You will soon get a qualified bai for your household work. She will be able to handle all your costly appliances and will impress you with her apt housekeeping skills.

For the first time, Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU) has come up with a one-year diploma course for domestic helps.

Last week, a batch of 340 women was busy writing exam at suburban colleges after a six-month basic study in domestic work.

The 100-mark entrance exam will shortlist students for the one-year diploma course for domestic helps. The results are expected within a month.

Diploma of domestic work will train women in operating gadgets in a modern home, taking care of children, housekeeping, personality development, communication skills, basic math, general knowledge and current affairs.

To get admission, a girl should be 18 years and should be able to read and write in her mother tongue. Students should complete a six-month basic course in YCMOU to take admission into the one-year diploma course.

Aiming to empower underprivileged women, YCMOU hopes the course will help them find better-paying jobs and encourage them to study further. One only has to pay Rs50 for examination and books fees. The rest, that is Rs550, will be borne by the state labour department.

Student will attend classes in Ismail Yusuf College, Jogeshwari (East) every Sunday.

“With help from domestic workers’ association, we identified 340 women for the basic course. Whoever passes can take admission for the one-year diploma course,” said Prakash Deshmukh, regional director, YCMOU.

He added, “Most of women, due to poverty, are not able to complete their education. This programme will help them study further.”

Dhruv Redkar, president of Mumbai Workers’ Front — an organisation of domestic help workers — said: “We had a discussion with YCMOU on how to empower domestic helps. And they suggested this idea which everybody like it. It will definitely help domestic helps in future.”

Saying that more than 8 lakh women work as domestic helps in city, he added: “Education is the only tool through which they can be aware of their rights and understand the government schemes available for them. We want to educate them so that they can understand its importance and send their children to school.”

South-Mumbai resident Rohit Ugale, who works in a software company, welcomed the move. “Finding a qualified maid is a big task for the people and most people face problems. The course will definitely aid domestic helps in their routine work,” he added.