guiding the credit cooperatives to improve their operational efficiency through training, research and consultancy.
- Inculcating the key drivers – innovation, initiative and integration among the co-operators.
- Drawing new contours of performance of credit cooperatives.
Objectives
- Sensitizing the banks of the challenges ahead and to prepare the employees to meet these challenges.
- Improving the operational efficiency of cooperative banks.
- Building up managerial and leadership abilities among the officers for organizational effectiveness.
- Methodology
The methodology adopted is class-room teaching & group discussions with trainees by faculty. Besides this, senior existing / retired officers of NABARD/commercial banks and cooperative department are invited as guest faculty, the objective of these trainings is to equip them with latest developments in banking. Moreover, the concept of ice-breaking and HRD have been introduced from the year 2008-09.
- Training Assessment
The needs of training is assessed by Faculty Members of STC by visiting DCCBs and Head Office, accordingly, design course contents from them. The Calendar of Courses for the training Programme be conducted in the ensuing year are designed/ prepared in the month of February / March of every year after the approval of the Standing Committee of the College.
Thereafter, Calendar of Courses is circulated amongst the Apex bank and DCCBs for identification of employees who need training.
TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT
This Institute assesses the training needs of the staff in the following ways:-
- Anticipation of the Latest Developments.
Latest developments in economic and banking sectors (Capital Adequacy Norms, Asset Liability Management, Prudential Norms, recommendations of various Committees) are considered as training requirements;
- Demand from Central Cooperative Banks
Various Central Cooperative Banks at different occasions approach the institute to provide training to their staff in specific areas. On the request of those banks the institute conduct field programmes as per the convenience of the client banks
- Policy Matters of Management
The Institute keeps in touch the policy decisions of the Reserve Bank of India, NABARD, Central and State Government, RCS and Apex Bank Management, Institute develops and organizes training programmes for effective implementation of these decisions
- Faculty Members Visit
Faculty Members of this Institute frequently visit cooperative banks at different intervals to study operational problems of the banks and to identify the training needs of the staff
- Audit Reports and Inspection Reports
These reports do provide useful indication for the training needs in banks. We continuously study these reports to find out procedural gaps and problems of the banks.
Course Design
The training Programmes are designed by conducting a critical analysis of training needs of Bank staff. The training Programme alongwith detailed course contents prepared by core faculty then discussed in a syllabus committee (core faculty including guest faculty) meeting. In this meeting the members of faculty give their opinion to refine the programme. Training programmes developed by the faculty are discussed in the Standing Training Advisory Committee for its approval. While designing the course, views of experts in the related fields are also taken. The Managers of client banks are also consulted before finalising the course. The policy matters of banks are also kept in mind during this exercise so that training efforts do not get wasted.
STANDING TRAINING ADVISORY COMMITTEE : Standing training advisory Committee has been formed as per the guidelines of NABARD, constituting the following:-
| 1 | Managing Director | Chairman |
| 2 | The Chief General Manager (Reg. Office) | Member |
| 3 | Representative of NABARD | Nodal Officer |
| 4 | Principal STC Panchkula | Member Secretary |
This committee approves training programmes of the Institute. The Committee also provides guidance to the institute on the matters relating to training and development.
- Educational Qualifications:-
For imparting the training, there are two faculty members and one Principal. There is also adequate Secretarial staff to assist in proper functioning of the Staff.
The Educational Qualifications are as under:-
| Sr. No. | Name & Designation | Educational Qualifications |
|---|
| 1 | Mrs. Anupama Kohar, DGM/ Principal | M.Sc. M.phil, B.Ed, & HDCM |
| 2 | Sh. Ashok Verma, Manager/ R.A. / F.M. | B.Sc., PGDCA, CAIIB & CTFC |
| 3 | Sh. Tara Chand, Manager/F.M. | B.A., B.Ed, HDCM & CTFC |
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
After the end of each session of training programme, we take feedback from each participant to evaluate the training programmes. For this purpose, they are given a questionnaire for evaluation. We also do evaluation in an informal way in the mid of the training programme. The evaluation from trainees serves useful information to the institute in improving and reframing the training programmes.
