9.5 OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL

9.5.1 Background.The Office of the Auditor General was established in 1975 to audit the accounts of the various Departments and units of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). In 1982 the Office also began auditing the accounts of some of the Tibetan cooperative societies in south India. In order to train its staff in auditing of government and cooperative accounts, as well as accounts of schools, hospitals and commercial units, the Office organized training through the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of the Government of India and the National Council for Cooperative Training.

Until 1991 the Office of the Auditor General functioned as statutory auditor for the CTA budget accounts, and as internal auditor for the units of the CTA which did not come under the consolidated CTA budget. With the passing of the Charter of the Tibetan Community in 1991 the responsibilities of the Auditor General were significantly increased by making the Auditor General the statutory auditor of all CTA units and funds. Under the Charter the Auditor General is appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and will hold office for a term of 10 years or until the age of 65, whichever is earlier, unless and until he is changed by His Holiness in consultation with the Kashag (Cabinet) or by a motion of the Assembly supported by two-thirds of its members, which further requires the approval of His Holiness.

9.5.2 Current Activities. The total number of accounts to be audited by the Office of the Auditor General is 174. However, due to shortage of human resources, the Office currently audits 95 units comprising CTA Departments and special fund accounts, cooperative societies, handicraft centers, schools and hospitals. During 1993-94 the Office is auditing an additional ten units selected from among those units identified as priority units by the CTA.

The Office also assists CTA Departments in filing returns and provides guidance for securing tax exemptions. The Office also advises private Tibetan entrepreneurs, such as shop and hotel owners, on tax matters.

To enable the Office of the Auditor General to act as internal auditor under Indian law to the various CTA units, the Office is continuing its partnership with an Indian firm of Chartered Accountants. However, the Office has one staff member seeking to qualify as a chartered accountant; when he is qualified the Office plans to function independently as Internal Auditor for all units of the Tibetan Administration.

To obtain legal recognition for its auditing of Tibetan cooperative societies, the Office of the Auditor General is seeking, from the Registrars of Cooperative Societies of respective Indian States, to conduct audits of these societies on their behalf. The Office is already doing so in the State of Himachal Pradesh.

9.5.3 Problem and Needs Assessment. The Office of the Auditor General faces two interrelated problems:

- Under the Charter the Office of the Auditor General is given the responsibility of auditing all accounts of the CTA Departments and units, which at present number 174. However, the Office is currently auditing only 95 units, with 10 more units being taken up in 1993-94. Thus the Office and the concerned Departments are sometimes virtually ignorant about the finances of units which have not been audited.

- The Office of the Auditor General does not have the human resources to fulfil its responsibilities under the Charter. This problem became acute during the last two years when eight staff members left, including three who had just completed training in government accounting and auditing. The high attrition rate was due to the US immigration program, which has now been completed, and the Office expects the attrition rate among its staff to fall again. However, many of the staff of the Office are not formally trained in basic auditing, and few senior staff are familiar with more advanced aspects of auditing, financial management and performance audits (for the current human resources of the Office see 9.5.7 below).

9.5.4 On-going strategy to meet needs. Over the past two years the Office of the Auditor General has been taking steps to address these problems, partly by implementing its plans outlined in the first Integrated Development Plan, including staff training and recruitment, and establishing a branch office in Kathmandu.

Human Resource Development:

- In 1992-93 one staff member of the Office received training as an Income Tax Practitioner, and five staff in government accounting and auditing through the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India (although three of these five emigrated to the United States). In 1993-94 a further ten staff are being trained in both government and cooperative accounting and auditing through the Office of the CAG and the National Council for Cooperative Training.

- To enable the Office to recruit more staff, the Office has secured 25 scholarships from the CTA for further studies for Tibetan school graduates who secure marks of 50 percent or more in commerce. Application forms are being distributed each year to those senior secondary schools which have a commerce stream. Staff of the Office have visited some of these schools to meet with the Rectors and the students.

- The Office has secured places for students to read for a Bachelor in Commerce at Darwar College, Karnataka University. Currently 17 students are doing so. The Office has received written bonds from the students and their parents that they will serve as auditors after their graduation. The Office has also established contact with Tibetan students in commerce at other universities in India.

- The Office has placed advertisements for vacancies in various CTA publications, and is seeking the transfer of 13 CTA staff, among whom four have received training through the Office in the past, back to the Office.

Expanding the Office's Coverage:

- The Office was able to take up the audit of an additional 13 units during the year 1992-93; auditing a further 10 additional units is being undertaken in 1993-94.

- The Office has interacted with various Departments to determine which units are a priority for auditing. The Office is now establishing priorities among different CTA units for annual and biannual audits, and for auditing final statements. The Office is also identifying those units which do not require auditing in depth but can be monitored by applying test audits. By these means the Office will be able to reschedule its auditing program to cover more units.

- As it was not possible to construct a new building in Kathmandu quickly enough, the Office has rented a building for the Nepal Branch Office, which is now manned by two senior auditors. Staff quarters and office furniture have been provided. Plans to construct a building in order to make the Office self-sufficient are included below.

9.5.5 Goals and Priorities. In the light of both the responsibilities and the needs of the Office of the Auditor General, the Office has laid down the following goals for the next five years:

To ensure full accountability of the revenue and expenditure of the CTA and its units, and to help improve their financial management.

To take up the audit of 79 additional units of the CTA in order to be able audit all units of the CTA.

To become self-sufficient in terms of the human resources needed to meet the above goals through recruitment and training of staff.

9.5.6 Future Programs and Projects. To meet these goals the Office of the Auditor General is planning the following program and projects for the next five years. Amongst these projects the Office is giving priority to human resource development, especially the project to recruit and train staff.

1. Human Resource Development Program (with three projects)

2. Nepal Branch Office Project

3. Accounting and Auditing Manual Project

Program 1. Human Resource Development

The Office of the Auditor General is both short of staff, and its current staff are not sufficiently trained at both the junior and senior levels (see 9.5.6 below). At present 12 out of the current auditing staff of 27 have not been formally trained in basic government and cooperative accounting and auditing. Moreover, none of the senior staff members have received more advanced specialized training to allow them to report on such performance issues as management, financial control and budgeting, as well as technical issues like construction and the procurement of machinery. Thus the Office cannot audit all CTA units, nor can it undertake full performance audits of the units currently audited. Thus the Human Resource Development Program has three projects to address these problems:

1A. Further Studies Project

1B. Recruiting and Training Project

1C. Specialized Advanced Training Project

Project 1A. Further Studies Project

Objective.To train 25 candidates suitable for recruitment to the Office of the Auditor General to enable the Office to fill its current vacancies with suitably qualified staff.

Implementation.It is important that the Office of the Auditor General recruit suitably qualified staff to fill its vacant posts. This primarily means students graduating with a three-year Bachelor in Commerce, who can then be given training in basic government accounting and auditing.

The Office has selected Darwar College of Karnataka University for this purpose, and currently 17 students are reading for a degree in commerce there. The Office has received written bonds from the students and their parents that they will serve as auditors after their graduation. A further eight candidates will be selected from school commerce graduates who have secured 50 percent marks and above, who will also study at Darwar College. During university holidays the candidates will participate in conducting audits with staff of the Office of the Auditor General. By organizing excursions and a practical accounting program the candidates will also be exposed to as many CTA units as possible.

Project 1B. Recruiting and training staff

Objective.To recruit 25 new staff and train them in basic government accounting and auditing so that the Office of the Auditor General can discharge its duties under the Charter.

Implementation.As a result of the above project 25 commerce students will have graduated by the end of 1996. The Office of the Auditor General will recruit five graduates in 1995 and ten each in 1996 and 1997. As in the past, training for these graduates, as well as one current staff member, will be organized during their first year in the Office with the help of the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (for six months) and the National Council for Cooperative Training (for three months). By the end of 1997 the Office will therefore have 26 additional trained staff, thus raising the number of trained staff to 46.

