Demographic dividend can be reaped only if kids are properly

President Pranab Mukherjee today said India can reap the demographic dividend only if the country succeeds in educating and skilling the youth, especially the children.
"By 2030 India will have the youngest population in the world in the land of the ancient civilization where more than 50 per cent of the Indian population would be in the age group of 50 and 25 years," he said at a function of 'Akshaya Patra Foundation' here commemorating serving of two billion meals.
"Not only that the largest number of working hands will be available to India, which would be more than the working hands available with advanced countries like the US, Europe and even China. Therefore we will have an opportunity of providing surplus workforces available to us," he said.

The country can reap the demographic dividend "only if we succeed in educating and skilling our youth, especially our children," he said, adding that the children should be educated and healthy.
The President complimented Akshaya Patra Foundation for having played an exemplary role, through its fresh and nutritious meals, for drawing millions of Indian children to their classrooms every day.
He urged everyone to contribute in whatever way possible to the noble project of ending hunger among school children.

He said even the biggest of challenges can be addressed through collective efforts of the community, NGOs and the government.
The President noted that hunger still remains a problem in the country despite some steps taken by philanthropists and businessmen. "The problem remains because of our social structures and various other reasons. We have not been able to guarantee the assured meal to children," he said.

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The President's proposed visit to Kedarnath in April 2015 had also been cancelled due to heavy snowfall at the Himalayan shrine.
Earlier, as the President arrived at the Jollygrant airport, he was accorded a warm welcome by Governor K K Paul, Chief Minister Harish Rawat, Chief Secretary Shatrughna Singh and DGP M A Ganpati.
After the President's arrival at Ashiana he was given a demonstration by representatives of 'Prashak Techno Enterprises, who have done extensive work in the field of building and sanitation in Thailand using cost effective disaster resistant technology.
Called Habitech-Nivara Tantra technology in which compacted inter-meshing blocks each weighing about 6 kgs are used instead of bricks to build houses, they advocated its adoption for building houses in the disaster-prone hill areas of Uttarakhand.

Security has been tightened across the city in view of the President's visit with the deployment of around 2,400 policemen including those from the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and the fire department.