eGov December 2019

SKILL NATIONAL

SUMMIT RAJASTH AN A CONCLAVE ON NEXTGEN SKILLING

20th December 2019, Jaipur

`200 / US $20 / ISSN 0973-161X | DECEMBER 2019 | VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 17

SPECIAL FEATURE ON

EMPLOYABILITY & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

RAJASTHAN

READY TO TAKE OFF NAVEEN JAIN

Secretary Labour, Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship, Factory & Boiler Inspection & Medical & Health Services (ESI), Chairman, Rajasthan Skill & Livelihood Development Corporation (RSLDC), Government of Rajasthan

DR SAMIT SHARMA

ASHOK GEHLOT

Hon’ble Chief Minister Rajasthan

ASHOK CHANDNA

Hon’ble Minister of Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship, Sports & Youth Affairs Government of Rajasthan

Commissioner Labour, Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship & Managing Director, Rajasthan Skills & Livelihood Development Corporation (RSLDC), Government of Rajasthan

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Rajasthan Leading the Quest of Building Skill Empowered Youth in the Nation Youth is the biggest resource, which contributes to the country’s economy.

According to a UN report, India has the world’s largest youth population.

However, the number of skilled and employable youth is a challenge, which is being addressed by the Government of India.

According to the Ministry of Sill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), India adds approximately 12 million people to its workforce every year. However, less than four percent are deemed employable or skilled enough to serve the needs of the organisations. Our workforce readiness is one of the lowest in the world and a large chunk of skill impartment infrastructure is redundant to the industry needs.

Rajasthan has been a pioneer in bolstering an ecosystem of skilled and employable youth. The Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation (RSLDC) and the Department of Skills, Employment and Entrepreneurship (DSEE), Rajasthan has been instrumental in being the wind beneath the wings for the millions of youth of Rajasthan.

To celebrate the state’s initiatives and success, Elets Technomedia, in association with the Department of Labour, Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship, Government of Rajasthan and RSLDC is organising National Skill Summit Rajasthan on 20th December 2019.

This special issue of eGov magazine carries a kaleidoscope of interviews and special articles on the state’s skill building initiatives, which include the exclusive interviews of Naveen Jain, Secretary, Labour, Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship, Factory & Boiler Inspection & Medical & Health Services (ESI), Chairman, RSLDC, Government of Rajasthan; Dr Samit Sharma, Commissioner, SEE & Labour cum MD, RSLDC; Sunita Sanghi, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; Shuchi Sharma, Secretary of Higher & Technical Education Department, Government of Rajasthan, from the policymakers.

From the Academia, the issue carries interviews and articles from and by Lalit K Panwar, VC, Vice-Chancellor, Rajasthan ILD Skills University; Vijaya Deshmukh, Director, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Jodhpur and Toolika Gupta, Director, Indian Institute of Crafts and Design, Jaipur among others.

We hope that this bouquet of interviews and articles in this issue of eGov magazine will keep our esteemed readers updated on the skilling ecosystem of Rajasthan in the policymaking as well as academia perspective.

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CONTENTS

ARTICLES

10 ASHOK

GEHLOT, CHIEF MINISTER, RAJASTHAN

12

28

ASHOK CHANDNA, SKILL, EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP ALONG WITH YOUTH AFFAIRS GOVERNMENT OF RAJASTHAN

Cover Story: Rajasthan Leading Way to Become India’s Skill Capital

14 NAVEEN JAIN Chairman- Rajasthan Skill and Livelihood Development Corporation (RSLDC); Secretary-Department of Labour, Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship; and Commissioner, Labour, Government of Rajasthan

18 DR SAMIT SHARMA Commissioner, SEE & Labour cum MD, RSLDC

44 PANKAJ GUPTA President IIHMR University

24 SHUCHI SHARMA Secretary of Higher & Technical Education Department, Government of Rajasthan

46 DR TOOLIKA GUPTA Director, IICD

26 LALIT K PANWAR

35 SUNITA SANGHI

Vice-Chancellor, Rajasthan ILD Skills University

48 PROF R A GUPTA Vice Chancellor Rajasthan Technical University

Senior Advisor, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India

49 PROF H D CHARAN Vice Chancellor, Bikaner Technical University

40 VIJAYA

DESHMUKH Director, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Jodhpur

52 ANKUR GUPTA Principal Secretary, Department of Higher & Technical Education, Electronics & Information Technology, Government of Haryana

EVENT NAME

PLACE

MONTH

GOVERNANCE / URBAN / SMART CITY / IT / INNOVATION / ENERGY / ENVIRONMENT / AGRICULTURE

EVENT CALENDAR 2019 - 20 DECEMBER 2019

Urban Transformation Summit

Chandigarh

12 December

Innovation Summit Telangana

Hyderabad

18 December

EVENT NAME

PLACE

MONTH

Urban Investment & Innovation Summit/ SMART CITY / IT / Noida 20 December GOVERNANCE / URBAN INNOVATION / ENERGY /

/ AGRICULTURE EVENT ENVIRONMENT CALENDAR 2019 - 20

Safe Childhood Awards

Jaipur

DECEMBER 2019 JANUARY 2020

EVENT NAME

Urban Transformation Summit National Renewable Energy Summit Rajasthan

PLACE

Chandigarh

Jaipur

20 December

MONTH

12 December

10 January

Innovation Summit Telangana 18 December GOVERNANCE / URBAN / SMART CITY / ITHyderabad / INNOVATION / ENERGY /

National Agri-Tech Summit

Kerala

January

ENVIRONMENT / AGRICULTURE Urban Investment & Innovation Summit Noida

20 December

Safe Childhood Awards

20 December

Urban Innovation Summit

New Delhi DECEMBER 2019 Jaipur Bhopal JANUARY 2020 Chandigarh

Madhya Pradesh Agro Summit

Urban Transformation Summit

FEBRUARY 2020

National Renewable Energy Summit Rajasthan Innovation Summit Telangana

Science &Agri-Tech Technology Summit National Urban Investment &Summit Innovation Summit Rajasthan STRIDE Summit Urban Innovation Summit Safe Childhood Awards

Jaipur Hyderabad

Jaipur Kerala Noida

Jaipur New Delhi Jaipur

January January

12 December January 1810 December

7 February

January 20 December

February January 20 December

TECHNOLOGY / BFSIBhopal JANUARY 2020

Madhya Pradesh Agro Summit

th Renewable Energy Summit Rajasthan Jaipur 8National NBFC100 Tech Summit FEBRUARY 2020 Mumbai th &Agri-Tech Technology Summit National Summit National Co-operative Banking Summit 7Science

Rajasthan STRIDESummit Summit th BFSIInnovation Leadership Summit 4Urban 8 NBFC100 Tech Summit th

Healthcare Innovation Summit

th National Co-operative Banking Summit 7 Science & Technology Summit

7 February February January

Jaipur New Delhi Mumbai

February January 28 February

FEBRUARY 2020 Mumbai Lucknow

National Medical Education Conclave Healthcare Innovation Summit

January 23 January

December

Mumbai Jaipur

7 February

Mumbai Jaipur

28 February

New Delhi

Summit 4th BFSI Leadership Rajasthan STRIDE Summit

10 January 23

Jaipur Kerala Mumbai

TECHNOLOGY HEALTH / BFSIBhopal

Madhya Pradesh Agro Summit

January

Hyderabad

January

February

HEALTH / BFSI TECHNOLOGY

EDUCATION

th Healthcare Summit 8 NBFC100Innovation Tech Summit

Lucknow Mumbai

December 23 January

Higher & Technical Education and Summit HR Conclave th National Medical Education Conclave National Co-operative Banking 7

Jaipur New Delhi Mumbai

16 -17 December January February

th National Skill Summit Jaipur Healthcare Innovation Summit BFSI Leadership Summit 4

Jaipur Hyderabad Mumbai

20 28December February

Hyderabad EDUCATION HEALTH

21-22 February

16th World Education Summit

Higher & Technical Education Healthcare Innovation Summitand HR Conclave School Leadership Summit

Jaipur Lucknow Chandigarh

16 -17December December 18 April

National Skill Summit JaipurConclave Medical Education Education Conclave

Jaipur New Delhi Pune

20 December January 23 May

Summit 16 Healthcare InnovationSummit Summit th World Education World Education 17

Hyderabad New Delhi

February February 7-821-22 August 2020

th

School Leadership Summit

18th World Education Summit

EDUCATION Chandigarh Bengaluru

Education ConclaveEducation and HR Conclave Higher & Technical

Pune Jaipur

18 April

4-5 December 2020

23 May 16 -17 December

th WorldSkill Education 17 National SummitSummit Jaipur

New Delhi Jaipur

7-8 August 2020 20 December

18 16 World Education Summit

Bengaluru Hyderabad

4-5 December 2020 21-22 February

School Leadership Summit

Chandigarh

th

18 April CIO.eletsonline.com

Education Conclave

Pune

23 May

17th World Education Summit

New Delhi

7-8 August 2020

18 World Education Summit

Bengaluru

4-5 December 2020

th

www.eletsonline.com | #eletsonline

CIO.eletsonline.com

CHIEF MINISTER PERSPECTIVE

Rajasthan: Well on its way to boost Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship Rajasthan is the first state that has established livelihood mission to address the challenges of unemployment and ensuring gainful and sustainable employment to the youth of the state, writes Harshal Desai of Elets News Network (ENN).