The performance monitoring of the institute is done by management of the bank very closely. The management takes keen interest in the working of the institute.
FINANCIAL MATTERS
Criteria of Financial Assistance from NABARD and Harcobank
The Training College is getting financial assistance from NABARD under SOFTCOB Scheme of financial assistance for training of Cooperative Bank Personnel. Initially in the year 1998, the assistance @ 60% of the total expenditure incurred by the Training College was given by NABARD. Later on, in the year 2004 NABARD reviewed the scheme and after consideration the expenditure incurred for the training activities was fixed @ Rs. 720/- per participant per day. Further, it was again reviewed in the year 2007 and curtailed the financial assistance from Rs. 720/- to Rs. 450/- per participant per day. After that, assistance provided by the NABARD is @ Rs. 600/- per day per trainee. Now, STC accredited by BIRD Lucknow in the year 2014 for three years, the assistance is provided by the NABARD @ Rs. 800/- per day per trainee after the strength of 10 trainees in a training programme. Staff Training College submits the claim for reimbursement on quarterly basis as per guidelines of NABARD.
STAFF STRENGTH
Presently there are only 3 trainers working in the Institute. The present position faculty and staff is given as under:-
| Sr. No. | Name of Post | Sanctioned position | Present position |
|---|
| 1 | Principal | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Trainers/ Faculty Members | 4 | 2 |
| 3 | Asst. Manager | - | 1 |
| 4 | Superintendent | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | Sr./Jr. Acctt. | - | - |
| 6 | Typist | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | Librarian | 1 | - |
| 8 | Clerks | 4 | 1 |
| 9 | Peons | 4 | 1 |
| 10 | Cook | 1 | - |
| Total | 17 | 8 |
INFRASTRUCTURE
The Training Institute is running in its own building in Panchkula. It has one class-room and one Computer Lab and all are air conditioned and furnished with proper furniture. There are 10 computers and one server of latest configuration in computer lab. Institute has a rich library having more than 1750 books on different subjects.
The Training Institute has all modern training aids (6 OHP, 2 television sets, one white board, 2 Photostat Machines for the training purposes.
HOSTEL
There are 12 rooms in the hostel, one dining hall. The trainees are providing lodging and boarding facility free of cost.
OTHER MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
- OUTSTATION PROGRAMMES
Keeping in view operational problems of DCCBs, Institute conducts some outstation /on location Programmes at headquarters of the DCCBs. This approach has an advantage of disseminating information to all the officers of same bank at one place regarding their new policies and to plan jointly for the development of bank. For Distt. Managers and Senior Managers of the DCCBs and State Coop., Bank bi- annual conferences on performance of Cooperative Bank are conducted as a regular feature now.
- COMPUTER TRAINING LAB
We have installed a computer lab in the institute to provide training to the staff of the Bank. There are ten latest configured terminals with a server on which the training on (CBS) Core Banking Solutions is being given to employees of Cooperative Banks. We have chalked out various training programmes for different categories of staff of Cooperative Banks.
- FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
Most important asset of training institute is competent and committed faculty. Therefore, faculty development is the most important area of concern for the institute. Institute has adopted the following system for its faculty development:-
a) Every faculty member has to attend the training programmes at national level institutes such as NIBM, BIRD VAMNICOM, etc;
b) Internet facility has been provided to all faculty members in his office.
- LIBRARY ASSIGNMENT
To inculcate reading habits, trainees are made to make extensive use of library. More than 1750 books are in our library for trainees.
Rules & Regulations
Staff Training College is following the rules and regulations prescribed by the Haryana State Coop. Apex Bank Ltd; Chandigarh being the offshoot of the Bank.
Plan for the year 2017-18
Proposed Calendar of Courses for the quarter June 2017 contain 11+1 courses to train 236 officers/ officials SCB/ DCCBs/ PACS and non-officials of DCCBs/PACS. The Staff Training College would also conduct the training on location programmes at DCCBs level for the Staff of DCCBs/PACS to train the staff to be more effective and efficient.
