Introduction
The years 2014 and 2015 saw several policy
announcements by the Government on skill
development to achieve its vision of a ‘Skill
India’. Recognising the need and urgency
of quickly coordinating the efforts of all
concerned stakeholders, the Department of
Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
which was created in July, 2014 was
upgraded into a full-fledged Ministry of
Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
in November 2014. Major departments that
provide skill development are transferred
to the Ministry. The National Policy on
Skill Development has been revised and the
new policy addresses the key challenges in
the skilling landscape, including low aspi-
rational value, non-integration with formal
education, lack of focus on outcomes and
quality of training infrastructure and train-
ers. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana
(PMKVY) a flagship scheme was launched
in 2015. Since vocational training is a state
subject, a subgroup of Chief Ministers on
Skill Development have been constituted
by National Institute for Transforming
India (NITI) Aayog to suggest measures
for strengthening State Skill Development
Missions to enhance capacity and improve
standards of skilling at
the state level.
Central government is even considering
a proposal to make skill training a funda-
mental right guaranteed by the constitution
to boost employability of the work force.
1
The attention and urgency being shown
to skilling is due to the following factors.
Demographic dividend—A
cliché but…
India’s population projections show that
the average age of India’s population is
expected to be around 29 years in 2020 as
against 37 years in China and the United
States of America, 45 years in West Europe
and 48 years in Japan. As the developed
countries have a larger proportion of ageing
population,
2
the global economy is expected
to witness a shortage of young population of
around 56 million by 2020. India would by
then have a surplus of 47 million youth. The
increase in GDP growth in India has been
partly driven by an increase in the share of
working-age population. This demographic
dividend is derived from a rise in the ratio
of working age (usually 15–59) to that of
dependent or non-working population
(usually under 15 and over 60 year old).
Skilling India:
An Aspirational Challenge
Chapter
6
1
Sanjib Kumar Baruah, 2015, Skill Training can
be Next Fundamental Right; Rudy,
HindustanTimes
,
20 July 2015. Available at
.
com/india-news/skill-training-could-be-the-next-
fundamental-right/article1-1371060.aspx
2
When the share of population above 60 years goes
over 10% of the total population, the UN defines that
society as aging.