Project 1C. Specialized Advanced Training

Objective.To train senior staff in more advanced auditing and in analyzing the performance of the CTA and its units, so that the Office can provide more comprehensive information on their finances and performance.

Implementation.The courses selected for training under this project are given in Table 2. They will be arranged during 1995 and 1996 with the help of the Public Service Commission.

Course	No. of Staff	Institute
Fiscal Analysis and Budgetary Planning	1	National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi
Management Performance Audit	2	National Institute for Training in Industrial Engineering, Bombay
Management Audit	1	Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad
Budgeting and Fiscal Control	3	Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi
Zero Base Budgeting	3	National Productivity Council, New Delhi
Construction Management	4	National Institute for Training in Industrial Engineering, Bombay
Financial Management and Management Accounting	4	Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, New Delhi

With staff trained in the above courses the OAG will be able to conduct auditing more thoroughly and bring out more comprehensive audit reports, including on performance. This will help the management of the different units to review the performance of their units better and to set realistic and clear targets for future performance. The senior staff will also be able to pass on their skills to junior auditors during the course of auditing.

Project 2. Branch Office for Nepal

Objectives.To make the branch office in Nepal self-sufficient in terms of financial and human resources, in order to a) reduce the costs and time required to audit CTA units in Nepal, and thus allow the Office of the Auditor General to increase its coverage of CTA units, and b) to provide assistance in financial matters to the units in Nepal.

Rationale.To discharge the responsibilities of auditing all CTA units the Office of the Auditor General needs to have branches in regions where CTA units are concentrated so as to reduce the costs and time required to audit these units. Moreover, during the process of auditing much information is required besides the books of accounts and related documents. Branch offices help to gather this information and thus allow the auditors to do concurrent audits and make more timely reports to the units' management and respective Departments. They also allow the Office to give assistance in taxation matters, management of finance and the proper maintenance of account books.

The first branch office was established in 1991 in Bylakuppe in Karnataka to cover Tibetan Settlements in the south. The Office of the Auditor General has now established a second branch office in Kathmandu, as it was proving too expensive and time-consuming to depute auditors from Dharamsala to audit the many Tibetan units in Nepal, especially in and around Kathmandu. However, the rent for the current office and staff quarters are very high; ten years rent is equivalent to the construction costs of a new building. To make the branch office more financially sustainable the Office of the Auditor General plans to construct its own office and staff quarter building.

Implementation.The first phase of the project has been completed: the OAG has rented a building for the office and staff quarters. The OAG has been fortunate in being able to recruit two senior auditors, with substantial former experience in the Office of the Auditor General, for the Nepal Branch Office, so that no training is required until further staff members are recruited. The auditing of units in Nepal has already begun.

The next phase of the project involves finding a site for the new office and staff quarter building and drawing up a financing strategy, for which the Auditor General's Office will continue to consult with the Office of Tibet in Kathmandu, Tibetan business and community establishments, and individual Tibetans. Finally the land will be purchased and the building constructed. The branch office will be managed by the branch manager, who will be given directives and targets by the head office in Dharamsala. It will be the manager's responsibility to see how best to meet these directives and targets, and to provide feed-back and suggestions to the head office. Once the building has been constructed the branch office will cover its running expenses from fees charged for auditing.

Project 3. Accounting and Auditing Manual

Objective.To bring out a compiled book on standing orders of the Auditor General prescribing 1) the types of records that are required to be maintained in each unit and 2) the audit checks that are required to be applied by the auditors of the Office while auditing different types of payments.

Rationale.The Office of the Auditor General has been auditing units based on the rules and regulations laid down in the acts under which the units are registered. The CTA budget accounts are audited according to the CTA budget rules and regulations. The Tibetan cooperative societies, handicraft centers and commercial units are registered under various different acts of the Government of India.

With the increased number of units and their expanding budgets, a manual on accounts and audit of government accounts based on appropriate financial norms and the budgetary rules of the Charter is needed to ensure uniform accounting among the different units (to the extent possible under Indian law). This will facilitate the compiling of the accounts of all the Departments under respective spending heads. The manual will also assist the auditors of the OAG as a reference document to conduct complete and thorough audits of all units.

Implementation.Due to the unexpected attrition of staff from the Office of the Auditor General in the past two years, the Office was not able to implement this project as scheduled in the first IDP. The Office now plans to implement the project in 1995-97 as follows:

1. April-December 1995: Procurement of documents on government accounting and auditing systems adopted in developed countries. Examining past CTA budget rules and regulations.

2. January-December 1996: Reviewing the documentation and the existing accounting systems in CTA units; ascertaining the procedural requirements for accounting required under the Charter; establishing principles, rules and regulations for auditing; compiling a draft of the manual.

3. January-December 1997: Discussion of the draft with the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies, the Departments and other major CTA units; consultation with subject experts; drafting of the final manual and seeking the approval of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The Office of the Auditor General will require at least one additional staff for compiling the manual and would like to train this staff member in consultation with a subject expert. The Office also plans to contract a subject expert as consultant when drafting the manual.

9.5.7 Human Resources. The chief priority of the Office of the Auditor General is to develop its human resources so that it can discharge its responsibilities under the Charter of the Central Tibetan Administration. The Office at present has 31 staff, of whom 27 are auditors. Eight of these 27 are trained in government accounts and auditing, nine in cooperative accounts and auditing, two as income tax practitioners, as well as the one who is seeking to qualify as a Chartered Accountant. There are also five staff who have been trained on computers for data analysis.

A further ten staff members are currently being trained in government and cooperative accounting and auditing. And the Human Resource Development Program described above will enable the Office of the Auditor General to recruit 25 new staff members and train them in government and cooperative accounting and auditing as well. Thus by the end of 1997 the Office will have 46 staff trained in basic auditing. Some of the senior auditors will also have received training in more advanced auditing, and will be able to pass on their skills to junior auditors in the Office. With these human resources the Office of the Auditor General believes it can fulfil its obligations under the Charter.

In the past the Office of the Auditor General has also contributed to improving the human resources available to the CTA by providing faculty members for courses on accounting and auditing. The Office plans to continue this contribution in future.

9.5.8 Financial Resources. The audit fees collected by the Office of the Auditor General are contributed to CTA funds while the financial requirements of the Office are met in turn from CTA funds. Audit fee collections for the year 1992-93 amounted to 79 percent of the Office's administrative expenses for that year, with a further 6 percent coming from sales of publications and interest earned. These administrative expenses did not include expenditure on staff training and on establishing the branch office in Nepal. Thus in future, as in the past, the funds for special programs and projects will need to be raised through aid agencies. The financial resources required for the projects proposed under this Plan are given in the table below.

Since the first IDP the Office of the Auditor General has developed its HRD Program more extensively, and thus the total costs of the Program are much higher than in the first IDP.

For the Further Studies Project the Office of the Auditor General has been able to secure 25 scholarships totalling Rs 571,500 through the Department of Education. The remaining half of the costs are being sought from donors.

The Public Service Commission has limited earmarked funds for training CTA staff. The Office of the Auditor General is requesting the Public Service Commission to fund 30 percent of the costs of the specialized training. The remaining 70 percent is being sought from donors.

For the Nepal Branch Office the Office of the Auditor General is seeking to raise Rs 700,000 from the Tibetan business community in Nepal, which represents 7 percent of the total cost of the project.

For the Accounting and Auditing Manual the OAG will seek Rs 40,000 as an allocation under the CTA budget, as this project is of importance in improving accounting practices of all the Departments and units of the CTA. The Office of the Auditor General will also be approaching the Offices of Tibet abroad to donate relevant books for the project, valued at Rs 50,000. The remaining Rs 240,000 (or 73 percent) is being sought from donors.

9.5.9 Monitoring and Evaluation. Each of the future programs of the OAG will be under the direct charge of an Associate Secretary.

The results of students under the Further Studies Project will be monitored annually, and the continuation of scholarships will be made conditional on their annual results. The responsible Associate Secretary will also furnish quarterly reports on the student's progress and performance.