To ensure proper enforcement of the provisions of employment exchange, collect and disseminate information about various self employment schemes to job seekers and run special scheme to assist job seekers of all strata society, are the major concern for governments.

Ashok Gehlot

Chief Minister, Rajasthan

10

DECEMBER 2019

Rajasthan has is the first state that has established livelihood mission to address the challenges of unemployment and

ensuring gainful and sustainable employment to the youth of the state.

Recently, last month, Rajasthan Skill and Livelihood Development Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Higher and Technical Education Department to start 39 skill development courses in 118 state colleges under the Mukhya Mantri Yava Kaushal Yojana.

Besides, this the government has also

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CHIEF MINISTER PERSPECTIVE

announced to open Industrial Training Institute and Polytechnic colleges in each district for women. 10 district headquarters namely Jaipur, Ajmer, Bhilwara, Jodhpur, Kota, Bikaner, Alwar, Udaipur, Banswara and Tonk already have the women polytechnic colleges.

UNEMPLOYMENT ALLOWANCE Government has announced unemployment allowance of 3500 rupees per month for educated unemployed youth. Under the Chief Minister Yuva Sambal Yojana by Labor and Planning Department, Government has decided to pay Rs. 3000 rupees to the male and 3500 rupees to female and special qualified persons on monthly basis.

EASY LOANS AND PLACEMENT CAMPS Further, in order to ensure job opportunities and promote entrepreneurship, Rajasthan Government will provide easy loans to eligible candidates. Employment Department, from December 2018 to November 2019, has organised 186 campus placement camps at district headquarters and 13774 youths were selected for employment. In order to motivate the youth for selfemployment, various credit provider institutions are invited and consulted in the skills, planning and entrepreneurship camps. With the aim of creating employment and selfemployment potential among the youth Skill development training is imparted

by RSLDC. During this training, information related to entrepreneurship development is also made available. For this, additional 30 hours training is imparted in the RSTP scheme in the corporation as well.

care, hospitality service. These sectors will be extensively promoted.

The work of promotion of employment opportunities in various service areas is done by the concerned departments.

Short term skill training programs are organized by RSLDC to make youth employment oriented in these service areas. In this order, after 18 December 2018, 16035 unemployed youth of the state are being provided employment and self-employment opportunities by providing training in the areas of tourism, information technology, health care and hospitality etc. through various schemes of the corporation. So far, a total of 94,710 youths have been trained in the above areas by the corporation and about 36 thousand youths have been provided employment opportunities.

TAPPING OPPORTUNITIES IN GOVERNMENT AND SEMIGOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR Government is also making efforts to provide more jobs and self-employment opportunities to the unemployed youth in government, semi-government and private sector. With a view to providing more private sector employment, self-employment and training opportunities to the youth unemployed in the state, a total of 75 skills, planning and entrepreneurship camps were organized at each district headquarters from December, 2018 to July, 2019 employing 30535 youth, Selfemployment and training opportunities have been provided. The fortnightly newspaper published by the department is available online on the website of Rajasthan Rojgar Sandesh Department.

SKILL TRAINING CENTRE Government is exploring various fields and has decided to create job opportunities in tourism, information technology, education, hospital, health

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After 18 December 2018, 57 skill training centers were set up by RSLDC to increase the number of skill training

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centers under skill training programs in the tribal areas as per the requirements of the region. 6008 youth have been trained in these training centers during this period. Currently 1229 youth are trained.

ONLINE PLATFORM TO EASE REGISTRATION PROCESS The registration process of unemployed candidates has been made online by employment offices. Also, the application for unemployment allowance, verification, approval and payment process has been made online as per instructions. Placement portal is being prepared by DOIT and Department. Employment offices are providing counseling to unemployed aspirants and camps are being organised to make primary selection of youth for employment.

SELF HELP GROUPS Formation of self-help groups for unemployed persons in rural and urban areas in the state is also on the agenda. Initiation of training system for skill development and upgrading in non-agricultural sector; Shoe making, cracks, carpeting, beekeeping, fisheries industry, dairy, making of forged and artistic objects by carving stones, R.C. C. Creating self-employment opportunities by developing skills in shuttering etc; Emphasis on providing easy credit facility to skilled laborers, handicraftsmen, artisans and trained unemployed youth are some of the major initiatives which are being conceptualised by the government.

Skill training programs are being organized in all districts of the state by RSLDC under skill training related to non-agricultural sector for unemployed persons in rural and urban areas of the state. In this sequence, 83,738 youth have been trained by the corporation after 18 December 2018.

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DECEMBER 2019

11

MINISTER’S PERSPECTIVE

Strengthening Skilling Avenues for Youth in Rajasthan Ashok Chandna, the youngest minister in the Rajasthan Cabinet who is handling the portfolios of Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship along with Youth Affairs and Sports has been making concerted efforts to create skilling avenues and link them with job opportunities. However, he believes that to achieve this goal there need to be a paradigm shift in the approach towards creating a better environment in favour of skilling, which starts with raising the standards of outcomes of our schooling process to create a wide and strong base for skilling the youth, writes Elets News Network (ENN).

Ashok Chandna

Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship along with Youth Affairs Government of Rajasthan

12

DECEMBER 2019

Skill, employment and entrepreneurship and youth affairs are perhaps the top areas where governments—across the country—are focusing a lot as both the subjects are related to the youth. Rajasthan is one such state—which, through Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development

Corporation (RSLDC) and Department of Skills and Employment and Entrepreneurship (DSEE)—has conceptualised and implemented various schemes that are essential to equip and empower the youth with more and more job opportunities.

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MINISTER’S PERSPECTIVE

“As we know, employment and skilling are interlinked, and unemployment is the most critical and reason for frustrating among youth of the State.

Therefore a lot more needs to be done.

On the skilling and employment front, since taking up the charge this year, I have been trying to strengthen skilling avenues for the youth and to link it with employment opportunities,” says Ashok Chandna, who is handling the portfolios of Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship as the Minister of State and is also serving as the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent Charge), Government of Rajasthan.

Chandna, in a message published in RSLDC’s newsletter, has expressed his concerns that today youths are fascinated by government and corporate white collar jobs and shun blue collar jobs. “The time has come to acquire new skills and keep an open mind to new approaches in the various job sectors so as to develop and evolve today’s youth. We are living in an ever-changing world. Skills that worked in the past may not work in the future.

To continue to succeed, reskilling, learning and adapting should become a continuous process. Skill development can help youth exponentially. The Youth seeks employment opportunities to move ahead in life.

Our skill development schemes need to be tailored to meet the aspirations of the youth,” the message reads.

The minister has assured DSEE and RSLDC, the nodal agency for skilling in Rajasthan, of his full support to further the initiatives. The Rajasthan Government has recently announced various schemes including Rs 3,500 per month for unemployed youth.

“They have been getting the benefit of the Chief Minister Yuva Sambal Yojana from February this year. Under the scheme, male applicants get Rs 3,000,” Chandna writes. The State government also runs schemes to provide women

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and differently-abled persons Rs 3,000 per month for two years, or until they get any job.

DSEE and RSLDC are leaving no stone unturned to achieve this through proper co-ordination of all skill development efforts across the State; building the vocational and technical training framework; skill up-gradation; building of new skills; and innovative thinking not only for existing jobs but also jobs that are to be created.

According to Chandna, Rajasthan’s Skilling Ministry and RSLDC are doing their best to make this possible. “If we raise the standards of outcomes of our schooling process while also creating a larger environment favouring skilling, we will have created a wide and strong base for skilling our youth,” he believes.

The mission of the RSLDC is to address the needs of rising unemployment in Rajasthan through formulating and promoting appropriate livelihood strategies for the State’s economically weak working population and fulfilling Government’s larger vision of attaining inclusive economic growth.

The Government of Rajasthan has also conceptualised a strategy to promote sports. The government is planning to host a sports event similar to Asian and National Games in the State next year.

According to the Sports Ministry the preparation has already been started.

Chandna has announced that these games will be organised next year between 2nd and 7th January.

Participating in these games will help players to prepare for Khelo India games.

Further, in order to encourage sports, the Rajasthan Government has made announcement to give jobs to players who have won medals at the national level at various games. And, those who participate in the national games of Indian Olympic Federation or Para Olympics Committee will get direct

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34-year-old Ashok Chandna is the youngest minister in the Rajasthan Cabinet.

He is a Polo player and participates in a Polo tournament along with his team – Chandna Group – every year in Jaipur. Chandna has been elected second time in a row as an MLA. government job. There are about 56 departments where the government is planning to recruit new candidates.

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DECEMBER 2019

13

POLICYMAKER’S PERSPECTIVE

RSLDC: Imparting Relevant Skills to Youth for Better Tomorrow Rajasthan Skill and Livelihood Development Corporation (RSLDC) is considered to be an icon in the country in terms of building and imparting relevant skill sets to the youth of the state.

Based on the background of the youths and their career objectives, RSLDC provides customised skill training, including soft skills as well as domain knowledge. In an exclusive interview with Kartik Sharma of Elets News Network (ENN), Naveen Jain, Secretary, Labour, Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship, Factory & Boiler Inspection & Medical & Health Services (ESI), Chairman, Rajasthan Skill & Livelihood Development Corporation (RSLDC), Government of Rajasthan, gives insights on various initiatives being taken by RSLDC in providing skilling and employment to the youth of Rajasthan.

