Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today expressed her inability to attend meeting of the Sub-Group of Chief Ministers of Skill Development scheduled at Chhattisgarh due to "pressing commitments" and made some suggestions to be included in the Sub-Group's report.
In her letter to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who is chairing the meeting to be held today, she thanked him for inviting her and said as much as she would like to attend it, "I am unable to do so due to pressing commitments in Chennai."
She said she had read the draft report of the first meeting held on April 25 and reiterated that some other more important points needed to be included in the report.
She said "..On addressing the issue of skill development in demographically advantaged states, the interventions at the national level need to cover the needs of both sets of states, not just focus on the so called demographically advantaged states".
Noting that solutions to some issues that "demographically advantaged states" face may lie in policy interventions, she said, "it is a matter of national priority to address the productivity gaps of the demographically mature states like Tamil Nadu, lest their populations grow old without fully enjoying the fruits of growth and development".
"One of the recommendations should be to undertake a comprehensive pan-India assessment of migration patterns, needs and aspirations, based on which requisite policy interventions for both providers and absorbers of migrant labour can be formulated," she said.
Seeking clarity on the implementation of skill development projects nationwide, Jayalalithaa said, "it would be desirable for Central Government agencies including NSDC (National Skill Development Corporation) to confine themselves to national level standardization, provision of financing and policy and legislative frameworks."
"Actual training delivery should be routed through and monitored by State government agencies which are better placed to mobilise candidates for training," she said.
On identification of skill development strategy on sector wise basis, she said, "this is clearly a task best done at the state level since the priority sectors would vary from state to state."
She said Centre and Ministry of Skill Development should intensify efforts towards universal adoption of National Skills Qualification Framework and clarify its linkage with National Vocational Education Qualification Framework.