Staff receiving specialized training will provide feed-back to the responsible Associate Secretary on the usefulness of their training. In the light of their feed-back and the future human resource needs of the Office, the project for such training will be reviewed, and if necessary revised.

For the other projects targets will be set for each quarter of the project duration, with quarterly reports to be submitted to the Auditor General. At quarterly meetings to review each project unforeseen constraints will be addressed, and if necessary the project reprogrammed. The Departmental Planning Officer of the Auditor General's Office will assist in fixing quarterly targets, evaluating program implementation and reprogramming the targets.

9.5.10 Implications for Free Tibet. A democratically elected, representative government, with an open, accountable and efficient administration, will be one of the greatest needs of future independent Tibet. Human resources trained in accounting and auditing skills, as well as the practice of thoroughly reviewing the accounts of governmental units, will be essential for such a government and administration. Thus the plans of the Office of the Auditor General are directed towards the development of such human resources as well as towards the compilation of standing orders of the Auditor General, which can later be adapted for use in future Free Tibet.

9.5.11 Budget Summary for the Office of the Auditor General (in Rs '000s)

9.6 THE PLANNING COUNCIL

9.6.1 Background.The Planning Council (PC) was established in 1988 to improve, coordinate and upgrade the quality of planning throughout the CTA in order to generate new and improved plans for using the Tibetan Refugee Community's human, material and financial resources for the development of the Community more efficiently. The PC is chaired by the Chair of the Kashag (Cabinet) and comprises Secretaries and Directors of selected CTA departments and special units.

Drawing up the Integrated Development Plan is one of the most important projects of the Planning Council. The PC has also been instrumental in establishing the Tibetan Handicraft Development Board, the Revolving Loan Fund, the Tibetan Computer Resource Center and the Technical Service Center. The Planning Council continues to provide support for all these units, and the Revolving Loan Fund remains under its direct management.

9.6.2 Current Activities. The Integrated Development Plan (IDP) of the Tibetan Refugee Community brings together for the first time developmental activities and plans of all the CTA departments and units, as well as those of the Settlements. The development plans of the IDP are framed in a set of clearly defined goals and principles for the activities of the CTA as outlined in Chapter 2.

9.6.2.1 First Integrated Development Plan. From August 1991 to March 1992 the Planning Council drew up the first Integrated Development Plan (IDP), which was presented to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on 10 March 1992, the end of the International Year of Tibet. The objectives of the first IDP were:

- To set forth for the Refugee Community itself, as well as potential funding agencies and support groups, the development priorities of the Community;

- To provide a management tool with which the Refugee Community can measure its progress against clearly stated goals and objectives;

- To assist the Community with its fundraising activities around the world by providing an integrated national plan that gives potential donors and supporters a concise, clear view of the Community and its development plans for the future.

To draw up the Integrated Development Plan, the Planning Council requested each Department to appoint a middle-level officer to act as Departmental Planning Officer (DPO) and senior settlement-based officials as Field Planning Officers (FPO) for Settlements and scattered communities. Training in planning skills was conducted for the Planning Officers in Dharamsala. After the training inputs DPOs had responsibility for drawing up the chapters of the IDP on their particular sector. And FPOs undertook the detailed survey of the whole Tibetan Refugee Community and interacted with the various Tibetan communities to draw up projects to be submitted for the IDP.

9.6.2.2 Second Integrated Development Plan. The IDP is conceived as a rolling five-year plan to be revised every two years. Additional components were added to the process of drawing up the second IDP with its focus on livelihoods, employment and income-generation (LEIG).

Training Workshops for the Planning Officers. To further develop the planning skills of the Planning Officers, in particular in the area of livelihoods, employment and income-generation, and to introduce new Planning Officers to basic planning skills further training workshops were organized.

Regional Planning Workshop in the Settlements. To ensure greater community participation in the planning process the Planning Council conducted a series of participatory workshops in the Settlements: one such workshop was conducted for each of seven regions in order to cover all 47 Settlements in India and Nepal, as well as various scattered communities. The participants, who numbered 251 in all, comprised Settlement Officials, both appointed and democratically elected, local representatives of Tibetan NGOs, teachers, health workers, monks, and private entrepreneurs. These workshops did much to introduce community representatives to the need for planning, to improve their planning skills not least in costing of social and economic projects, and to encourage the local communities to take greater responsibility, in terms of both managing and contributing towards their own development. In many ways the workshops were a demonstration of democratic practices at the Settlement level. Thus the quality of the projects submitted for the second IDP, as well as the willingness of the Community to contribute towards these projects, were much higher than in the first.

Additional surveys. In addition to the broad survey of the Settlements and scattered communities, the second IDP incorporated further surveys of LEIG opportunities, of small enterprises and of the monasteries and nunneries. The results of these surveys are reflected in the chapters on economic development and religious and cultural affairs.

Task-forces. To encourage inter-departmental planning three Task-forces were established with members from various concerned Departments. The task-forces dealt with 1. Livelihoods, Employment and Income-Generation (LEIG), 2. Human Resource Development (HRD), and 3. Science, Technology and the Environment (ST&E). It proved difficult to motivate the Departmental Planning Officers to participate fully in these task-forces, particularly when they did not always receive the full support from their respective Departments. Thus the results of this attempt at greater coordination were mixed, although various sections of this IDP reflect the output of those task-forces, in particular section 9.7 on science, technology and the environment, but also the identification of the problems facing the Community in the economic sector, as well as various Departmental projects which were conceived by the respective task-forces.

Institutional Development Workshop. In order to encourage more open and democratic practices within the highest echelons of the Central Tibetan Administration the Planning Council conducted a workshop focussing on democratic practices for members of the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies, Ministers, Commissioners and the Secretary of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as well as for Secretaries of the various Departments and Commissions of the Central Tibetan Administration.

Other components. Additional components to be completed as part of the process of the second IDP focus on livelihoods, employment and income-generation. There will be a number of short workshops to disseminate the results within the Refugee Community of the LEIG survey, focussing particular on those groups which have an important role to play in the economic sector, such as officials of the Departments of Home and Finance, cooperative members and staff, representatives of the Tibetan Youth Congress, and so on. One entrepreneurial motivation and development program will also be conducted to encourage educated youth to establish enterprises. In addition the summary of the second IDP will be translated into Tibetan and sent to all the Settlements and major scattered communities to ensure that the Refugee Community is fully aware of its own development plans. Finally, all the formats used during the first and second IDP will be revised and a planning booklet published to ensure that the materials are readily available within the Refugee Community to continue and develop the planning processes.

9.6.3 Goals

To institutionalize planning processes within the Tibetan Refugee Community and to assist the various institutions and organizations of the Community in designing and implementing their plans.

To gather data and other information on the Tibetan Refugee Community which can form the basis for objective planning for the Community.

To coordinate, integrate and establish priorities among the many developmental activities undertaken within the Community.

To draw up the Integrated Development Plan and other plans for the development of the Community.

To identify needs of the Community which are not being adequately addressed at present, and to devise and implement strategies to address those needs.

To assist in the development of the human and economic resources of the Community, with particular emphasis on modern scientific and technical skills and activities.

To secure new sources of funds for the Community, and to utilize the existing financial resources within the Community more efficiently, with particular emphasis on moving the Community from grant dependency to more self-reliant and sustainable modes of financing.

2.6.4.1 Project 1: Tibetan Census Project

Problem and Needs Assessment. In order to plan effectively it is essential that the CTA gain an accurate view of the current state of the Community. In more than three decades of exile no comprehensive survey of the entire Tibetan Refugee Community has been performed by the CTA. Census data is a basic requirement to plan effectively and to identify and priorities the Community's needs and problems more appropriately and competently. In the process of the first and second IDP a basic survey of the Settlements and scattered communities was conducted through the Field Planning Officers (FPO). However, these surveys could not be fully rigorous, and while they yielded extremely valuable results they are not fully accurate. In particular, with an extremely mobile Community and with various incentives for both officials and members of the community not to report all information needed for population data, the exact number of Tibetan refugees in India and Nepal is still not known. This is proving particularly difficult for evaluating and improving democratic participation and representation. Thus the eligible population base must be identified, which is at least as important for the Refugee Community seeking to develop its democracy as it is for independent democratic states which enjoy geographical integrity; indeed, special challenges result from the Community's geographic diaspora. Therefore, the integrity of the democratic system depends on accurate population statistics and its status.

