Intro: For ‘Make in India’ to be a big hit it is important that the industrial manufacturing, which is just 12.5 per cent now, should reach up to 20 per cent. So, between start-ups and existing enterprises all have to be boosted up.
Union Minister of State for Skill Development Rajiv Pratap Rudy has taken the challenge of transforming country’s 62 per cent population into ‘skilled workforce’. He seems to be very serious towards this task. Shri Rudy shares his planning in this regard to Organiser Senior Correspondent Pramod Kumar. Excerpts:
- India contributed about 22 per cent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) till the end of 17th century. To restore that glory we need start-ups in different sectors. What are you doing in this direction?
Today 60 per cent share of our GDP comes from service sector, 25 per cent from industry, 12.5 per cent from manufacturing and rest comes from allied services like agriculture, etc. For ‘Make in India’ to be a big hit it is important that the industrial manufacturing, which is just 12.5 per cent now, should reach up to 20 per cent. So, between start-ups and existing enterprises all have to be boosted up. Make in India will not happen until there is ‘Skill India’. Today our skilled population is abysmally low—just 3.5 per cent, as per the NSSO 68th round census. If we compare it to the world it is 46 per cent in China, 68 per cent in United Kingdom, 74 per cent in Germany, 80 per cent in Japan and 96 per cent in Korea. So, skilled manpower and creation of start-ups will have to move hand in hand. We are sincerely working to skill the people on a large scale with speed and high standards in order to achieve the vision of a ‘Skilled India’. We intend to work with the existing network of skill development centres, universities and other alliances in the field.
- Some educated Indians settled abroad now want to come back. What can the government assure them for start-ups?
The government policies are already in place. There is no individual offer given to an individual. Normally, three types of people come back from abroad. First, those who think they have done enough abroad and now want to contribute to the country’s economy. Second, those people who find the economy now growing and want to invest. Third is the category of the professionals like scientists, professors, engineers who want to enhance the capacity back in the country. Any economic activity depends upon the booming economy. The professionals in the field of research and training always look for the places which can offer them better facilities for research. So, that is a different combination how people come.
- It seems majority of the start-ups began in Bengaluru and not in other parts of the country. Why?
Start-ups are innovations. Wherever there are facilities, people start work there only. Simply, giving financial support cannot enhance start-ups. It requires a lot of support. People who innovate on a particular topic whether in science, technology, engineering or which ever field needs support from banks, financial organisations, international funding bodies, etc. It is a combination of institutions which is required as support. Whichever state has the combination of all these things people find it easier to move there. Overall the economy of every state is not alike and every state has different situations.
- What is being done to change this scenario?
Economy has to grow for it. The government is taking enough initiatives and reforms whether it is GST, land reforms or others to build strong infrastructure all over the country.
- What can you assure to those planning start-ups?
The whole framework has been created. We are trying to work accordingly. More start-up operations will take place in the coming days. We are trying to provide conducive atmosphere. We want to create a pool of young people who are able to create jobs and the ones who are not capable of creating jobs and do not have the opportunities. They must be in a position to face their counterparts in any corner of the world while keeping their heads high by virtue of their hard work and their dexterity of hands and win the hearts of people around the world through their skills. We have to go for capacity building of the young people.
- There are many people in our country who are basically skilled but do not have certificates. What are you doing for them?
This is a major problem. There are about 500 million people in unorganised sector. They have some sort of skills and are doing good work. But their identification and skill certification has not been done so far. That is why our figure of skilled population is just 3.5 per cent. Government has launched Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) scheme in which under the Pradhanmantri Skill Development Scheme we are granting some amount of money to the tune of Rs 2,000 to 2,500 to mobilise such people, identify them, re-skill them and ultimately give them certificates.
- Major plans of your ministry?
We have already launched the Skill India Mission at the hands of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi recently. The skill policy has been revised. We have gone for the common norms for the schemes run by various ministries. ITI is now under the Ministry of Skill Development and we are looking at it afresh. Apprenticeship Act has also been amended. Our focus is on school dropouts and those who cannot afford education. The main objective of the whole policy is to skill them and make them employable. Prime Minister himself is monitoring the Mission.
