Government, NGOs and private sector must work collectively to economic inequalities in the country: Vice President

New Delhi: The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has called for collective efforts by the Government, NGOs and the private sector to remove economic inequalities in the country.

He lauded the efforts of various Industries and the NGOs in supplementing the efforts of the government in upgrading the skills of the youth and women through various programmes.

Addressing the gathering after inaugurating a “Two wheeler Technician Training Centre” set up by Hero Motor Corp in association with Swarna Bharat Trust and SOMA Technical Training Institute at Nellore in Andhra Pradesh today, the Vice President said the training center is equipped with world class training facility and a fully automated workshop and supported by fully trained faculty. Trainees from various parts of Andhra Pradesh and other States would get hands-on training in bike mechanic course.

He appreciated the efforts of Andhra Pradesh government to touch 20 million people in AP in next 15 years and provide them with skilling and entrepreneurship to meet the skilled demands of seven missions launched by the government.

The Vice President said it was important to have skilled manpower with the needed skill sets in various sectors to drive growth. It was also important to reduce urban-rural divide in terms of ensuring equitable growth and creating opportunities, he added.

Referring to the call given by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi to Reform, Perform and Transform, he said the connectivity revolution launched by former Prime Minister Shri A B Vajpayee was being accelerated by the present government to transform the lives of the people and fulfill their aspirations.

Referring to the various programmes undertaken by the Swarna Bharat Trust, he said that they were aimed at empowering the rural youth and women to stand on their feet by imparting the required training and skills in different vocations.

The Minister for Irrigation, Andhra Pradesh, Shri P. Anil Kumar Yadav, the CIO/CHRO, Hero Motor Corp, Shri Vijay Sethi, the Vice President of Hero Motor Corp, Shri Rajesh Makhija, the Managing Trustee of Swarna Bharat Trust, Smt. I. Deepa Venkat, Managing Trustee, Sri Muppavarapu Foundation, Shri M. Harshavardhan and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Following is the text of Vice President’s address:

“I am delighted to be present here and inaugurate “Two wheeler Technician Training Centre” established byHero Motor Corp in association with Swarna Bharat Trust and SOMA Technical Training Institute.

I am told that training center is equipped with World Class Training facility and a fully Automated workshop, with required Pneumatic tools & Precision equipment’s and supported by fully trained faculty. I am happy that trainees from various parts of Andhra Pradesh are going to get hands on training in bike mechanic course with qualified and professional trainers.

My compliments and best wishes to the Management of Hero Motor Corp and Swarna Bharat Trust for their noble mission of fostering skill development.

I was informed that Andhra Pradesh Government has formed 7 different Missions to achieve double-digit growth for the state and to make AP among the most developed state in the country. Among these, the Knowledge and Skills Mission has been formed to provide trained and skilled manpower to all other Missions.

I appreciate the efforts of the government to touch 20 million people in AP in next 15 years and provide them skilling and entrepreneurship to meet skilled human power demands of all Missions and shape AP as the hub for skilled-workforce and knowledge.

As we look forward to make India a global economic superpower and an epicenter of knowledge, we must ensure that we create an enabling environment for innovation to thrive. Innovation must be complemented by creating a skilled manpower by tapping the huge demographic potential in the country.

It is widely acknowledged that India has the advantage of Demographic dividend. The demographic dividend is the economic growth potential that can result from shifts in a population’s age structure, mainly when the share of the working-age population is larger than the non-working age share of the population.

India is a young, aspirational country. 65% of our population is below 35 years of age. 62% of our population is in the working-age group of 15-59 years. We have a workforce of 48 crores and more than a crore join the workforce every year.

It is the right time that we reap the benefits of our demographic dividend by providing skills. Skills and knowledge are driving forces of economic growth and social development for any country.

As we aim to become a developed country with a $5 trillion economy, it is important to have skilled manpower with the needed skill sets in various sectors to spur growth. It is also important to reduce urban- rural divide in terms of ensuring equitable growth and creating opportunities.

We also need to equip our students with effective communication skills. Mere degrees and diplomas will not make a person employable. For instance, a NASSCOM Survey (2011) found that only 25 percent of the graduates working in the IT sector have the required skills.

Therefore, your degree and diploma need to be supplemented by appropriate skills to take full advantage of the innumerable opportunities in the globalized and liberalized economic environment.

It is important to nurture the talent of our youth to disrupt the status quo and lead to radical innovations. Aligned with our growing economic profile, we have promoted skill development as a National Mission.

Universities should not only be the knowledge hubs but also need to emerge as the hotspots of research, incubation, and innovation. There is a great need to build a strong research ecosystem by collaborative, inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary research initiatives.

Expenditure on Research and Development is a key indicator of private and public sectors effort to foster competitive advantage of Science and Technology. But in India, public expenditure on Research and Development is rather low.

Empowering the youth by skill-building is a powerful tool in current times. It will enhance the efficacy and quality of the work for improved productivity and growth in the future.

I am happy to learn that more than a crore youth are being imparted skill training annually under various programmes of the Government. 56 lakh youth have been trained under flagship Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna, since its inception.

I am happy that government at the Centre and several state governments have been focusing on providing training courses and modules based on Industry requirements.

Our country is poised for a big transition. Youth are the agents of this transformation. I call upon each one of you to use the available programmes and expanded opportunities.

India is transforming and reinventing itself rapidly, inspired by PM Modi’s call to you “Reform, Perform and Transform”.

I urge each one of you to keep learning and improve your skills. Be lifelong learners.

Universities, higher education institutions must work with corporate firms and other industries to make students familiar with the skills required for the 21st-century technology-dependent job market.

We must build the required infrastructure for skilling existing and new entrants to the labor force. Here I would urge the Industry and Industry bodies such as FICCI, ASOCHAM, and others to play a more pro-active role in creating skilled manpower for various sectors.

I would also call upon every institution providing higher education to have a dedicated department to promote skills and entrepreneurship. Such a department must empower students to seek opportunities in entrepreneurship as well.