Naveen Jain

Chairman- Rajasthan Skill and Livelihood Development Corporation (RSLDC); Secretary-Department of Labour, Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship; and Commissioner, Labour, Government of Rajasthan

14

DECEMBER 2019

In the field of skilling, Rajasthan Skill and Livelihood Development Corporation (RSLDC) is considered as an icon in the country. Could you tell us about this corporation, how does it function and what was the concept behind incorporating such an entity for skilling?

In 2004, the Government of Rajasthan

had constituted Rajasthan Mission on Livelihood (RMOL) and our Chief Minister was the Chairman of this. The objective of this mission was to provide various skill training programmes and employment to the youth of the state.

After five years, a budget announcement was made, the ‘skill’ part was added and it was then called Rajasthan Mission on Skill and Livelihood. In 2010, this mission was converted into a section 25

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POLICYMAKER’S PERSPECTIVE

company. After two years by another budget announcement, it was finally converted into a corporation which is known as RSLDC. The objectives remained almost similar to what they were at the beginning l To provide skill training to needy youth l To provide employment after skills are imparted l To encourage self-employment among the youth These three broad objectives were defined while making the RSLDC in 2012.

In 2014, another development took place and the CM of Rajasthan was made the Chairman of the Corporation.

Also in the same year, the entire department was reconstituted and now it is known as the Department of Skill Entrepreneurship and Employment (SEE).

The youth today has to understand that if they struggle for the coming four to five years of their life, the next 50 years of their life can be turned into something beautiful.

RSLDC is working for the skill training and creating employment opportunities for the youth and other skilled personnel of the state. What are the major activities undertaken by this corporation?

The major activities that have been taken up by RSLDC include: l Establishing skill development centres in different parts of the state with the help of government agencies and private training partners. l Connecting the youth either to placement or self-employment once skill training has been given. l Analysing the skill demand and supply gaps by having constant interactions with industries and working for those skills which are going to be in high demand in the future. l RSLDC works as a centralised nodal agency. If any other department wants to implement some skill

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.

training programmes, they don’t need to set up their own infrastructure. They can transfer their budget to RSLDC and the corporation can arrange training programmes according to the objectives of that department.

RSLDC runs various kinds of skill training programmes, can you name some of them for the benefit of the readers?

RSLDC runs various schemes based on different objectives.

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The first scheme is known as Employment Linked Skill Training Programme (ELSTP). Started in 2012, it is partly funded by the Rajasthan government. Very strict norms are followed in this programme and it is warranted by the training partners that they will establish a skill training centre, fulfilling all the requirements. These norms are quite high in standards. They also have to follow the National Skill Qualification (NSQ) framework. And after the training, 50 percent youths have to be given placement and 20 percent have to be given selfemployment. Payments to the training partners are made l When they fulfil the training criteria l When they fulfil the assessment criteria l When they fulfil the assessment and self-employment criteria The second scheme is known as Regular Skill Training Programme (RSTP). The main objective of this scheme is to run the various programmes with the help of Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Universities, Colleges, Technical Institutions and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

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POLICYMAKER’S PERSPECTIVE

to go for some other innovative schemes which I will like to explain in further questions.

RSLDC has decided to go for some innovative schemes and recently a scheme has been launched for college students.

Could you kindly elaborate on this scheme?

This programme has been made for specialised categories of the population like women, disabled persons, and even inmates living in correctional homes. It is a targeted scheme where the trainee age group has been fixed from 15 to 45 years.

Around 31 fields are covered and around 127 types of programmes are made available in this scheme. ELSTP and RSTP are both free programmes; the trainees don’t have to pay anything.

Furthermore, the training partners are given the responsibility for mobilising the required youth to attend the classes.

The above two schemes are totally funded by the Rajasthan government.

The third scheme is known as Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY). This scheme is financed by the Rural Development Ministry of the Government of India. It also has very strict norms. Here, youth in the age group of 15 to 35 years who belong to rural areas are selected, mobilised and given training in their desired area of interest.

16

DECEMBER 2019

This programme is also implemented through various training partners and demands timely assessment as well as placement. If placements are not achieved according to the norms, heavy penalty and recovery with interest may be imposed on the training partner.

Here, the training partners have to be very cautious about achieving their targets.

The fourth scheme is very famous; it is called Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 2.0 (PMKVY 2.0). The scheme is funded by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). It was launched in 2015 and is running in its second stage now. Some part of PMKVY is implemented directly by the Government of India while a big part is still given to the states so that they can run this scheme according to their needs.

These four basic schemes are run, of which two schemes are of the state government and the other two are Central Government schemes. Besides these four schemes, RSLDC has decided

The main target group of our four schemes, ELSTP, RSTP, DDUGKY, and PMKVY 2.0 was mainly youths who are school dropouts, who have some skills but they have to be further strengthened. Or the youths from rural and urban areas who are not able to get some glorified placement so that they can fulfil their financial obligations to the family. But it was found that there is a segment that has been completely left out, which are college students. In Rajasthan, there are more than 300 government colleges and lakhs of students are studying there. But it was found that after doing BA, B.Com, B.Sc., or BBA, the graduates are not considered employable as they have some academic knowledge but they lack industrial knowledge. To fulfil this gap, College Education Commissionerate has come up in collaboration with RSLDC to launch the Mukhya Mantri Yuva Kaushal Yojana (MMYKY).

The scheme was given go-ahead in the budget 2019-20. Here colleges will provide infrastructure, including projectors, computer labs and electricity, which is readily available with them. But the trainers and training material will be provided by RSLDC after conducting thorough surveys in the concerned colleges.

This scheme has completed its first phase by conducting these surveys in different colleges and their demands have been assessed. Many students have come forward and shown their willingness to participate, based on which, we have invited applications from our training partners.

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Our existing training partners have shown their interest and as a result, around 118 colleges have received around 300 batches in which more than 8000 students are enrolled.

This scheme is unique because no state in the country has gone for an official state-sponsored scheme for college students. Final year college students have been targeted so that when they pass out in the coming year, they possess three to four months skill experience or some skill certification which can increase their chances of getting a good placement.

We had recently conducted the Blue Collar Entrepreneurship Seminar and it has been decided that RSLDC will prepare a project proposal that would be presented to the state government in the next budget (2020). If everything goes right, we will convince the government to take certain measures to encourage the incubation of ideas coming from the youths of ITI or from the RSLDC skill centres.

There are many areas and parameters where RSLDC is still lagging behind. If we really want to train our youths for the jobs ahead, we have to take some concrete measures.

Since its inception, RSLDC has trained more than four lakh youths, out of which more than 1.87 lakh have been assessed and above 1.5 lakh have been given placement. These figures are very good but still, there are many youth segments that are left out. One segment has been covered by MMYKY, but when we go to the field, we get feedback that there is no flexibility in the newer training sessions.

As a part of the training, we teach both soft skills and domain knowledge, which goes on for three to nine months.

Sometimes, the youth has domain knowledge but he doesn’t have soft skills and as a result, he gets rejected in interviews. To remedy this, RSLDC decided to have dedicated vendors for only the soft skills part. It means we will have a flexi-course where you can come for three things:

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In this flexi-course, you can choose either English or IT or personality development or all three or any of three.

Another area that has been taken up is blue collar entrepreneurship. We believe that ideas can come to anybody; it is not limited only to B. Tech students or highly technical people.

Could you please elaborate on some of these initiatives? Are there any other innovative initiatives taken by RSLDC?

• English speaking

• Basic knowledge of IT • Personality development

It means that even the guys who are passing out from one or two year course at ITI or maybe three to six months training at RSLDC, they will be given some support in the form of co-working areas, subsidies, and financial or legal mentoring by the experts.

The third initiative which has been planned concerns the youths from Rajasthan who aim to join the Army or the Police. To join the Army and Police, aspirants have to appear in competitive exams. It has been found that the coaching centres for these two examinations are charging very heavily.

They take money not only for coaching but for hostel facilities also. In some places, the price ranges from Rs 30,000 to Rs 1.5 lakhs. In this regard, RSLDC would like to either have its own centre or tie-up with already established centres, as the government may allow.

In the fourth initiative, we are trying to improve our overseas placement bureau.

RSLDC has an overseas placement bureau that is working very well. It helps

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those workers who are going abroad to take up some employment. In the time of need or in any crisis, the desired help is provided to those workers and youths who have gone abroad. Many youths from Rajasthan are going to the Gulf or African countries for jobs and there they may face some problems, in which, the overseas placement bureau is helping.

We are also providing pre-departure orientation training to these youths in Jaipur and Sikar. People had to go to Delhi before opening these two centres, because this training is compulsory for going abroad. And in the near future, we are starting the same centres at Junjhunu, Churu and Nagaur as well.

It is good that the youths are being skilled but are there any issues which they need to be told? The RSLDC is making a good effort already but what is the message for youths who want to get trained or skilled?

Sometimes when we design things, we normally wonder why such great training programmes don’t get the desired youths or why our youths are not getting employment in the desired numbers. The answer is that the youth in Rajasthan have to understand that these days, some knowledge of the English language, IT skills, and personality development traits are necessary. Your body language is important; your behaviour towards the women in the office has to be very good because any wrong gesture may land you into trouble.