Objectives. The CTA intends to conduct a census of the entire Refugee Community, creating a database of demographic, economic, health and housing information to inform its decision-making processes. The primary objective of the census is to facilitate effective planning by the CTA and related institutions of the Refugee Community in order to improve the quality of life throughout the Community. More specifically, the data collected in the census will enable the CTA to:

- Obtain an accurate count of all Tibetans living in exile.

- Identify needs on a settlement-by-settlement and city-by-city basis.

- Appropriately prioritize the allocation of resources.

- Improve welfare delivery, targeting the neediest segments of the population with the appropriate services.

- Improve the ability of the Department of Education to project student populations and anticipate facility and staff requirements.

- Discern the quality and constitution of the Community's human resource base and identify skill areas needing to be developed.

- Evaluate the inclusiveness of democratic participation and the appropriateness of representation, thus improving the Election Commission's planning ability for elections.

- Derive a baseline from which to measure the effectiveness of development programs, chart population trends, perform epidemiological and other studies, and gauge the impact of future events on the Community.

These objectives reflect the overall goals of the Planning Council to gather data and other information on the Tibetan Refugee Community which can form the basis for objective planning for the Community, and to coordinate, integrate and establish priorities among the many development activities undertaken within the Community.

The census project will also initiate the CTA in demographic methods, providing a seed of experience needed to carry on such work in Future Tibet. The ability to efficiently conduct a reliable census in Future Tibet will be valuable for defining administrative areas and conducting elections, to enable equitable welfare delivery, and to provide data to international aid and development organizations.

Implementation. The census will be carried out in 1995 under the auspices of the Planning Council, headed by its Secretary. The PC will appoint or recruit census coordinators from among CTA staff. All preliminary research, strategy, survey design and writing is being carried out by a PC census coordinator in Dharamsala.

A retired Deputy Commissioner of the Census of India will provide technical assistance by writing questionnaires and manuals; training enumeration supervisors; monitoring the pretest, enumerator training, and the census itself; and assisting with data analysis. In addition a renowned demographer and primary consultant to the Census of India will act as an advisor providing general assistance in planning and problem solving.

Enumerators will come from the ranks of the Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Women's Association and other NGOs of the Tibetan Refugee Community as well as from among the Settlement staff, monks and school-teachers. They could be asked to perform the function voluntarily, but better results are likely if they can be compensated for their effort and time.

Small groups of enumerators will report to a local supervisor, such as a Settlement Officer. Enumeration of Tibetans overseas will be performed by volunteers from Tibet Support Groups working together with the Offices of Tibet, but will also be coordinated by and use materials provided from the census coordinator in Dharamsala.

Monitoring and Evaluation. The overall progress of the Project will be monitored by the census coordinators of the Planning Council, and will be evaluated at different stages by the consultants. After the development of the questionnaire, a pretest or trial census will be conducted in selected locations to discover the effectiveness of the questionnaire developed, and modifications will be made where necessary according to the pretest reports. Training and Census operations will be monitored in the field by census coordinators of the Planning Council and the trainers and consultants.

Financial Resources. The total costs of the project are Rs 3.3 million. This is much higher than the estimate in the first IDP because the Planning Council has now developed a detailed project proposal in consultation with Indian experts. The CTA will contribute Rs 174,185 or 5 percent of the total project costs.

Implications for Future Tibet. The phrase "six million Tibetans" has become part of the Tibetan political lexicon. However, there is no definitive basis or survey to back such claims; no census was done either by the Tibetan Government in pre-1950 Tibet, or by the CTA in exile. A future Tibetan Government of Tibet will need to make an accurate and reliable count of its population.

This census project will initiate the Central Tibetan Administration in the area of demographic studies for the first time, and provide it the experience and the expertise needed to carry on the work in Future Tibet. The ability to conduct a reliable census, efficiently and quickly, in future Tibet will be very significant to tasks of defining provinces, districts, administrative zones and conducting elections. Besides, it will provide data to the various government departments to carry out their welfare activities equitably. The Government will also be in a position to provide reliable population data to the United Nations and various international aid organizations when requested.

2.6.4.2 Project 2: Third Integrated Development Plan

The third Integrated Development Plan will introduce the components described below, in addition to those incorporated during the first and second IDPs. The Plan will be drawn up over two years (1994-95 and 1995-96). In the first year the Planning Council will draw up the Human Resource Development (HRD) Plan, which will also involve conducting participatory workshops on HRD in the Settlements and scattered communites. Together with the results of the Census, the HRD Plan will form an important source of information for the overall Integrated Development Plan (IDP), which will be drawn up in the second year. A second round of participatory workshops will be conducted in the Settlements and scattered communities to motivate the communities to draw up IDPs for their own Settlements. Thus the Planning Council seeks to ensure that such workshops which encourage participatory and democratic practices within the Settlement communities are conducted once a year.

Ex-officio Planning Officers. During the first and second IDPs the Planning Council faced many problems with the Departmental and Field Planning Officers when they were transferred during the course of the IDP process. To avoid this the Central Tibetan Administration will designate certain middle-level posts in the Departments and various senior posts in the Settlements as ex-officio Planning Officers. This will enable the staff appointed to these posts to act as Planning Officer for their respective areas with clearly designated and defined responsibilities.

Use of CTA Personnel. Due to the lack of expert human resources in the field of development planning the Planning Council hired outside consultants to assist in drawing up the first and second IDP. During the first IDP at least one consultant was resident full-time in Dharamsala. During the second IDP, the same consultant was only resident in Dharamsala part-time. The consultants focussed in particular on training members of the Refugee Community in planning skills, both in formal workshops and on-the-job. After depending on outside consultants for the last two Plans, and after receiving considerable training in planning skills, the Community has developed enough basic manpower to conduct the third IDP without full-time outside consultants. However the CTA will seek short-term consultancy to address specific areas of importance which may be new to the Refugee Community.

Regional Workshops.During the second IDP the Planning Council conducted various regional planning workshops. These workshops proved very effective not least in encouraging participatory and democratic practices within the Settlement communities. Such workshops will therefore form an important component of the third Integrated Development Plan, both in the first year for the HRD Plan, and in the second year for drawing up IDPs for individual Settlements (see next section). They will also serve as a vehicle to provide more training inputs on planning and financial analysis for Settlement officials and community representatives.

Settlement Integrated Development Plans. During the regional planning workshops for the second IDP the participants were introduced to the idea of drawing up a comprehensive plan for the development of their Settlements which would encourage greater community participation, commitment and involvement at the grass-roots level. While it was not possible to fully develop this idea during the second IDP process, Integrated Development Plans for each Settlement (SIDPs) will be an important component of the third IDP. Such SIDPs will allow the communities to draw up an overall development strategy for their Settlements and thus address their problems and establish priorities more effectively. The SIDPs will follow the same broad division of sectors as the overall IDP. The Planning Council will provide training in drawing up SIDPs during the regional planning workshops.

Task-forces.The task-forces established for the second IDP had mixed results. However, with the greater understanding for coordination and integration evoked during the process of drawing up the second IDP, these task-forces will be re-established, focussing on the same broad areas: Livelihoods, Employment and Income-Generation; Human Resource Development; and Science, Technology and the Environment (ST&E). These groups will meet once a month and develop the relevant chapters in the IDP (for the ST&E Task-force see also 9.7.5 below).

