1. DIPLOMA IN GULF STUDIES (E-learning) UNDER THE HRD SCHEME “NATIONAL MISSION EDUCATION THROUGH ICT” At the Department of West Asian Studies, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh

2. Specific Objectives:- 1.To impart awareness about the Gulf to Indian expatriate workers. 2. To impart general information regarding the region to the persons seeking employment in Gulf countries. 3. To help the Indian expatriate workers in understanding the society, economy and the legal regimes in Gulf countries. 4.To make the expatriate workers aware about their rights in those countries 5.To train them to solve their problems that arise due to lack of knowledge of various grievance redressal mechanisms.

3. Indian’s relations with the countries of Gulf are very significant and time tested. The countries of this region have rich deposits of oil. Most of the oil importing countries of the world depend on this region for this important source of energy. Indias’ case is also not different. India also depends significantly on this region for the supply of its oil and gas requirements. Yet another and most important aspects of India’s economic relations with this region has been the labour market of these countries.

4. It should be mentioned that the Gulf countries are importers of the manpower on a large scale. The domestic labour market is unable to supply the demand of both skilled and unskilled labour in those economies. This is because of the enormous size of their economies. But to claim that there may be about 3 million Indian workers employed in Gulf may not to be an exaggeration. These workers send substantial amount of remittances back to India. It has been reported that India has been largest recipient of remittances globally.

5. Recent reports indicate that the remittance inflow to India during the last financial year was to the tune of $ 50 billion. The importance of these remittances are more critical because this can be deposed by the planning authorities according to their priorities. Whereas the FDI flows on the basis of rate of return. Thus remittances are more crucial for the Indian economy than the FDI.

6. However, these Indian workers have to face many difficulties when they reach these countries for employment. These problems arise mostly because of their lack of knowledge about the economy, polity, history, geography, society language and culture of the region. A course designed and conducted for the aspirants of the employment in the region is sure to be helpful in solving the West Gulf countries.

7. Significance:- As the practice of seeking employment in Gulf countries has become a permanent phenomenon, the aspirants selected as well as working Indians in Gulf countries need basic sensitization about the job opportunity, employment, market, immigration policies, legal framework policies, language, culture and society of that region. This may help in solving most of the problems faced by them during the employment period in gulf countries.

8. Target Clientele:- The course is intended to cover all Indian aspirants for job in the Gulf countries as well as Indians working in those countries. It is very difficult to handle such clientele spread to all over India as well as in all the Gulf countries. It is simply impossible for the formal mode of education to handle such a vast and varied clientele.

9. Costing of the Content Areas into e-learning Material:- The launch of the course would require efforts at three stages. 1.The existing teachers have to be trained to become experts in handling the software packages of the course through e-learning mode. 2. The teachers have to develop the instruction materials to be used for the course that is to be used in e-content development. 3. The third stage would be to transform these course ware into e-learning mode.

10. Equipment Required:- The project would require all the equipments necessary for running a course through the e- learning mode. It would require the establishment of lab and setting up of a virtual classroom. It would also require the purchase of the necessary software and help of a technical expert in hardware & software.

11. Budget:- Items Rupees 1. Recurring 30% 41,10,000=00 2. Non-Recurring 70% 95,90,000=00 __________ Total 1,37,00,000=00

12. Budget Details:- Recurring Items Rupees 1. Manpower 20,10,000.00 2. Contingency 10,00,000.00 3. Travel 05,00,000.00 4. Miscellaneous 06,00,000.00 __________ Sub Total 41,10,000.00

13. Non-Recurring Items Rupees 1. Development of Course Contents @ the IPTEL approved rate 70,000,00.00 2. Equipments for Establishment of Lab and Virtual Classroom (Computer Soft ware & Hard ware etc) 25,90,000.00 __________ Sub Total 95,90,000.00 Grand Total (Recurring + Non-Recurring) 1,37,00,000.00

14. Course Organization:- The course ware would consist of four modules spread through one academic calendar. Each module would consist of five units. The examination would be conducted online and successful candidates would be awarded with PG Diploma in Gulf studies. The course ware would be as follows. 1.The labour and employment market in gulf countries. 2. The geography and topology of the region. 3.History, Politics, culture and society of the region. 4. Society and Culture 5. Language of the region (Arabic)

15. Department of West Asian studies The Department of West Asian Studies at A.M.U., was established in 1967 and gradually became a full fledged department under the faculty of social sciences. The Department has on its faculty, teachers of national and international repute. A large chunk of the students (almost fifty percent) consists of international students. The department runs Ph.D., M.A. and Post Graduate Diploma in West Asian Studies through the formal mode.

16. The department has its own library which can be compared with any library on the subject at national or international level. The department brings out Journal of West Asian Studies as well as West Asia Bulletin. In a nutshell the department of West Asian Studies at A.M.U. is the most suited place to run this course through e- learning mode. The Centre has a Computer Lab and a well equipped cartographic laboratory with Internet facilities for research and administrative work.

17. Faculty: The Department of West Asian Studies faculty consists of three Professors, Six Readers and One Lecturer.