The youth today has to understand that if they struggle for the coming four to five years of their life, the next 50 years of their life can be turned into something beautiful. So my message to the youth is - try to struggle and adapt yourself to the new conditions.

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INTERVIEW

RSLDC – Empowering Youth to Contribute to Nation Building DR SAMIT SHARMA

Commissioner, SEE & Labour cum MD, RSLDC

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DECEMBER 2019

To close the yawning gap between skill sets requirements and the supply of trained youth, especially from rural areas, Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation as part of its outreach programme is working tirelessly in the state to enhance employability through skill development training programmes and ensuring job opportunities, says Dr Samit Sharma, Commissioner, SEE & Labour cum MD, RSLDC, in an interaction with Shivani Babbar of Elets News Network (ENN).

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INTERVIEW

What are the key focus areas of RSLDC? The key focus areas of functioning of Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation (RSLDC) include employability enhancement through skill development training programmes and ensuring job opportunities as per the scheme guidelines; meeting demand side requirements; focus on training and employability enhancement of women, SC/ST communities, minorities, jail inmates, and Nari Niketan inhabitants; and technologybased interventions for close monitoring.

monitored through district level WhatsApp groups.

Moreover, placements are linked with payments. Therefore, training partners are mandated to provide placements as per the scheme guidelines. We conduct regular review meetings with training partners to ensure that they comply with the scheme guidelines.

Is there a gap between the demand and supply of skills?

If yes, how are you catering towards fulfilling the demand?

Yes, there is definitely a gap between skill sets requirements and the supply of trained youth. Majority of the skill

initiated by RSLDC to implement skill development mandate of various departments have been proved very useful and the same has been appreciated at central level as well as by many states.

What is the role of technologies like AI, ML, IoT, etc, in skill-building? How is RSLDC deploying these technologies?

The above new age courses have a significant role in the future development of the country. We would ensure that entry level skilling requirements in these

How does RSLDC ensure uniformity in imparting skills to rural as well as urban students/youth?

Majority of the youth—as high as 78 percent—who are trained by RSLDC come from rural background. We provide residential facilities as part of our outreach programme for the youth. The Corporation identifies rural poor for skill training programmes by organising Special Gram Sabhas. The convergence departments mobilise the youth as per their requirements and hand them over to RSLDC for training.

What measures do RSLDC take to ensure that the students are employable?

Employability is linked to the quality of training. RSLDC has introduced various measures to ensure that training is provided appropriately.

The District Skill Coordinators are required to visit Skill Development Centres regularly and observe the quality of trainings and provide their inputs for improvement; IP camera has been introduced in classes to monitor the ongoing training programmes. Photo attendance is

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training programmes are supply based, however, we are trying to minimise the gap by forging partnerships with Industries and identifying their skill needs.

We are also planning a district-level skill gap analysis to ascertain the type of employment available at the local level and conduct such programmes which are locally suitable.

What are the innovations which have been taken up by Rajasthan in Skilling?

The Integrated Scheme Management System (ISMS) software of RSLDC is the platform which captures all activities related to skilling. Various reports are generated through this platform. The convergence model

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technologies are taken up by RSLDC.

What is your message for the youth and our readers of the eGov magazine?

India is far behind in availability of skilled workforce as compared to USA and other developed nations, though India is having the right population mix. This demographic advantage is required to be converted in demographic dividend. It is all possible through wide range of skill development programmes. The skilled person is an asset for the country and has got a better chance to lead a fulfilling and sucessful life and contribute to nation building.

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POLICYMAKER’S PERSPECTIVE

MSDE Focusses on Inclusivity of All Groups of People The initiatives under Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship are focused towards inclusivity of all groups of people. Under PMKVY 2016-2020, more than 40 percent all trained are women. Multiple special projects specifically focused on the needs of women have been implemented across India, says K P Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Skill, Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, in an interview with Sreetama Datta and Shivani Babbar of Elets News Network (ENN).

What are the major focus areas of the Ministry of Skill, Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship?

Ministry for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) focusses on enhancing employability of the youth through skill development. Since its formation, MSDE has been working to provide fillip to all skill development efforts across the country through removal of disconnect between demand and supply of skilled manpower, building the vocational and technical training framework, skill up-gradation and building capacities for new age skills among others. The Ministry is continually working to achieve the objectives of Skill India Mission with Scale, Speed and Quality. It is aided in these initiatives by its functional arms – National Skill Development Agency (NSDA), National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), National Skill Development Fund (NSDF) and 38 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs); training partners registered with NSDC as well as Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) Centres.

What are the recent initiatives taken by the Department? Who are the major stakeholders for whom these initiatives would be relevant?

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DECEMBER 2019

“Far reaching institutional reform is being brought about by merging the existing skill regulatory bodies - National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) and National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) into the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET). NCVET’s primary role would be to assure the quality of training services delivered in the VET sector in the country through the effective regulation of recognised bodies and Qualifications.”

Programmes such as PMKVY 2.0, Apprenticeship and Jan Sikhshan Sansthan (JSS), Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKK) and Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) have not only been streamlined to achieve scale with quality but also to build the capacities at multiple levels to meet the skill demand and aspirations of the youth. More than 70 lakh youths have benefitted from PMKVY 2.0 and we have already started working on the next version of the Scheme which shall incorporate the learnings of the past to provide more holistic skilling avenues to the youth of the country.

Apprenticeship is another area where we are very actively collaborating with employers and State Governments to significantly increase the enrolment of apprentices in the country. We recently amended the Apprenticeship Rules in 2019 to make it more employer driven and attractive and simpler for the establishments. Multiple rounds of workshops have been done with the stakeholders including CPSUs to disseminate and encourage apprenticeship in the country. Similarly, the ITI ecosystem is also in consolidation phase wherein a lot of emphasis is being given to expand the coverage and increase quality. The total number of Industrial Training Centres (ITIs)

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POLICYMAKER’S PERSPECTIVE

increased from 11,964 in 2014 to 14,693 in 2018-19 with trainee enrolment increasing from 16.90 lakh to 23.08 lakh during the period.

Far reaching institutional reform is being brought about by merging the existing skill regulatory bodies - National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) and National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) into the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET). NCVET’s primary role would be to assure the quality of training services delivered in the VET sector in the country through the effective regulation of recognised bodies and Qualifications.

How is it ensured that there is to ensure an all-inclusive delivery of these initiatives across demographic dividend?

The initiatives under Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship are focused towards inclusivity of all groups of people. Under PMKVY 2016-2020, more than 40 percent all trained are women. Multiple special projects specifically focused on the needs of women has been implemented across India.Similarly, the National Action Plan for Skill Training of Persons with Disabilities (PwD) was jointly launched by the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disability (DoPWD) on 21st March, 2015. The Plan envisages skill training of 25 lakh persons over seven years.

Training Centres are continuously being encouraged to become PwD friendly. Additional incentives have been provided for PwD candidates in the form of enhanced conveyance support, increased cost of training, transportation cost and support for assistive aids.

A cross-functional unit for Affirmative Action has been set up at NSDC to focus on projects for Persons with

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Disability (PwD), Women, SC, ST, Minority and other marginalized communities. A special Skill Council for Persons with Disability (SCPwD) was also formed in October 2015 for cross sectoral alignment and development of curricula in line with special needs of PwD candidates.

As per various reports, the Indian youth do not meet the employability criteria. What is your take on this?

In India, there exists a skill gap at two levels. On the one hand, there is the educated labour force that are not able to find employment matching their aspirational levels due to the mismatch in the skill sets sought by the employers. On the other hand, we see the low education/skill levels of the labour force leading to skill gaps in jobs that require skilled workforce.

According to the Labour Bureau (2014) the current size of India’s formally skilled workforce is only two per cent. Recent studies have indicated that employers found just about 25 percent of Indian professionals ‘employable’ in the organised sector (NITI Aayog 2015).

Nearly 82 percent of the workforce is in the informal sector with no formal training and primarily on-the-job learning. The question, therefore, is not only of fresh skilling but also of up-skilling / re-skilling the existing workforce to boost their employability in a labour market where job profiles keep changing with technological advancement.

However, skilling this huge labour force is a challenge given the very dynamic work environment, high proportion of school-dropouts, huge informal workforce, poor quality of training in the past etc. The task therefore involves effective measures to meet the skilled manpower requirement of the high growing sectors, increased investment in training infrastructure, ensuring that in

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the informal sector, skills that have been acquired informally are recognised and certified through recognition of prior learning to facilitate the transition to the formal sector. The imperative of developing skills to reap the demographic advantage and providing decent jobs to all has led to several programmes that have been introduced at the national as well as state level.

What are the major challenges faced by the Ministry and what are the ways taken to mitigate those?

Given the nature of Indian economy, more than 80 percent of our workforce is in the informal sector mostly working with low level of skill sets and limited avenues for skilling/ re-skilling and up-skilling. At MSDE, we are cognizant of this fact and that is where one of the major strategic priorities of our Vision 2025 roadmap is to “Catalyse Demand for formal skills specifically from small and informal enterprises and entrepreneurs”.

We were already facilitating the process of recognising informal skills through Recognition of Prior Learning.

Multiple courses aimed towards informal and MSME sector has been developed but now we would like to take this to our next level. We are already working on a comprehensive plan for the same.