Training of Trainers. Training is one of the most important inputs for developing the Refugee Community's human resources. To develop the internal capacities of the Refugee Community to provide training the Planning Council will send five Planning Officers in 1994-95 to receive training as trainers. This will prove particularly important for conducting the participatory workshops in the Settlements.

HRD Plan for the CTA. During the second IDP significant progress was made in developing a comprehensive overview of human resource development (HRD) within the Refugee Community. The basic formats have been developed and information collected, but there is still a lack of understanding within the Community of what planning for human resource development fully entails. The Planning Council will invite an HRD expert to provide training on HRD to the Planning Officers of the CTA and to other officials of concerned Departments (such as the Public Service Commission and the Department of Education). Together with those CTA staff returning from the Training of Trainers the expert will conduct a series of regional workshops in 1994-95 focussing on HRD for the Settlements and scattered communities. The objective will be to draw up an independent plan for HRD within the Refugee Community which enjoys understanding and support within the wider Community. This HRD Plan will then be incorporated into the third Integrated Development Plan.

Fund-raising.One of the major objectives of the IDP is to improve the fund-raising strategies of the Refugee Community, in particular to develop new funding sources among bilateral and other donors for entire programs rather than individual projects. The Planning Council will continue to develop this during the course of the third IDP. Two qualified staff will be appointed for this purpose to a special fund-raising division. The Coordinator will research actual and potential donors, evaluate donor policies, past records and the requirements they make of recipients to determine which donors to target for fund-raising purposes. The Coordinator will be responsible for initiating and maintaining contact with international and bilateral donors, and for coordinating and interacting with the Offices of Tibet abroad. The Fund-raising division will assist the CTA Departments and units, as well as the Settlements and other community organizations, with problems that arise in managing funds received from donors.

Financial Resources.The Training of five Trainers will cost Rs 110,000 which includes course fees and travel, boarding and lodging. The HRD Plan will cost Rs 875,000; this is higher than the budget in the first IDP because the Planning Council now intends to conduct a series of participatory workshops in the Settlements as part of the process of developing the HRD Plan. Drawing up the third IDP will cost Rs 1,040,000. The Planning Council and the CTA will contribute 10 percent of the costs of each of these projects.

9.6.5 Summary Budget. The total budget for the plans described above amounts to Rs 5.3 million (see Table overleaf). The Planning Council and the CTA will contribute 5 percent of the costs of the Census Project and 10 percent of the costs of the other projects.

9.6A TIBETAN COMPUTER RESOURCE CENTER (TCRC)

9.6A.1 Background.The Tibetan Computer Resource Center (TCRC), formerly the Common Publishing Center, was established by the Planning Council in 1989. The main objective of establishing TCRC was to facilitate and promote the use of computers to improve the working environment and the efficiency of the CTA in the field of publications, communication and dissemination of information concerning the situation in Tibet.

To achieve this objective TCRC was started with four computers. Desk-top publishing, graphic printing and scanning, and designing customized software for different Departments of the CTA were its main contributions. TCRC also trained many CTA staff in the use of computers.

9.6A.2 Current Activities. Today TCRC has grown into a full-fledged computer unit of the Central Tibetan Administration. Publications such as pamphlets, magazines and journals are becoming ever more important for information dissemination and thus Desk-top publishing (DTP), in English and Tibetan, continues to be an important service used by many CTA Departments and units. During 1993 TCRC produced over 10,000 pages of different documents in English and Tibetan.

TCRC has conducted computer training for over 50 CTA staff and other Tibetans. TCRC has also established a computer education program for the Tibetan Children's Village (TCV).

TCRC has provided consultation services in the field of computers (both hardware and software), systems analysis and database management. TCRC has helped CTA Departments, TCV, the Tibetan Youth Congress, as well as the Tibetan Youth Hostel in Delhi, in purchasing computers, installing software and designing computer training courses.

TCRC is also providing computer repair and maintenance services to the CTA Departments and units, which has helped in saving the tremendous cost and time involved in taking computers to Delhi. Although services to maintain hardware need to be developed TCRC is already in a position to solve many of the computer problems satisfactorily. TCRC also supplies computer accessories to the Departments and units of the CTA in Dharamsala.

9.6A.3 Problem and Needs Assessment

Low computer literacy: At present there are very few in the Tibetan Refugee Community who are computer literate and can operate computers with ease. This can best be rectified by creating greater computer awareness and imparting computer education to CTA staff. In the longer term members of the wider Community must be encouraged to use computers, which is why TCRC has established a computer training program for the Tibetan Children's Village.

Inadequate staff expertise in computers: The CTA is confronted with a severe shortage of staff, and thus the use of computers will make the work of the existing staff more efficient.

Lack of desk-top publishing and data processing expertise: Currently there are few Tibetans who are familiar with desk-top publishing and data processing which are the two most important features of computers used extensively by CTA offices beside word-processing.

Shortage of computer programmers: There are very few Tibetan refugees who can do computer programming, especially system programming, which will increasingly act as a constraint on the development of computer usage in the Community.

Lack of effective and speedy communication links: The need for effective and speedy communication links between different Departments, Offices of Tibet and Tibet Support Groups abroad is becoming ever more important with the increasing activities of the CTA and the rising interest in the Tibetan issue. While some forms of communication cannot be adopted by the Tibetan Refugee Community because they come under the exclusive control of the Government of India, other forms such as electronic mail are readily available to the Community.

9.6A.4 Future Programs and Projects

Project 1: Computer Literacy. This project will enable TCRC to provide a series of talks each year at schools to encourage children to take up computer science. The objective is to ensure that at least ten students a year do so. Meeting this target will be greatly assisted by the computer training program at the Tibetan Children's Village, which will ensure for the first time that a significant number of children are familiar with computers.

Project 2: Staff training. Of the current staff of over 300 in Dharamsala (excluding those at TCRC itself) only nine are well trained in computers and 59 others know how to use computers for word-processing, giving a percentage of some 20 percent. This project will seek to increase this to 30 percent over the next five years. The project will also ensure that each Department and unit of the CTA has at least one computer operator who can work comfortably with DTP, spreadsheets and database management. At present there are only seven such staff.

Project 3: Communication Network. This project will link all the Departments and units of the CTA through a local computer network. With the help of the Canada Tibet Committee in Vancouver, TCRC is also coordinating the work to link all the Offices of Tibet abroad as well as all the Tibet Support Groups with Dharamsala through E-mail.

Project 4: Hardware maintenance. To develop the capabilities of TCRC to undertake hardware maintenance one member will receive training for six to twelve months, who can then take full responsibility for this service.

Project 5: Computer Store. To be able to supply accessories, such as diskettes, ribbons and paper, as well as surge protectors and transformers, one store room is required. The consumable items can be purchased on a turn-key basis or in bulk. Services for accessories, such as re-inking laser-jet printer cartridges, will also be provided.

9.6A.5 Human Resources. TCRC currently has four staff, two of whom have done courses in computer science in the USA. The four staff include one in-charge of desk-top publishing and hardware maintenance and two programmers of whom one is also a systems analyst. These staff are adequate for providing basic computer services and training. For the projects mentioned above four additional staff are required: one for the promotion of computer literacy at schools; one for the maintenance of the communication networks; one for hardware maintenance; and one to run the computer store.

9.6A.6 Physical Resources. The following physical resources are needed for the above projects.

- Two portable computers, educational software, slides and two portable over-head projectors for the computer literacy project.

- One over-head projector and a photo-copying machine for training.

- A further laser printer of 2000 dpi and bromide papers for developing desk-top publishing.

- Networking software and hardware, including modems, for the communication networks.

- Hardware maintenance equipment worth around Rs 20,000 and a workshop.

- A storeroom with a de-humidifier and initial working capital of around Rs 40,000 for the computer store.

9.6A.7 Financial Resources. TCRC charges for its training courses in order to cover its costs. It also charges for communication services, and costs which go beyond these fees will be covered by the CTA. Hardware maintenance and the computer store are investments for which TCRC will raise its own capital. Only the project to visit schools requires funding, for which TCRC is approaching the Department of Education and the Tibetan Children's Village.

