15
An important component of
Aajeevika
is the programme to scale
up skill and placement projects with various models of partnerships with
public, private, non-Government and community organisations. A strong
relationship would also be developed with industry associations and sector-
specific employers’ associations. It is said that the National Skill Development
Corporation (NSDC) would be one of the leading partners in this effort; 15% of
the central allocation under
Aajeevika
is earmarked for this purpose.
A more potent instrument for skill upgradation and vocationalisation
is the requirement for public sector banks to set up Rural Self-Employment
Training Institutions (RSETIs) in all districts in the country. “RSETIs are
expected to transformunemployed rural youth in eachdistrict into confident self-
employed entrepreneurs through need-based experiential learning programme
followed by systematic handholding support. Banks are completely involved
in selection, training and post training follow-up stages. RSETIs partner with
others, including the institutions of the poor, to realize their mandate and
agenda” (
Ibid
, p.31)
Agricultural Development Crisis
Concurrently with the deteriorating land-man relations and other
distributional aspects of the agrarian crisis, the broader crisis of agricultural
growth and development has been staring at us now for over a decade and a
half. From an average growth of 4.37% per annum achieved during 1980-81 to
1990-91 and 3.16% during the next decade 1990-91 to 1999-2000, the overall
agricultural growth had slipped to half, 1.73% during the next five-year period
2000-01 to 2004-05 (Table 2.7). Available data suggest that the annual growth
in per capita income in agriculture steeply dipped from 1.18% during 1989-90
to 0.29% during 1999-2000 to 2003-04 (Ramesh Chand 2006).
Table 2.7: Growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at
Factor Cost and Sectoral GDP (At 2004-05 Prices)
(In % Per Annum)
Year
Agriculture Industry Services GDP
Pre-Green revolution Period 1950-51 to 1964-65
2.92
6.62
4.90 4.09
Drought Years 1965-66 & 1966-67
-6.23
2.18
3.78 -1.32
Green revolution Period 1967-68 to 1979-80
2.59
4.58
4.08 3.59
Wider Technology Dissemination Period 1980-81 to 1990-91 4.37
6.37
6.32 5.56
Post-Reform Period
(i) 1990-91 to 1999-2000
3.16
5.79
7.37 5.86
(ii) 2000-01 to 2004-05
1.73
5.63
7.36 5.77
(iii) 2004-05 to 2011-12
3.72
7.59
9.81 8.34
Note:
Growth rates are compound annual growth rates.
Periodisation is partly-based on Ramesh Chand (January 2006).