The second challenge that we face is the low aspirational value of skill development. It is still considered only a secondary alternate to general education. Our third focus is convergence, currently more than 18 Central Ministries are implementation various Skilling Schemes and programs which are sometimes targeted towards similar segments. In addition to this State Governments also do run their own skill development programmes.

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POLICYMAKER’S PERSPECTIVE

How does MSDE offer support to those with an entrepreneurial bent of mind?

To promote entrepreneurship development within the country, MSDE has taken multiple initiatives, some of which are listed as follows: • Integration of Entrepreneurship Orientation Module in ITI and PMKVY - Keeping in view the mandate of MSDE, an end to end customised entrepreneurship orientation module has been integrated under the Employability and Life Skill Course module in the PMKVY courses ensuring that every candidate undergoing skill training is oriented towards Entrepreneurship. In ITI courses, the module on Entrepreneurship is already integrated as a section in the Employability Skills Module.

• Pradhan Mantri YUVA Yojana (PM YUVA): PM-YUVA scheme was launched in 2017 which provided entrepreneurship education to 33,325 candidates in 239 institutes of higher learning over two years, is now being re-structured to make it relevant for the candidates emerging from skilling ecosystem (ITI, Polytechnic, PMKK, JSS and RPL trainees). Pilot programme is being conducted and revamped Project proposal of Rs 490 crore has been submitted to Ministry of Finance (Deptt. of Expenditure) for their approval and the same is awaited.

• National Entrepreneurship Awards Scheme (NEAS): NEAS was instituted by the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) in the year 2016-17 to encourage a culture of entrepreneurship in the country by recognising the efforts of exceptional first generation entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders i.e. to individuals and organisations supporting

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DECEMBER 2019

“In India, there exists a skill gap at two levels.

On the one hand, there is the educated labour force that are not able to find employment matching their aspirational levels due to the mismatch in the skill sets sought by the employers. On the other hand, we see the low education/skill levels of the labour force leading to skill gaps in jobs that require skilled workforce.” entrepreneurs in their entrepreneurial journey. These entrepreneurs should have established models of excellence for others to emulate and improve upon.

• Economic Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs and Start-ups by Women (WEE) – To encourage women entrepreneurship and start-up by women, MSDE has signed an agreement with Deutsceh Gesellschaft for International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on August 16, 2018 to be implemented for three years (2018 to 2021) with the objective to improve the framework conditions for women-led enterprises in India.

• The National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development

(NIESBUD), Noida and Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati - Both the Institutes are autonomous bodies registered under Societies Registration Act-1860 and functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The organisational structure and functions of these institutes have been restructured to align it with the mandate of the Ministry. The revised functions of the institutes now focus on providing training, mentoring, consultancy, research, etc. for entrepreneurship promotion and development.

What is your message for the youth as well as the readers of eGov magazine?

Skills and Knowledge are the driving forces of economic growth and social development for any country. Countries with higher levels and better standards of skills adjust more effectively to the challenges in domestic and international job markets.

India adds approximately 12 million people to its workforce every year.

However, less than four percent are deemed employable or skilled enough to serve the needs of the organisations.

To address these challenges, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship in coordination with other Central Ministries, State Governments and Industry hascreated in skilling ecosystem. Through your magazine, I urge the youth of our country to join this skilling movement to make India the skilled capital of the world. Over the last four years, MSDE has been able to create the foundation for skill development in India. We have been able to create a dialogue around the importance of skills. Youth need to focus on continuous learning and lifelong learning.

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SPOTLIGHT: LEADER’S PERSPECTIVE

Rajasthan Moving In The Direction Of Upgrading The Curriculum In Technical Education

To achieve the goal of revamping the curriculum, we are urging all the colleges and universities to come up with a new and modern curriculum in their institutions, thus making the classes more interesting for the students to attend, says Shuchi Sharma, Secretary of Higher & Technical Education Department, Government of Rajasthan, in conversation with Kartik Sharma & Prathana Dutta of Elets News Network (ENN).

Shuchi Sharma

Secretary of Higher & Technical Education Department, Government of Rajasthan

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DECEMBER 2019

You have recently taken the position of Secretary, Higher Education and Technical Department, in the State of Rajasthan. How do you see

this responsibility and are you looking forward to it?

It’s a great responsibility that I have been entrusted with and I feel though a

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SPOTLIGHT: LEADERS PERSPECTIVE

lot has been done to give a good education system to the society still there is the scope of improvement. In fact, something needs to be done in a direction that emphasizes the evolution of the student as a good human being.

Therefore, I believe somewhere a dent is needed in the fundamentals of the present education system to achieve this goal.

What are the challenges that you foresee towards achieving the target? How do you plan to address these challenges?

What measures are taken to enhance the quality and upgrading the curriculum of Technical Education in the state?

TEQIP (The Scheme of MHRD and World Bank) has provided Rs 10 crore to each engineering college of Rajasthan and Rs 20 crore to Rajasthan Technical University, Kota, for enhancement of quality and up gradation of curriculum of technical education.

At the 15th World Education Summit Mumbai, you spoke on the concept of ‘Joy of Giving’.

Could you share your insight on this concept and what is the need of such a concept in the Higher Education sector today?

Knowledge shared is knowledge gained. ‘Joy of Giving’ is the concept that is tied up to the innate nature, compassion and interdependence in human beings. It is a paradox that more we acquire more discontented we become. In reality, acquiring more and more leads to discontentment and what we give to others is what makes us feel content. If we inculcate ‘Joy of Giving’ as an essential part of the school curriculum, we can teach the child to apply it in day-to-day activities, thereby crystallising the curriculum. A child who is a ‘giver’ is more beneficial to the society than an ‘acquirer’.

What is your vision in developing the higher education ecosystem in the state of Rajasthan?

Besides infrastructure, we need to focus on the syllabus and keep it from getting redundant. Irrelevant topics which are still taught in classes need to be removed. In case of a redundant syllabus, not only are teachers disinterested in teaching, even the students don’t turn up in lectures due

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to boredom. We need to move in the direction of upgrading the curriculum.

To achieve this goal, we are urging all the colleges and universities to come up with a new and modern curriculum in their institutions, thus making the classes more interesting for the students to attend.

In last few months, the department has arranged many training seminars, conferences for improvement of pedagogy and various latest equipment’s. About Rs 25 crore will be spent in current financial year on modern labs, computers and research facilities by which more than 10 thousand students of technical institutes will be benefitted with better facilities in education, research and consultancy.

What are the newly introduced schemes for Research and Development of the state in terms of technical education?

Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) and semester system has been introduced in all departments of Rajasthan Technical University, Kota.

This has been recognized by National Board of Accreditation, New Delhi.

• Uploading of university degrees on National Depository platform.

• Under RUSA Scheme of MHRD there is construction of cafeteria and books in library will be

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marked with radio frequency identification (RFI)

What initiatives have been undertaken by the department to make education sector vibrant and result-oriented?

With an objective to prepare good academicians, the department has started induction training programme for newly appointed assistant professors. Initiatives like free coaching classes for regular students of the colleges help the department in making education sector vibrant and resultoriented. Subject matter experts in the department are preparing e-content for these classes. The department is also opting for skill education initiatives along with regular studies to make students after their graduation and post-graduation degree.

Please provide a brief description about the administrative initiatives taken for smooth functioning of the department.

The review meetings with the concerned officials of the respective department on regular basis are among the major initiatives that helped in smooth functioning of the department. We have also installed Biometric attendance system for principals and professors. The OIC system installed in various colleges helps in monitoring the progress and problems of the colleges at CCE level.

What message would you like to give to the students?

My message to the students is that life is the most precious gift of God. It should be lived joyfully. For this, every moment should be lived creatively. We should not lose any opportunity to leave something new and go on contributing to building a healthy society.

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SPOTLIGHT: RISU

RISU envisions making youths employable and industry ready Although we are just a two-and-a-half-year-old university, we have initiated the affiliation process. Currently, we are present in 23 districts of Rajasthan out of 33. As many as 3,200 students are enrolled in our university, says Lalit K Panwar, Vice-Chancellor, Rajasthan ILD Skills University, in an exclusive interview with Shivani Babbar of Elets News Netowrk (ENN). He also shares the institute’s vision an plans in the pipeline for the upcoming years.

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Lalit K Panwar Vice-Chancellor, Rajasthan ILD Skills University

What is the vision of RISU that makes it an engine of social growth in Rajasthan?

10+2, as well as the college students so that they are industry-ready from the very first day.

keep pace with the needs of the market. In view of this, how often is the curriculum updated?

RISU was established on March 30, 2017, by the Government of Rajasthan.

It is the first university on skill development established by a state government in the country. The vision of the university is to make youths employable, by imparting relevant skills.

Our objective is to impart employment skills to school students, studying in the

We are offering concurrent Diploma and Certificate programmes in skill training.

At present we are offering 118 courses, of which most popular courses are of Hotel Management, Fashion Design, Yoga and Wellness, and Fire Safety and Disaster Management among others.

Our courses cover new-age technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Animation and VFX to name a few, which are considered to be promising fields and 100 percent placement is assured. Mechatronics is the latest course that we have introduced. Our courses are a blend of traditional and new-age courses, which

DECEMBER 2019

Education is evolving rapidly to

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SPOTLIGHT: RISU

have a demand in the market.

Does the industry provide any inputs in terms of the course curriculum or other aspects?