9.7 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

9.7.1 Background.The use of science and technology for socio-economic development, while giving due attention to the environment, is a necessary condition for the progress of any nation. Prior to the Chinese invasion in 1949 Tibet was an agro-pastoral nation, with the traditional centers of agriculture-based civilization along the river valleys of southern and eastern Tibet and with nomadic pastoralist in the grasslands of northern and western Tibet. The traditional practices of agriculture and animal husbandry were environmentally sustainable. Tibet was not an industrialized nation. However, it had small-scale cottage industries, such as carpet weaving, handicraft and metal work. In addition to agriculture, animal husbandry and handicrafts, trading was a major activity. Tibetan architecture and Tibetan medicine were also highly developed.

However, under the Chinese occupation Tibet's livelihood patterns as well as its traditional religious and cultural heritage has been to a very large extent destroyed. Under the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Refugee Community has tried to preserve its heritage and its traditional forms of knowledge. The Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute (TMAI) was one of the first institutions established in exile and it has not only preserved but modernized some of the Tibetan medical knowledge. Monasteries have played a role in preserving some of the traditional architecture and building practices.

The Tibetan Refugee Community, while trying to preserve the traditional knowledge and practices of its country, also desires to adopt modern appropriate technologies to improve their standard of living and diversify beyond their traditional livelihoods. As part of the preparation of the second Integrated Development Plan, a Task Force on Science, Technology and the Environment (ST&E) was thus established, comprising members from the Department of Education, the Tibetan Children's Village, the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute, the Technical Service Center, the Tibetan Computer Resource Center and the Environment Desk of the Department of Information and International Relations. This ST&E Plan is largely a result of the work of the Task Force.

Much of the effort of the various Departments of the CTA in the past was on alleviating the immediate hardships of exile and on improving the refugee situation by providing housing, livelihoods, educational and health facilitates to all refugees. As the Community has become more stable in the various agriculture and handicraft-based Settlements and as basic education and health facilities have become widely available, the need is now being felt to upgrade the quality of life of the Refugee Community. This has a dual purpose. The first is to better the standard of living of those in exile; but more important is the long-term goal of taking this kMwwlMwge and experience back to Tibet on their return, so that they can help improve the quality of life of the six million Tibetans back home. The ST&E Plan is therefore an important step towards preparing the Community for these future challenges.

The Link Between Science, Technology, Environment and Livelihoods

The traditional Tibetan approach to ecology has involved a close connection with nature. Tibetans believe there is an interrelationship between animals, plants and the 'non-living' element of the environment. Therefore Tibetans have always had great respect for all forms of life. Thus decrees for protecting the environment, known as Rilung Tsatsig, were proclaimed by successive Dalai Lamas, beginning with the Great Fifth Dalai Lama in the 17th century. These Tsatsigs were followed by all the people of Tibet. As His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama states, Tibetans were one of the first nations to enact laws for the protection of the environment.

The Five-Point Peace Plan laid out by His Holiness in 1987 calls for the creation of Tibet into a zone of ahimsa and peace. He specifically draws attention to environmental issues and aims at protecting and restoring the environment to its balanced state. In the Guidelines for Future Tibet's Polity, His Holiness states that Tibet's polity "shall be based on the principles of justice and equality. Tibet will be a zone of peace where there shall be full protection of the environment". The basic goal is thus to rely on Tibet's traditional economic strengths while at the same time developing modern sectors in an environmentally viable, benign and efficient way.

The question of environmental protection is a priority for the Central Tibetan Administration, particularly since Tibet is presently an occupied nation. The Tibetans need to find ways and means of resolving the already massive environmental degradation that has occurred in Tibet in the past 30 years. At the same time the task of finding productive livelihoods for six million people without endangering the environment needs to be addressed. The ultimate goal is to form an economically viable and environmentally sustainable Tibet. Achieving this balance requires building up the knowledge base and the experience of the Community in using science and technology in an environmentally friendly manner.

The ST&E Plan aims to successfully integrate progress in scientific and technological fields along with an emphasis on environmental conservation. Sustainable development with an emphasis on enhancing productivity in existing livelihoods and diversifying into newer, more modern livelihoods, as well as improving the quality of life of the Community, will be the focus of the ST&E Plan. Thus priority will be given to education in science and technology, and to research in those areas which make a direct impact on improving livelihoods and the quality of life. Industries that conserve and protect the environment will be emphasized.

Keeping in view the current situation and needs of the Tibetan Refugee Community, the vision of the ST&E Plan for the year 2000 is to see a marked improvement in the quality of life of the Tibetan Refugee Community as preparation for the larger task of improving the quality of life of six million Tibetans back home. The ST&E Plan is an effort to address the issues of livelihood enhancement and environmental conservation in a manner so that maximum learning is generated for these tasks in Tibet.

9.7.2 Current Activities

9.7.2.1 Science and Technology

Although there is no department of the CTA or any specialized institution looking after science and technology issues concerning the Refugee Community, various Departments and units listed below undertake different activities in scientific and technical fields.

Science Education.The various Tibetan Refugee schools (see Chapter 5) provide science education, in particular in science streams at senior secondary schools which offer courses in physics, chemistry, biology and zoology. These educational institutions also offer scholarships for higher studies in science, engineering and medicine.

Although these educational institutions have consistently worked towards the promotion of science education in the Tibetan Refugee Community, there is still much that must be done to advance science and technical education including in the various Tibetan schools themselves. There is an acute shortage of qualified science teachers as well as of scientific and technical facilities, and many students prefer to enter the arts and commerce streams rather than take up the challenge of science and technology. In addition the necessary technical and vocational skills need to be given to those graduating from schools so that they can find productive livelihoods.

Moreover, there has been a lack of career opportunities for science and technical graduates from schools and colleges. The majority of science graduates have been employed as teachers in various schools. There is thus a need to review existing hiring practices for science and technical personnel within the Refugee Community as well as evolving schemes that provide greater incentives to science teachers.

The Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute (TMAI)runs a medical school for training students in traditional medical practices and astrology, as well as providing them a basic education in modern science. The Institute also offers research and development facilities for promoting traditional medicine, and manufactures traditional Tibetan herbal medicines. There is also a section that translates modern science texts into Tibetan. The Institute conducts exchange programs to promote understanding and awareness of Tibetan medicine among medical experts from various countries.

The Technical Service Center (TSC) offers engineering and architectural services to the Tibetan Refugee Community. TSC is, for example, working on a new Settlement for 140 new refugee families. (There is a similar construction unit at the Tibetan Children's Village (TCV), which is however responsible for construction work only within TCV itself.) TSC aims to consolidate a core group of young professionals committed to the preservation and advancement of Tibetan architecture in such a way that they can supplement their formal education with a theoretical and practical knowledge of traditional Tibetan architectural and construction practices. TSC is thus currently measuring and documenting traditional Tibetan architecture, particularly in the Himalayan regions which were strongly influenced by Tibetan culture. The Center also hopes to stimulate interest in architecture and engineering among school-age children.

The Tibetan Computer Resource Center (TCRC) offers computing, programming and desk-top publishing services for the CTA. TCRC has thus developed mailing and accounting packages, and offers systems analysis and other consulting services. It also gives computer training to CTA staff and private Tibetans. TCRC has recently established a computer education program for the Tibetan Children's Village in Dharamsala. (For further details see 9.6A above.)

The Department of Home is responsible for agricultural and irrigation projects implemented through the Settlement cooperatives, and for providing adequate housing and infrastructure for the Settlements (see Chapters 3B and 4 above). Of particular interest are some of the projects implemented with funding from Appropriate Technology for Tibetans (ApTT), UK. These include horticulture and drip-irrigation demonstration projects, watershed management, solar energy, fuel-efficient smokeless cooking stoves and low-cost pour-flush toilets.

The Department of Health (see Chapter 6 above), in collaboration with the Department of Home, is responsible for developing drinking water and sanitation facilities in the Settlements. The Department also provides health education for the general public and schools.

