Haryana Government announced to set up Haryana Kesh Kala & Kaushal Vikas Board

Chandigarh : Haryana Government on Tuesday decided to set up Haryana Kesh Kala and Kaushal Vikas Board to advise the state government on the formulation of policies and schemes which will enable the promotion and tradition of hair-grooming and salon by bringing new technologies into the profession of the traditional ‘Nai’ community.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the state Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here.

The board shall consist of nine members, including the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and members. The chairperson shall be appointed from among persons of ability and repute belonging to ‘Sain Samaj’ community. Not more than eight non-official members shall be appointed by the state government from among the persons of repute and having knowledge in matters related to Kesh Kala.

Director, Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Department, shall be the ex-officio member of the board. It will have a member secretary, who shall be appointed by the state government from among officers of the Haryana Civil Service, not below the rank of Deputy Secretary.

The term and conditions of appointment and tenure of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and other members of the board shall be determined by the government.

The board shall be an autonomous body and its tenure would be for a period of two years in the first instance, which may be extended by the government from time to time. The office of the board shall be located at Panchkula or Chandigarh. It shall meet at least twice a year or at short intervals as determined by the Board.

A copy of the proceedings of every meeting shall be forwarded to the state government. The expenses of the board shall be defrayed out of the grant-in-aid to be approved by the state government.

The board shall set up skill development facilities and coordinate the setting up of skill development facilities in hair-grooming, saloon and other related activities. It will organize awareness campaigns for promotion of the art of hair grooming and develop a sense of competition by instituting awards for the outstanding Kesh Kala profession.

It will organise or coordinate in holding exhibitions throughout the state to spread Kesh Kala among the small saloons. It will develop a sense of competition by instituting awards for the outstanding Kesh Kala profession. It will revive the existing policies of loaning and financial assistance provided for the profession.

The board will advise the state government on the policies affecting the community and suggest steps for overall development of castes engaged in this traditional occupation.

In recent times, the art of cutting and grooming hair or beard and nails has undergone a tremendous change due to new scientific techniques being adopted in the grooming industry. Persons from other communities have also taken up this profession because of the lucrative returns it offers. This has resulted in the traditional ‘Nai’ community getting alienated from their profession.

Traditionally, the barbers come from ‘Nai’ community and the word ‘Nai’ is derived from the word ‘Napika’ which means one who cleans nails. Traditionally, the ‘Nai’ community was involved in cutting and grooming of hair, beard, cleaning hair and nails. The community is also known as ‘Hajjam’, ‘Nai’, ‘Nais’, ‘Sain’, and ‘Salmani’ in Haryana.

They are categorized in Backward Class (A) category of Haryana State as well as OBC in Central list of Haryana at Sr. No. 29. With modernization and technological advancement, this profession has become highly capital intensive. But the ‘Nai’ community has not been able to upgrade its skills and lacks adoption of latest techniques and scientific machinery.

Note: News shared for public awareness with reference from the information provided at online news portals.