Yes, of course. We have two industry members on our Academic Council and under the chairmanship of Industries Commissioner, there is a Standing Committee where I am one of the members in the capacity of ViceChancellor of RISU. The members of this Committee include employers and industrialists. In this way, an Academia Industrialists Matrix has been built. All the members and stakeholders of the Committee meet regularly to set the agenda and receive feedback from the employers and industrialists.

Has RISU taken any special initiative to attract youths from the rural areas of Rajasthan and improve their livelihoods?

Although we are just a two-and-a-halfyear-old university, we have initiated the affiliation process. Currently, we are present in 23 districts of Rajasthan out of 33. As many as 3,200 students are enrolled in our university. Even in the remotest of areas, such as Jaisalmer, Ganganagar, Dungarpur, Udaipur, Swai Madhopur, Kota etc. our courses are being pursued by students.

Is RISU engaged in any research and development activities or initiatives?

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We have not started with research activities yet as we do not have our campus yet. Government has allotted us land in the Sikar Delhi Bypass road but the construction process and recruiting faculty members are still in process. At present, we are focussing on affiliation, development of skill development courses, which include six months certificate courses and one-year diploma courses, two-year advanced diploma courses and three-year degree

courses. The Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees are called Bachelor of Vocation (B. Voc) and Master of Vocation (M. Voc) respectively. Right now we are engaged in curricular development, conducting exams and providing placement support to the pass outs of RISU.

Is RISU collaborating with any global organisation or institute?

Right now we have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with leading institutes like Malviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Bharatiya Skill Development University (BSDU) among others. We aim to attempt international

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collaborations from next academic session, once we set up our campus and start offering regular classes and research & development facilities.

We have taken up some academic innovations. Concurrently, the students to pursue BA, B. Com or B. Sc. can opt for Skill Development Certificates and Diploma at our university for up to two years, simultaneously, while opting for their regular courses. This improves their chance of employability. For instance, it is difficult for a regular B.Com student to get the desired job, but a B.Com with a two-year Diploma programme in entrepreneurship, or a B. Sc. with a Diploma in AI or BA degree with Diploma in Event Management increases their chance of employability in an organisation of their aspiration.

Some of the leading private colleges such as Agrawal College, Subodh College, Bhilwara Mahila Ashram etc. have come forward to collaborate with us for the impartment of relevant courses to the students.

Next year onwards we aim to grant free affiliations to almost 300 government colleges which are offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes for skill development courses. We will also help these colleges in the faculty development process so that students can acquire the relevant and in-demand skill sets which will make them employable once they complete graduation or postgraduation.

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COVER STORY

RAJASTHAN LEADING WAY TO BECOME INDIA’S SKILL CAPITAL Strengthening the skill component among the employable youth is one of the biggest components contributing towards the country’s economy. Rajasthan has been one of the first states in the country to set up a Skill Mission. Kartik Sharma and Sreetama Datta of Elets News Network (ENN) assess how Rajasthan has pioneered in building a skilled and empowered youth vis a vis human resource for the country.

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kills and knowledge are the driving forces of our nation’s economic growth and social development. India has been facing severe shortages of well trained and skilled workers. India is the most dynamic and youngest economy across the world, for foreign investments and to cater the same we will need trained and educated, and niche workforce in diverse sectors.

India adds approximately 12 million people to its workforce every year.

However, less than four percent are deemed employable or skilled enough to serve the needs of the organisations.

Our workforce readiness is one of the lowest in the world and a large chunk of skill impartment infrastructure is redundant to the industry needs.

To address these challenges, Ministry of Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is being instrumental in creating an ecosystem of coordination of all skill development efforts across the country.

MSDE also aims to remove disconnect between demand and supply of skilled manpower. The Ministry not only imparts the necessary skills but also aims to develop innovative thinking for existing jobs as well as the jobs that would be created.

Rajasthan has been one of the first

states in the country to set up a Skill Mission, Rajasthan Mission on Livelihoods (RMoL) in 2004 for skill development in the state, which has been rechristened as Rajasthan Mission on Skill and Livelihoods in 2009-10.

In a bid to improve the employability index among the youth of the state, Department of Skills and Employment and Entrepreneurship (DSEE), Rajasthan has conceptualised and implemented various schemes which are essential to equip and empower the youth with more and more job opportunities.

Talking about the initiatives of the Department, Ashok Chandna, Minister of Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship; Sports & Youth Affairs, Government of Rajasthan says, “As we know, employment and skilling are interlinked, and unemployment is the most critical and reason for frustrating among youth of the State.

Therefore a lot more needs to be done.

On the skilling and employment front, since taking up the charge this year, I have been trying to strengthen skilling avenues for the youth and to link it with employment opportunities.”

AREAS OF CHALLENGE India currently faces a severe shortage of well-trained, skilled workers. It is estimated that only 2.3 percent of the workforce in India has undergone

formal skill training as compared to 68 percent in the UK, 75 percent in Germany, 52 percent in USA, 80 percent in Japan and 96 percent in South Korea. Large sections of the educated workforce have little or no job skills, making them largely unemployable. Therefore, India must focus on scaling up skill training efforts to meet the demands of employers and drive economic growth.

MSDE mentions that India’s annual skilling capacity was estimated at approximately 7 million during the period 2013-2014. Apart from meeting its own demand, India has the potential to provide a skilled workforce to fill the expected shortfall in the ageing developed world.

The Ministry further states, “The enormity of India’s skilling challenge is further aggravated by the fact that skill training efforts cut across multiple sectors and require the involvement of diverse stakeholders such as: multiple government departments at the centre and state levels, private training providers, educational and training institutions, employers, industry

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once skill training has been given.

Analysing the skill demand and supply gaps by having constant interactions with industries and working for those skills which are going to be in high demand in the future.

• RSLDC works as a centralised nodal agency. If any other department wants to implement some skill training programmes, they don’t need to set up their own infrastructure. They can transfer their budget to RSLDC and the corporation can arrange training programmes according to the objectives of that department.

•

In a bid to improve the employability index among the youth of the state, Department of Skills and Employment and Entrepreneurship (DSEE), Rajasthan has conceptualised and implemented various schemes which are essential to equip and empower the youth with more and more job opportunities. associations, assessment and certification bodies and trainees. All these stakeholders need to align their work together in order to achieve the target of ‘SkillIndia’.”

A Nasscom report states that about 40 percent of India’s total workforce has to be re-skilled over the next five years to

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cope with the emerging technology trends like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

RSLDC – ARCHITECT FOR SKILLED AND EMPLOYABLE YOUTH Rajasthan Mission on Skill and Livelihoods was converted into corporation in the year 2012, and was further rechristened as Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation (RSLDC). RSLDC currently operates by employing multipronged strategies to engage stakeholders from industries, training institutes, education sector, associations and government bodies with various active Skill Development Centres.

Naveen Jain, Chairman, RSLDC, who is also the Secretary, Labour, Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship, Factory & Boiler Inspection & Medical & Health Services (ESI), shares the objectives of RSLDC as: • Establishing skill development centres in different parts of the state with the help of government agencies and private training partners.

• Connecting the youth either to placement or self-employment

Mukta Arora, DGM, RSLDC says, “Every year 8 to 10 million youth enter the working age population in India. This may appear as a huge opportunity, but it also poses a threat of a demographic disaster unless and until it is timely addressed by making youth employable at the same pace as they are penetrating into the job market. Rajasthan seeks to provide employment opportunities to 1.5 million youth in five years. RSLDC has acknowledged these gaps and have designed platforms to enable to take care of the ground realities.”.

RAJASTHAN REACHING OUT TO WEAKER SEGMENTS OF SOCIETY DSEE has laid special emphasis in ensuring last-mile connectivity to every segment of the society. In an attempt to ensure last-mile reach, the DSEE is laying special emphasis on providing Skill training to women, transgenders, Persons with Special Abilities, juveniles, inmates of the correctional homes, LTV PAK Migrants and other such special and untapped segments of the society, thus empowering them with quality training and placement opportunities.

Samit Sharma, Managing Director, RSLDC says, “Having visualised the

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dream of creating ‘Skill Rajasthan’ and with an aim of generating numerous job opportunities for the youth, the Rajasthan Mission on Livelihoods (RMOL) was set up way back in 2004.

Since then, Skills has come a long way. Now with streamlined support from the Central Government through the National Skill Development Corporation and Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Skills has become a buzzword among the training partners as well as the masses.”

INTEGRATING IT WITH SKILL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES In a bid to create transparency in the skill imparting ecosystem and also to mobilise the youth towards registering and participating in the skill training sessions, RSLDC and DSEE are heavily deploying Information Technology.

RSLDC currently operates by employing multipronged strategies to engage stakeholders from industries, training institutes, education sector, associations and government bodies with various active Skill Development Centres.

Some of the IT and ICT initiatives include Integrated Scheme Management Systems (ISMS), Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS), Online Skill Calendar, Livelihood portal etc.

WAY FORWARD According to Chandna, DSEE and RSLDC are leaving no stone unturned to achieve this through proper coordination of all skill development efforts across the State; building the vocational and technical training framework; skill up-gradation; building of new skills; and innovative thinking not only for existing jobs but also jobs that are to be created. .

Stating the importance of soft skills, Jain says, “We will have a flexi-course containing three components: • English speaking • Basic knowledge of IT • Personality development In this flexi-course, youths can choose

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either English or IT or personality development or all three or any of three.

