As part of Confederation of Indian Industry’s Annual Meeting 2021, on day two of the Annual Meeting a Plenary Session on Job Creation and Entrepreneurship was held over virtual platform. At the session, Mr Ajay S Shriram, Past President, CII, and Chairman & Senior Managing Director, DCM Shriram Limited hosted an Interaction with Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister for Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India.
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India lauded the CII initiatives on education and skill development. Outlining the agenda of his Ministry for revamping education, skill development & entrepreneurship in the country, Hon’ble Minister said, “Our primary agenda is to ensure the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) at the ground level. He added, that the Government was working towards bringing all children above three years of age into the formal education system and plan for their about twenty years of education; currently about 15 crores of youth between the ages of three and twenty-three are out of this system. This, he explained, was necessary to ensure a productive workforce in the economy.
To create a formal mechanism for early childhood education & nutrition, the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Women and Child Development will work together to implement Samagra Siksha 2.0 in the next 5 years. He also shared that the Centre & State governments will collectively allocate Rs 3 lakh crores to implement Samagra Siksha 2.0.
The Minister further shared that, “COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a shift towards digital medium of education. A vibrant digital ecosystem in education will expand learning opportunities and spur innovation and entrepreneurship in the education sector.
Earlier enumerating on the integrated approach towards education and skill development, Mr Dharmendra Pradhan said, “For the first time, the Government has combined the education and skill departments, creating a new approach for good livelihoods and for better implementation of policies”.
Mr Ajay S Shriram, Past President, CII, and Chairman & Senior Managing Director, DCM Shriram Limited in his Opening Remarks said, “The energy of our youth needs to be channelised through education & skill development, preparing them for newer job and entrepreneurship opportunities. This, he said will drive India’s future growth.
Making suggestions on employment generation and skilling, Mr Shriram suggested a four point agenda including implementing an Urban Employment Guarantee Programme, giving Impetus to skill development courses for labour-intensive industries, extending the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana beyond the Covid-19 period, including the components on Training and Entrepreneurship in School Curriculum, and setting up an accelerated digital skilling program.
12 August 2021