India’s growth story is supposed to scale a new high, with annual GDP growth of 9-9.5 per cent during the 12th Plan — provided skilled development and reforms in the education sector go hand in had. Edited excerpts of an interview by Sanjay Jog with Planning Commission member Narendra Jadhav on the subject:
India’s record in education, especially vocational education and skill development, is dismal compared with other countries. What is being done to address this?
We are on a high growth path and for this to be sustainable, skill development and reforms in the education sector are crucial. If we do not put our house in order, the demographic dividend will turn into a nightmare.
There is a three-fold framework in the form of a National Skill Development Council headed by the Prime Minister, a National Skill Development Coordination Board to coordinate 17 ministries engaged in skill development, headed by the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, and the National Skill Development Corporation, a public-private partnership (PPP). This apart, state-level skill development missions have also been launched. Seven regional conferences have been held and there is widespread awareness at state level.
The focus of the 12th plan is on faster, more inclusive and sustainable growth. The manufacturing sector, currently growing at around eight per cent, needs to grow at 11-12 per cent each year, so that there would be creation of at least two million jobs annually. For large employment generation, certain sectors such as textiles, gems and jewellery, food processing, leather and garments will have to be focused on. During the 12th Plan, it is expected that 1.2 per cent of GDP investment would be made in health, education and skill development. In addition 0.7 per cent GDP investment is expected in infrastructure, which includes irrigation, urban infrastructure and transportation. The total investment in infrastructure is expected to be even larger, with increased emphasis on PPP.
India’s track record of vocational education is also poor.
Emphasis is being given on massive vocationalisation of secondary education. Instead of the present format of such a training in 11th and 12th standards, consideration is being given to provide vocational education early on, say from the 9th and 10th standards. In 2007-08, a paltry two per cent went into formal vocational education and eight per cent was accounted for by on-the-job training and other informal ways. This is certainly not enough when compared with other countries; in Korea, it is 93 per cent. Just last week, at the meeting with state education ministers, the government has presented a draft National Vocational Education Qualification Framework, to provide horizontal and vertical mobility in vocational education.
The government is also in the process of setting up a committee to look into provision of credit support from the banking sector for skill training. This is crucial, since the construction sector (real estate and infrastructure) has a potential to create as many as 35 million jobs during 2012-22. In addition, 11.8 million in health, 9.6 million in tourism and hospitality, and 9.2 million in information technology and IT-enabled services during the same period. Accordingly, the sector-wise plans for these sectors are being prepared by National Skill Development Corporation. We also lack attention on apprenticeship programmes, compared with other countries. How are the government and the Commission looking at this?
The proportion of apprenticeship is merely 0.02 per cent, which means only 240,000 of the total population of 1.2 billion get an apprenticeship. In Germany, it is 75 per cent, Australia has 66 per cent and Singapore, 60 per cent. The apprenticeship programme is a spectacular failure. A committee headed by me had suggested amendments to the Apprenticeship Act of 1961. The amendments, when done, will give a much-needed fillip to apprenticeship.
Further, we have 1,300 modular employment skills against 4,000 in China. We need to streamline funding. Besides, cluster-specific modular skills will be set up across the country. For example, an auto cluster could be planned in Chennai and a textile cluster in Surat.
What is the government doing on skill development for the excluded?
This is a critical issue. Incidentally, the National Advisory Committee chaired by Sonia Gandhi has recently set up a working group on the issue. A consultation with community-based organisations or non-government organisations is being arranged in July to discuss the issues and prepare a national policy for consideration of the government.