Another area that has been taken up is blue collar entrepreneurship. We believe that ideas can come to anybody; it is not limited only to B. Tech students or highly technical people.

It has been decided that RSLDC will

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prepare a project proposal that would be presented to the state government in the next budget (2020). If everything goes right, we will convince the government to take certain measures to encourage the incubation of ideas coming from the youths of ITI or from the RSLDC skill centres.

The other initiatives are to provide coaching to the youth who aim to join the Army or Police and to aid in the overseas placement process.

Sharing message for the youth, Jain says, “The youth in Rajasthan has to understand that these days, some knowledge of the English language, IT skills, and personality development traits are necessary. Your body language is important; your behavior towards the women in the office has to be very good because any wrong gesture may land you into trouble. The youth today has to understand that if they struggle for the coming four to five years of their life, the next 50 years of their life can be turned into something beautiful. So my message to the youth is - try to struggle and adapt yourself to the new conditions.”

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SPOTLIGHT: RSLDC

RSLDC:

BRIDGING Job-Skill Gap in Rajasthan Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation (RSLDC) as a nodal agency for skill development and livelihood activities in the state is fully geared up in its skilling initiatives in a bid to achieve its target of skilling the youth to fit into emerging market scenario by building a skilling system that embraces changing demands of employment market, writes Vivek Ratnakar of Elets News Network (ENN).

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ajendra Prasad Meena, who is from a small village called Tapilya in Sikar district of Rajasthan, could not afford to go to a college due to financial constraints. His father is a daily wage labourer, who struggled hard to make ends meet. But Rajendra was determined to improve the financial situation of his family. “I decided to do something to improve my family’s financial and social condition. Coincidentally, Rohitash & Hari Sir from Safeducate Pvt. Ltd., a Skill Development Centre being run under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Sikar came to my village and explained us about its training programme,” says Meena. The decision to join the training programme proved to be life altering experience for him. “After completing the programme, I got selected in FedEx Pvt. Ltd. as an Operations Assistant which helps me earn over Rs 15,000 per month,” he says with pride underscoring how he has not only improved his family’s financial condition, but also helped him gain respect in the society.

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Rajendra Prasad Meena’s story is that of hope and courage; of dreams becoming a reality; and of the rise of Rajasthan on the back of positive social and economic transformation enabled by Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation (RSLDC).

another girl at Rs 7,000 per month to support her in the business. Varsha is strengthening her business by reinvesting her earnings, and has emerged as a shining example of what a girl can achieve if given the right direction and support.

However, looking at the efficacy of interventions designed by RSLD only in terms of job creation and skill development for individuals would be a folly, for the Corporation’s programmes have been successfully churning out entrepreneurs who are critical in helping India’s cause of economic growth and development for all. Take for example, the case of Varsha whose father works in a bangle factory as a labourer and earns Rs 7,000 per month, while her mother sells vegetables to

There are hundreds of such stories to share from across Rajasthan -- thanks to RSLDC which is driving the youth of Rajasthan towards realising their own potential through skilling and making them employable.

“Today’s youth are fascinated by government and corporate white collar jobs and shun blue collar jobs. The time has come to acquire new skills and keep an open mind to new approaches in the various job sectors so as to develop and evolve today’s youth. We are living in

support the family. Varsha joined as a Computer Faculty & Centre Coordinator at Karni Computer Centre, Nagaur, after completing her training as a documentation assistant in 2017. She learned how to manage a computer centre and saved some money to start her own computer centre. She took her life’s biggest decision to quit her job after one year and laid the foundation of her venture named Tulsi Computer & Emitra. Her sister helped her with a working capital of Rs 50,000, which was loaned by Uco Bank.

an ever changing world. Skills that worked in the past may not work in the future. To continue to succeed, reskilling, learning and adapting should become a continuous process,” says Ashok Chandna, Minister of State for Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship; and Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent Charge), Government of Rajasthan.

Starting her computer training centre in a rented accomodation with six computers, today Varsha has hired

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His thoughts sum up the vision with which Rajasthan is moving towards empowering the youth to reap the benefits of demographic dividends India has today.

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Department of Skills, Employment and Entrepreneurship (DSEE) and RSLDC are leaving no stone unturned to

achieve this by way of proper coordination of all skill development efforts across the State, building the vocational and technical training framework, skill up-gradation, building of new skills, and innovative thinking not only for existing jobs but also jobs that are to be created.

Naveen Jain, Secretary, DSEE and Labour Department; and Chairman, RSLDC, says that “the aim is to make Rajasthan the future skill State of the country. We believe ‘skill education’ has the ingredients to change the future of the country”.

Recognising the existing skill gaps, he

“Rajasthan government’s aim is to

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create quality and productive employment opportunities for the youth, because it is not just for the economic benefit that youth must be skilled, there are social reasons too.

Moreover, India is turning out to be a high growth market – which will generate employment in a big way, and with the ageing world population, young India has an opportunity to be the global supplier of manpower. The Central Government’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, too, has projected a total human resource requirement of 103.4 million people between 2017 and 2022,” Chandna adds.

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SPOTLIGHT: RSLDC

adds that every year hundreds of youth are churned out of the formal education system with only a formal degree to boast of. “They lack the practical know-how –– skilling. We need to inculcate learning, knowledge and employability factor in the formal education system. In a scenario of plenty of discussion on the new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotic we should not forget that at the end of the day we will need a qualified person to operate these machines.”

According to a Nasscom report, about 40 percent of India’s total workforce has to be re-skilled over the next five years to cope with the emerging technology trends like AI and machine learning.

In view of the paradigm shift happening in skilling space, Rajasthan has been spearheading the efforts to actively implement strategies to address the challenges of unemployment, says Dr Mukta Arora, DGM, RSLDC. “Way back in 2004, recognising the dire need to bridge the gap between demand and supply of skilled manpower and improve employment prospects, Rajasthan became the first state in the country to launch a skill mission with the creation of the Rajasthan Mission on Livelihoods (RMoL).”

In 2015, for an effective integration of various skilling units -- Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Employment

Exchange and RSLDC, -- under one umbrella, the Department of Skills, Employment and Entrepreneurship (DSEE) was formed. Rajasthan was also the first State in the country to establish a ‘Government Skill University”.

RSLDC as a nodal agency for skill development and livelihood activities is fully geared up in its skilling initiatives in a bid to achieve its target of skilling the youth to fit into emerging market scenario by building a skilling system that embraces changing demands of employment market.

The efforts put in by RSLDC in promoting skill development have not gone unnoticed. The State has won the ‘Skoch Platinum Award’ for Best State in Skill Development for two consecutive years – 2017 and 2018. Rajasthan also held ASSOCHAM Gold Trophy for Best

State in Skilling for three consecutive years – 2015, 2016 & 2017 – and ASSOCHAM Diamond Trophy for Best State in Skilling in 2018.

To leverage the job opportunities arising, RSLDC is also actively engaging with Sector Skills Councils (SSCs), industries, and other stakeholders to improve various aspects of skill development such as improving the quality of training, speeding process of certification and assessment and understanding the emerging job trends.

According to Naveen Jain, in retail sector there are plenty of employment opportunities, as shopping mall are rapidly on the rise in Rajasthan. He also says that other sectors like IT and ITes, and security services are generating lot of opportunities for new talent.

Moreover, the e-commerce segment has also created lot of demand for jobs.

The way forward, Jain says is the need of private players playing greater role; a robust entity in place to regulate the entire skilling ecosystem; and greater incentives for employers to take skilling to the next level.

“You need to slow down to speed up.

You need to build yourself an integrated platform that works when you are not working. Leveraging your knowledge and reducing time spent to do such is the key to success,” he advises.

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MSDE: Encouraging Convergent Approach to Build Skilled Nation We are witnessing another Industrial revolution which necessitates constantly upgrade our skills to keep pace with technological changes. Our dream for becoming the future skill capital of the world depends on how fast we can adapt to this changing scenario, says Sunita Sanghi, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India in an interview with Sreetama Datta and Shivani Babbar of Elets News Network (ENN).

Why it was so important to focus on the development of youth and create awareness about various skilling activities

Sunita Sanghi

Senior Advisor, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India

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Youth of a state or nation is the reservoir of energy to be harnessed for the growth and development of the country. The demographic transition across globe where many economies are ageing has provided India a unique opportunity with its huge youth population to be able to provide workforce across globe. Therefore, education and skill development is the key to channelise their energy.

As per a report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), World Skills Russia and energy company Rosatom, the human

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capital development could accelerate the GDP growth in a given country by between 0.5 percent and two percent.

With the largest youth population in the World, India has the opportunity to accelerate the economy by skilling youth as per market demands.

Skill development is an enabler of sustained livelihood opportunities. In India where more than 30 percent of students’ dropout even before completing class 10th, Skill Development is the pathway for such students to get back to mainstream workforce. Therefore, creating awareness for skilling is very important for country like India.

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POLICYMAKER’S PERSPECTIVE

We would like to know about the concerted efforts by Government to empower India’s youth through variety of skill development initiatives in association with a number of organisations?