9.7.2.2 Environment

The Environment and Development Desk at the Department of Information and International Relations coordinates the campaign for international recognition of Tibet's environmental crisis. It also liaises with Eco-Tibet groups around the world, assessing strategies and means to monitor the environmental situation inside Tibet.

The Desk is compiling an Environment Education Kit and is planning to help start nature clubs in different Tibetan schools and distribute environment-related books to all Tibetan schools. The Desk has also been providing lectures at Tibetan schools and to the general Tibetan public on environmental protection in Tibet as well as on the need to clean and protect the local environment. The Desk has begun distributing professionally produced audio cassette tapes on the Tibetan environment and how to preserve and protect it. These Tibetan language tapes are being circulated among Tibetans both inside and outside of Tibet.

The Desk organized an Environmental Awareness Workshop in Auroville in 1993 to educate Tibetans in India on the status of the environment in Tibet. The Desk plans to organize a similar workshop in Dharamsala for CTA staff. The Desk has organized various short-term training for young Tibetan leaders and for teachers and is sending various trainees on six-month courses in social forestry and agro-forestry.

The Environment and Development Desk, along with Eco-Tibet, California, is currently completing a series of interviews with Tibetans on the traditional Tibetan approach towards the environment. The coverage of issues includes the daily life of nomads and farmers and their approach towards and management of their land and animals. Some interviews were also conducted with newly arrived refugees to assess the impact of the Chinese occupation on the current environmental situation in Tibet.

Apart from the Environment and Development Desk, local Tibetan officials and local Tibetan NGOs, such as the Tibetan Women's Association and the Tibetan Youth Congress, have made important contributions to improving their local environments.

The issue of integrating environmental concerns with livelihoods is still to be addressed by the Tibetan Refugee Community. However, small beginnings have been made by experimenting with organic farming to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, taking up afforestation of Settlement wastelands and using vegetable instead of chemical dyes for carpets.

9.7.3 Needs Assessment. An analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the Tibetan Refugee Community in the field of science, technology and the environment was conducted by the ST&E Task Force. Among strengths they counted the high literacy rate within the Community, particularly among those below 40 years. The Community has also been able to avail itself of the education and training facilities in the respective host countries. Many governments and organizations have readily provided educational support for the younger generations of refugees. Moreover, cultures and societies which have historically had many similarities with the Tibetan people can be easily accessed, especially in the Himalayan region.

Despite considerable progress in the field of education, however, the Refugee Community continues to face financial constraints and is hence not able to effectively work towards improving the standard of living of the refugees. This, coupled with a lack of expertise, has contributed to relatively little diversification in specialized fields. The Community, despite its close proximity to the outside world, continues to maintain a passive and in some cases conservative attitude towards change in terms of modernization in scientific and technical fields. The feeling of statelessness has of course contributed towards this passivity.

Since a majority of the Tibetan refugees live in agricultural Settlements, it is important that water for irrigation is adequately provided. A number of pilot projects have been or are being implemented, but no major large-scale irrigation project has been started in the Settlements. One of the constraints on improving irrigation facilities is the lack of finance. However, lack of technical expertise within the Community is an equally important constraint.

Although there has been considerable development of the service sector in the Tibetan Refugee Community, there is an urgent need to promote the manufacturing sector. For example, there are no Tibetan refugees capable of manufacturing textiles, pharmaceutical products, chemicals, metallurgy, light and heavy industrial products, precision instruments and computers. For a successful development of the manufacturing sector three critical issues need to be stressed: education, technical know-how and financial support and research.

In terms of housing conditions, most of the housing in the Settlements is overcrowded, often because of the increase in the refugee population. The Department of Home is working towards improving housing conditions for Tibetans in India and Nepal. However, over 11,000 refugees have still not been rehabilitated. Moreover, the Tibetan refugees living in scattered communities throughout India and Nepal continue to face problems in terms of adequate housing; and recently there has been a large influx of new refugees from Tibet who also need rehabilitation facilities.

In view of the above analysis, the following needs in the field of ST&E have been identified:

- There is a strong need to enhance the priority given to policy on environment friendly science and technology among the highest echelons of the CTA.

- Financial resources need to be earmarked for the long-term development of ST&E. These should be over and above the regular departmental budgets and projects.

- The link between ST&E and sustainable livelihoods needs to be more widely understood and demonstrated through action research projects, so that Tibetans can have a choice of diverse livelihoods in the future, both in exile and in Tibet.

- The link needs to be established between ST&E and a better quality of life through better nutrition, hygiene and health, better housing and physical environment, and better infrastructure for day to day business and cultural interaction within the Community.

- The Tibetan Refugee Community needs to have a pool of human resources educated in ST&E. For this the foundation is better science and technical education in the Tibetan refugee schools. Among those graduating from schools with a science education more should be encouraged to go for higher studies in science and technology.

- Systematic linkages need to be established with ST&E institutions in India and other countries so that young Tibetans can work there for short or medium terms and gain valuable ST&E experience which may not be possible within the Refugee Community itself.

9.7.4 Sector Goals.In view of the need assessment above, the following sector goals have been adopted:

- To establish an ST&E based livelihood research and development program focusing on:

-agriculture and animal husbandry, particularly as suited to the conditions in Tibet;

-handicrafts and small scale-industry which would be needed in Tibet to ensure local self-reliance as well as products for export;

-modern appropriate technologies such as electronics, computers, communications, bio-technology, solar and hydel energy, waste management and transportation.

- To demonstrate the use of ST&E in improving the quality of life of the Community by improving its health and nutritional status, its physical living conditions and its connections both within the Community and with the rest of the world through specific projects, such as

-appropriate low-cost housing, particularly for those who do not have adequate housing at present and for new refugees;

-clean drinking water and sanitation in Settlements;

- waste recycling, including in Dharamsala;

- afforestation of Settlement wastelands.

- To increase the percentage of Tibetan children undergoing quality ST&E education and to have Tibetan post-graduates and doctorates in ST&E.

- To establish functional linkages with at least ten Indian and ten international ST&E institutions and set up exchange programs with them for Tibetan scientists, technologists, doctors and environmentalists.

9.7.5 Future Programs

9.7.5.1 ST&E Task Force. To ensure that attention is paid to ST&E issues on an on-going basis in the Central Tibetan Administration, the existing ST&E Task Force will continue to function. The Task Force was created under the direction of the Planning Council and the Kashag (Cabinet) and this Plan arose out of its deliberations. The Task Force will be charged with the responsibilities of updating the ST&E Plan with an overall perspective of enhancing livelihoods and improving the quality of life of the Tibetan Community. The Task Force will also project the requirements of financial, human and physical resources for the ST&E Plan and request the Kashag, through the Planning Council, to allocate resources to different bodies to undertake specific research, development, education, training or awareness-building activities. The program will focus on long-term institutional capacity building in ST&E within the Refugee Community.

The ST&E Task Force will also play the important role of suggesting coordination and collaboration across different Departments for those programs which require inter-departmental action. The Task Force will also assist the Planning Council and the Kashag in monitoring the progress of various ST&E programs and projects.

9.7.5.2 ST&E Livelihoods Research and Development Program. This program would undertake new activities which have the potential for generating new livelihoods or resolving the problems of existing livelihoods.

For example, in the category of new livelihoods would be:

-Mushroom cultivation in Settlements in H.P. and U.P.;

-Orchid cultivation in Settlements in the North-East and in Darjeeling and Sikkim;

-Processing maize, dairy products and fruit in Settlements in south and central India;

-Cultivation of medicinal herbs in Settlements in Nepal.

In the category of existing livelihoods would be:

-Maintaining the yields of various agricultural crops being grown in the Settlements incentral and south India and preventing soil degeneration through irrigation, crop selection and rotation, appropriate use of fertilizers, pesticides and other crop and soil treatments; also experimenting with organic farming;

-Improving the incomes from animal husbandry through better breeding, feeding and veterinary care;

-Improving the quality and productivity of hand-spun carpet wool and also developing better technologies for vegetable dyeing;

-Reducing the drudgery and health hazards for itinerant traders, such as sweater sellers.

