It’s heartening to see the Prime Minister’s recent initiatives, particularly the inauguration of the Jannayak Karpoori Thakur Skill University and the allocation of a substantial Rs 62,000 crore towards youth-focused schemes across the nation, with a special emphasis on Bihar MSN article 1, BW Businessworld article. This renewed focus on skill development and vocational training resonates deeply with a vision I’ve held for years – transforming India into a true skill capital of the world.
The Path to a Skilled Nation
I remember writing to cabinet ministers and chief ministers some time ago, advocating for a robust public-private partnership (PPP) model for upgrading our Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). In my blog, ‘A welcome (first) step to impart Skills’ A welcome (first) step to impart Skills, I detailed how Maharashtra's PPP policy for ITIs, though a positive start, could be further refined. I had suggested turning these ventures into profit-making entities for private players, granting them 'Industry Status,' and even proposing a 10-year tax holiday for Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to attract greater investment. The PM-Setu scheme, with its plan to upgrade 1,000 ITIs in a hub-and-spoke model, including global co-financing, is a welcome step in this direction BW Businessworld article. Yet, I find myself reflecting on those earlier ideas; it’s striking how relevant insights like substantial investment (I suggested Rs 100 crore per institute against the current Rs 10-20 crore for a commitment) and financial incentives still are in achieving true 'world-class training centres' that are 'technologically advanced and industry-integrated' as I’d hoped.
My long-standing call for an 'Operation Skill-door' " BACK FACTORY " OF THE WORLD was rooted in the ambition to skill 50 million youth annually. While the current initiatives are significant, they remind me of the National Skills Development Corporation's ambitious target from 2015 – to skill 300 million youth by 2022 – a goal whose actual achievement I questioned in my 2018 blog, 'National Skills Development Corporation' National Skills Development Corporation. The gap between aspiration and execution, particularly concerning job creation, has often been an 'Achilles heel.' These new schemes must transcend mere numbers and truly lead to broad-based 'Up-skilling / Re-Skilling' for 'Self Employment,' as I emphasized in my blog about digital villages Govt plans Rs 15,000 cr investment for one lakh digital villages.
Skills Over Subsidies
The emphasis on skill training, credit schemes, and internships, like the PM Internship Scheme I commented on last year PM Internship Scheme to go live on Thursday, aligns with my belief that sustained investment in skills, rather than mere 'dole-outs,' is the true path to empowering our youth. I remember criticizing the colossal expenditures on direct benefits in Uttar Pradesh in my 2013 blog, 'SOCIAL SECURITY IN INDIA' SOCIAL SECURITY IN INDIA, arguing then that such funds would be far better spent on imparting 'Skills' to make youth 'Employable.' Even the provision of a monthly allowance for skill training for graduates, echoing the daily allowance for NREGA workers that I welcomed in my 2019 blog Under NREGA, workers to get Rs 250 daily allowance for skill training, points to a recognition of the need to support individuals while they acquire skills.
Modernizing for the Future
The focus on modern trades such as AI, drone technology, robotics, and 3D printing in the upgraded ITIs is crucial. This future-oriented curriculum, coupled with digital learning, will undoubtedly prepare our youth for the demands of the 21st-century economy. This also brings to mind my older suggestions on leveraging under-utilized public assets like schools and Gram Panchayat offices with high-speed internet for economic activities, which I discussed in 'NATIONAL DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS POLICY' NATIONAL DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS POLICY. The connectivity of these institutions is fundamental to delivering modern skill development.
Seeing these large-scale initiatives being rolled out fills me with a sense of validation, knowing that the ideas of skill development, industry integration, and fostering genuine employability, which I championed years ago, are now taking center stage. It reinforces the urgency to not just implement these schemes, but to continuously refine and expand them, ensuring they truly transform the lives of millions and realize India's potential as a global skill powerhouse.
Regards, Hemen Parekh
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