Towards skill enhancement

Updated on: Wednesday, February 08, 2012

With the economy poised for a robust growth in the coming years and the focus being on the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors, the Centre is keen to create skilled manpower of 34 crore by 2022.

In this direction the Central Government is toying with the idea of setting up a fund for extending loans for vocational programmes with a subsidised interest. An announcement to this effect could be made in the next Budget.

At a recent meeting of the National Skill Development Council (NSDC) chaired by Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, the proposal to set up the Credit Guarantee Fund was discussed. The fund is expected to be used for extending loans for vocational courses with suitable interest subsidy.

The matter for creation of such a fund has been referred to the Finance Ministry and it is likely to be made part of the budget announcements in March this year.

The move is aimed at encouraging skill development in the country with the Government projecting the requirement to be to the tune of 26 crore by 2018 and 34 crore by 2022.

The Prime Minister expressed concern over the state of skill development and said the goal could not be achieved with a “business as usual” approach. All the Central Ministers were asked to scale up the skill development programmes substantially and propose ambitious skill initiatives in the 12th Plan.

The NSDC was asked to expedite launch of nationwide communication campaign on the importance of skill development and the dignity of skilled work. Among other proposals discussed at the NSDC meeting was doing away with service tax on skill development bodies. The exemption of service tax will help students enrolling in courses such as software, retail and fashion pay lesser fee.

Officials said it was also decided in the meeting to train 85 lakh skilled hands during the 2012-13 fiscal.

Adviser to Prime Minister in skill development, S. Ramadorai will prepare a detailed report incorporating an ambitious skill development programme for the 12th Plan in consultation with the inter-ministerial group already in place and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia. The report will be presented at the next meeting of the Council.

Once it is done, the ministries and departments concerned will fast-track efforts so that the required approvals are in place well in time, the meeting decided.

Dr. Singh informed the meeting that special focus should be given to the needs of minorities, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, backwards, classes, women and those with disabilities. The Council also discussed a strong a robust mechanism to monitor and track trainees at least for a year after they are skilled so as to get a correct feedback on the "appropriateness" of the training imparted. Given the scale of the task in the coming decade, the Council observed that major coordination efforts among Central Ministers and with the states will be required.

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