India's youth needs to be trained with employable skill and knowledge for their contribution to the economic growth of the country, ICAR Director General Trilochan Mahapatra said here today.
"India is one of the youngest nations in the world with more than 62 per cent of its population in the working age group (15-59 years) and around 54 per cent below 25 years of age", said Mahapatra speaking as the chief guest at the 20th convocation of Assam Agricultural University at Jorhat.
"The secondary and tertiary sectors will be the main driving force for the Indian economy to grow at 8 to 9 per cent and this skill development is mandatory.
"We need large skilled manpower in every sector of our economy including agriculture", the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Director General said.
"Prime Minister's Kaushal Vikash Yojana aims to link the aptitude, aspiration and knowledge of the skilled workforce. It creates employment opportunities and demands in the market", said Mahapatra, who is also Union Secretary in the Department of Agricultural Research and Education.
The ICAR- Director General also said that the government has acted upon an ambitious target to train 400 million people by 2022 to meet the upcoming challenges and 18 Union ministries are engaged in various skill development and employment generation programmes.
Though the economy of Assam and the region is agriculture based, the region missed the Green Revolution bus mainly due to lack of the pre-requisite of chemo-centric technology then, but keeping in view the consequences of chemo-centric agriculture in green revolution states it was a blessing in disguise for Assam as well as other states of North Eastern Region, he said.
"Now it is the golden opportunity for this region to secure a prime position in the agricultural business centric, bio-economy pursuing organic mode," the ICAR DG added.
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