A special research and demonstration center for livelihoods at high altitudes which are close to environmental, and cultural, conditions in Tibet could also be established. The center would undertake research in growing of appropriate crops, herbs (including medicinal herbs), fodder, vegetation and trees, as well as in land and pasture management, in developing animal husbandry and in processing animal products. The Tibetan Children's Village is already planning to establish a model training center for nomadic-based cultivation in Ladakh and to provide training and employment to Tibetan youths of that area. A plot of land of 100 acres in Changthang has been acquired and work on a canal has started (see 5.4.1.8 above).

In the category of modern appropriate technologies would be electronics, computers, communications, bio-technology, manufacture of drugs, including Tibetan medicines, solar, wind, hydro and biomass energy, waste management and transportation.

9.7.5.3 ST&E and Quality of Life Improvement Program. This program would undertake new activities which aim to improve the quality of life for the Tibetan Refugee Community in ways which could also be applied in Tibet itself.

In the area of housing construction would be:

-construction for high altitude areas;

-the use of appropriate building technologies to help conserve heat during the winter, provide cooling during the summer and prevent damage during the monsoon;

-the installation of bio-gas plants for domestic use in the Settlements;

-the use of solar energy.

In the area of health would be:

-introducing basic primary health care in the school curriculum;

-establishing water purification plants in the Settlements;

-designing ways to provide health care to very remote areas, including to itinerant groups (nomads, traders, sweater-sellers and so on), which would include encouraging home remedies and preventive medicines;

-promoting knowledge of Tibetan medical science;

-creating awareness of the interdependency within the eco-system.

In the area of communications would be:

-connecting the Settlements through modern telecommunications which would be appropriate for the vast and dispersed areas of Tibet;

-developing facilities for distance learning so that social and cultural information can be shared throughout the dispersed Refugee Community.

9.7.5.4 ST&E Education Program. Under this program interest and awareness of ST&E would be promoted in schools and among the general public through the following projects:

-organizing science exhibitions, science clubs and science competitions to create scientific interest and environmental awareness;

-publishing books, especially for schools, in Tibetan on modern science;

-introducing traditional Tibetan medical science in the school curriculum and a modern science curriculum at the Tibetan medical college;

-publishing a journal to create awareness of the importance of ST&E in general and for the Tibetan Refugee Community in particular;

-bringing out an environmental educational kit for schools and the general public to create awareness of the environmental destruction in Tibet and information on traditional Tibetan approaches to ecology.

9.7.5.5 Institutional Linkages Program. Under this program a systematic effort would be made to establish links with appropriate ST&E institutions in India and abroad and use these links for:

-Getting specific information, advice and technical assistance for solving scientific and technical problems;

-Training for young Tibetans in ST&E;

-Short and medium-term apprenticeships for gaining work experience.

Examples of such institutions in India are the Indian Institutes of Technology; the various research laboratories of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of India and of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR); and Indian NGOs specializing in ST&E such as the Auroville group in Pondicherry and Development Alternatives. International examples are Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG), Appropriate Technology International (ATI) and Volunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA).

9.7.6 Specific Departmental Programs. In addition to the integrated ST&E programs outlined above, specific Departments will continue their respective activities under this overall theme. Such programs of the Departments of Education, Home and Health, of the Tibetan Children's Village, the Tibetan Computer Resource Center and the Environment and Development Desk of the DIIR are described in the respective sector chapters of the IDP. Here they are just listed with reference to the specific programs:

ST&E Education Program:

- Department of Education (Chapter 5)

- Establishment of a Science Cell within the Department

- Scholarships for Science and Mathematics Teacher Education

- Purchase of Science and Mathematics Kits

- Career Guidance and Counselling for Tibetan schools

- Tibetan Computer Resource Center (Chapter 9.6A)

- Computer Literacy Project

- Staff Training Project

- Communication Network Project

- Tibetan Children's Village (Chapter 5)

- Computer Education at TCV, Dharamsala

- Environment and Development Desk (Chapter 8)

- International Environment Awareness Project

- Environment Awareness Program for Tibetans

- Agro-forestry Training Project

- Technical Service Center and Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (Chapter 7.6)

- Tibetan Architecture Preservation Project

ST&E Based Livelihood Research and Development Program:

- Tibetan Children's Village (Chapter 5)

- Nomadic-based Cultivation Project in Ladakh

- The Department of Home (Chapter 4)

- Agriculture Development Program

- Handicraft Development Program

- Income-Generation Projects in the Settlements

ST&E Based Quality of Life Improvement Program:

- The Department of Home (Chapter 3B)

- Housing and Infrastructure Development Program

- The Department of Health (Chapter 6)

- Drinking Water and Sanitation Program

- Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute (Chapter 6)

- Research on Tibetan Medicines

9.7.7 Financial and Human Resources. Developing and implementing the ST&E Plan is a unique venture for the CTA in that it will be run essentially as an inter-departmental institutional effort, with minimal core staff. The existing Task Force on ST&E will continue to act as the secretariat for the programs. Most of the funds needed for the ST&E programs are already or will be included in the respective program plans of the various CTA Departments and units. However, to ensure that some flexible funds are available to promote innovation and interaction, a provision is being made out of the CTA budget for Rs 200,000 each year for five years. These funds will be disbursed through the Planning Council and used to fund various activities recommended by the Task Force. The Planning Council will provide one of its staff as a secretary to the Task Force.

9.8 BUDGET SUMMARY

The total budget (see overleaf) for the Institutional Development Sector over five years amounts to Rs 42.7 million, of which the CTA will contribute Rs 2.3 million or 5 percent.

The second Integrated Development Plan incorporates the plans of the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission and of the ST&E Task Force, which did not appear in the first IDP. In addition some of the projects included in the first IDP have been developed further and thus the budgets have gone up: for the construction of quarters for CTA staff; for the HRD Program of the Office of the Auditor General; and for the Tibetan Census Project and the HRD Plan of the Planning Council.

Nevertheless the total budget for the Institutional Development Sector has come down from that in the first IDP. This is because a number of recurring costs have not been included in this Plan: the recurring costs of the Election Commission, and of medical and pension benefits for CTA staff, which will be funded from the CTA budget or through appropriate insurance schemes. However, the largest change arises because the Institute for Tibetan Public Administration being planned by the Public Service Commission has not been included in the second IDP, since the CTA is still deliberating on how best to proceed with this very large project.

PROGRAMS	YEAR (all figures in Rs '000s)					TOTAL	Grant
and Projects	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	(Rs '000)	Request
SUPREME JUSTICE COMMISSION:	6017	757	2865	463	3006	13110	13110
Recruitment & Training Development & Dissemination Court Building and Library	2211 806 3000	137 420 200	2424 441	463	2522 486	7294 2616 3200	7294 2616 3200
ELECTION COMMISSION:	2850	2744	0	0	0	5594	5594
Staff Training & Research Euipment	300 2550	200 2544				500 5094	500 5094
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION:	1163	1162	1072	1000	0	4400	3978
In-house Training Other Training	1088 75	1087 75	1000 75	1000		4175 225	3775 203
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL AND ESTATE:	4440	4125	4125			12690	11421
OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL:	938	10092	2276	0	0	13306	11887
HRD Program Nepal Branch Office Accounting&Auditing Manual	828 110	982 9000 110	886 1280 110			2696 10280 330	2067 9580 240
PLANNING COUNCIL:	4495	1240	200	200	200	6335	5859
Census Project Training of Trainers HRD Plan Third IDP ST&E Task Force	3310 110 875 200	1040 200	200	200	200	3310 110 875 1040 1000	3136 99 788 936 900
TOTAL:	15463	15995	6416	1663	3208	42745

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Last updated: 30-Sept-96