The Mission has launched a National Human Resource Development Programme (NHRDP) by the Central Government in 1994. The NHRDP, inter-alia, aims at training at least one grass root level worker in a village through district level trainers who in turn may be trained at selected institutions forming the Indian Training Network (ITN). There are two types of training courses – one for Grass Root Level (GRLT) Workers at village level and other for sector professionals of the department. The workshops for stakeholder department, NGO etc at state level and district level officers are also being organized to improve the coordination among the various departments and other stake holding in the RWS Program.
The HRD program aim at empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions/ Local Bodies with the objective of enabling them to take up operation and maintenance activities related to rural water supply systems. It also aim at capacity building of local communities by giving requisite training to mechanics/ health motivators/ masons etc. especially women to operate and maintain hand-pumps and the components of other water supply systems as well as to generate demand for adequate sanitation facilities.

Under the NHRDP, the States set up State level HRD cells for planing, designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating an appropriate and need based HRD programme. The Central Government provides 100% assistance during the 9th plan period for the above activities as per the approved norms.

The highlights of the programme are as follows: -

• Out of 28 States, 24 States have taken the action for setting up of State HRD Cell. The other State Govts. are being pursued for setting up of HRD Cells.
• During 2001–2002, 20 States have submitted Action Plans and the same have been approved by the Ministry. Accordingly, an amount of Rs.1373.51 lakh ha have been approved to various States so far. Out of this, Rs.562.39 lakh have also been released to them as first installment as per approved plan.
• Institutions have been selected as Key Institutions, out of which, 5 institutions have forwarded their action plans for the current year(2001-02). These plans have also been approved amounting to Rs.89.69 lakh. Accordingly, funds are being released to them shortly.In addition to these institutions, CSIR laboratories e.g. NEERI, NHRI, ITRC, RRL etc. are also conducting the training courses for sector professionals on treatment technologies for line department.

The following constraints were observed:

• The budgetary support was not adequate and the State HRD Cells / State Govts. were not confident on continuation of the financial support under the programme. Initially, the staff salaries were to be shared on 50:50 basis between Centre and State which, later on, made 100% funded by the Centre. Therefore, some the State Govts. could not positioned their staff in HRD Cell resulting in slow progress and low target.
• In addition to the constraints due to inadequate manpower, the institutional support from within and outside was insignificant due to lack of training institutions/ infrastructure facility with Rural Water Supply Departments and lack of dedicated institutions out side the department.
• Lack of HRD personals in the sector with the line departments being new initiatives in the previous plan as well as lack of in-house training procedure. Since the sector was government owned and totally financed, the out side institutions could not initiate HRD activities for the sector. Thus, creating a shortage of institutions and absence diploma/ degree/PG degree level courses in technical institutions exclusively covering the Rural Water Supply needs.