We have been working on multiple dimensions to create a layered skill ecosystem which is inclusive and dynamic at the same time. Supply and demand mismatch for skilled manpower has been an inherent problem in our economy. We have worked in a very concerted manner to foster deeper engagements with Industry and reduce this supply-demand gap. As many as 38 sector skill councils have been formed with primary objectives to identify the skill development needs in line with that of the Industry, determine skills or competency standards and qualifications, and conduct standardised assessment and certification. Till date more than 3,500 courses or Qualification packs have been developed which have been validated by more than 2,000 companies. All this is being done under the NSQF framework so that this standardised framework can be easily adopted.

We are also facilitating a greater participation from the private sector to enhance and upgrade the Training Infrastructure in the country through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

NSDC, a public private company under Ministry of Skill development and Entrepreneurship has been given the role to catalyse, fund and enable the creation of large, quality vocational training institutions network in the country. Similarly, we have steadily increased and upgraded the long term training ecosystem represented by Industrial Training Institutes in the country. We have also taken skill development to schools under Samagra Sikhsha Abhiyaan wherein we are working with MHRD. MSDE is also working in the Aspirational Districts to ensure availability of adequate skilling

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opportunities. There is increased focus on involving districts in the skill development through creation of District Skill Committees and also development of district Skill Plans to address the challenges of local skill requirements. There are various central ministries which are implementing programs to address the specific sectoral and socio economic groups’ skill requirements. Skill Development is a cross cutting subject involving various stakeholders. We at MSDE encourage convergent approach.

the Common Cost Norms special incentives have been provided for women candidates, special womenoriented projects are being implemented under PMKVY, Women Centric training centres in both short term and long-term skill development programs have been developed/are under development. We are also working with Germany for a programme on Economic Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs and Start-ups by Women (WEE).

How does skilling India’s youth, especially young women, play a key role in the overall growth of the country?

Our efforts have already started bearing fruits. More than 40 percent of the candidates trained under PMKVY are women and we know that this percentage is bound to increase. Our efforts are to improve employability of women so as to improve their participation in the labour market. The Jan Shikshan Sansthan programme implemented by the Ministry aims to help especially the women to take up economic activities by providing training at their door steps.

If you educate a man you educate an individual but if you educate a woman you educate a whole family. As a Ministry, we firmly believe that women play a very important role in nation building and no nation has succeeded in long run, if it did not provide equitable opportunities to women. To bring in more women under the realm of skill development, we are working on a multi-pronged approach. Under

If India has to bring to life its dream of becoming the future

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working on various initiatives for further unification of the system such as unified regulator through National Council National Council for (NCVET) and a National Database for Skill Development in India through Skill India Portal.

skill capital of the world, what should be key focus?

The nature of job is changing dynamically than ever before. We are witnessing another Industrial revolution which necessitates constantly upgrade our skills to keep pace with technological changes. Our dream for becoming the future skill capital of the world depends on how fast we can adapt to this changing scenario. We need to focus on future skills such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing, programmes on cyberphysical systems. It needs a collaborative industry level response.

We have already stepped up to the challenge with the FutureSkills Initiative – a truly industry driven learning ecosystem. IT/ITES Sector Skill Council continuously working with the Industry to bring in Industry 4.0 programs at a rapid pace.

We have introduced in our ITI ecosystem new age courses and have tied up with IBM and CISCO to train our youth.

We are gearing up for this next wave of Industrial revolution and believe that we will realize the dream of becoming the skill capital of the world

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Please share a brief insight about The Skill India Mission.

How it has contributed to the country’s skill development ecosystem?

The Government of India launched National Skill Mission in 2015 and announced a policy with objective to create, correct, certify, connect and catalyse the efforts to ensure availability of adequately skilled manpower. The National Policy on Skill Development and Skill India Mission are facilitating government to formalise, standardise, converge and support the skill development efforts in the country.

Most of the Central Ministries and State Governments are implementing various skill development initiatives which are targeted towards various sections of the society, demography and geography. There needs to be unifying framework in terms of quality and regulation so that certification is valued universally. We have been able to achieve this through National Skill Qualification framework wherein we have been successful in bringing most the Government funded programs under this umbrella. Similarly, we are

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MSDE is also focussing on Apprenticeship training to help youth have experience to work on the shop floor and government of India shares the stipend which enterprises pay to the apprentice trainee. To improve participation of the MSMEs in the skill ecosystem a third party aggregator program has been initiated to help small enterprises use apprentices without any hassle. This has probably happened for the first time in skill development history of India and could not only happen because of the overarching framework provided by National Policy on Skill Development and Skill India Mission.

What is your message for the readers of eGov magazine?

I would like to extend my warm wishes to all the eGov magazine readers, especially the youths and would like to take this opportunity to tell them that multiple skilling avenues have been made available for them by Government of India through Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. These skilling initiatives would help the youth enhance their employability and access employment opportunities.

We are committed to facilitate anyone who so wishes to acquire skill development of his/her choice. Please visit MSDE, PMKVY, NSDC and DGT websites for any information pertaining to our skilling initiatives.

Helpline numbers are available in case of any further information.

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SPOTLIGHT: CHILD SAFETY

SPARSH: 100 Days, 16 Districts, 1060 Sessions and 2.88 Lakh Children in SAFE ZONE Child sexual abuse is a growing social challenge in the country. To address this issue, Naveen Jain, Secretary for Labour, Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship, Factory & Boiler Inspection & Medical & Health Services (ESI), and Chairman, RSLDC, Government of Rajasthan launched the voluntary campaign ‘Sparsh’. Elets News Network (ENN) throws light on the campaign’s initiatives and way forward.

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ach day we feel disturbed at the rising incidence of child abuse cases in the country. Mental, physical and emotional torture of innocents is way beyond our imagination. Some blame it on heavy reporting and raising awareness but surely there is much underneath we have yet to dig out and feel even more pained and ashamed. These reports trickle from each part of the country without any exception. Kerala, a state supposed to be a high-rank state on human development indicators, has also miserably failed in matters of child safety from sex pests.

Kerala police registered 3,366 cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act from April 2018 to March 2019. In Rajasthan also situation is no better. Every day there are reports of sex abuse with children as young as three to four years of age.

Recent reports from Jhunjhunu and Bikaner have been shockers as in one case it was a teacher who was abusing boys and in other, it was the girl’s father and the matter was reported only after

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her teacher came to know of this crime. It is no less a shame for society as a whole for failing to protect childhood from such traumatic experiences. In Jhunjhunu case the crime continued even though the matter was reported to the internal complaint committee by young victim but none bothered ever and it was only when the boy could not bear it more and mustered courage to speak up, that the crime came to light and 12 more boys confirmed sexual abuse with them by the teacher.

Naveen Jain

Secretary for Labour, Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship, Factory & Boiler Inspection & Medical & Health Services (ESI), and Chairman, RSLDC, Government of Rajasthan launched the voluntary campaign ‘Sparsh’

Recently, the Human Rights Wing of Rajasthan Police has revealed in its survey that 89 percent of the sexual crimes against minors its close relatives who are involved. This must send shivers down our spine. As this report indicates that girls from the infant age to adulthood are targets of such crimes committed by people who they trust or who are closer to them. Rajasthan has also seen the spread of a network of criminals dealing with child sex abuse imagery and creating an unsafe web

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SPOTLIGHT: CHILD SAFETY

world. These are the sources offering a clue to the criminals to apply methods and means to lure and abuse a child and often it leads to a threat to life also.

created a social media platform to energise the teams and used it powerfully and meaningfully to create a buzz in the society for the campaign. It all started by engaging volunteers and a pool of people and at first, step leading them all into the process of finding a suitable name for the campaign on ‘Good Touch, Bad Touch’ to begin with and creating frames for the campaign and carrying it with shared responsibilities by following standardised approaches.

In the wake of these rising incidents and its implications, it is so urgent to educate our children about the nature of physical abuse and their preparedness to deal with such occurrences. This is part of preventive action to equip and prepare our children to sense and respond to the threats around them. Based on the right and tested knowledge, such crimes can be controlled and watched to send a strong message to the criminal mind that it can no longer continue to happen. This pain of innocence being robbed and the purpose of keeping our children safe was the genesis of this campaign.

Pain and Purpose While we see media coverage of the stories of child sexual abuse, most of us react to it and fume sitting in our comfort zones. We sometimes feel helpless also as we do not know how to address this issue at a level it requires to be dealt with. Naveen Jain, an IAS officer could hardly bear it all. He believes in action than mere lip service. Using his strength of being a civil servant, he built direct connect with children, teachers, and parents through schools as that appeared only immediate solution rather than cribbing about it and watch it happen every day. Thus emerged a voluntary campaign ‘Sparsh’ to address the issue in the right earnest and talk it out clearly with children and through them with teachers and parents both to create a safety zone around children using scientific knowledge and understanding.

Naveen Jain is Secretary for Labour, Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship, Factory & Boiler Inspection & Medical & Health Services (ESI), and Chairman at Rajasthan Skill & Livelihood Development Corporation (RSLDC), Government of Rajasthan. He initiated the campaign which resonated well with concerned citizens who joined him in this drive. He

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Using his clout as an administrator, he connected with a larger audience through Facebook and managed to get the like-minded on board. The volunteers or ‘Sparsh Soldiers’ have been the most crucial cogs in the wheel of this campaign. They all, coming from varied streams, varied qualifications and work profiles work for one common goal i.e. to make childhood safe. They all chase collective targets and volunteer their time to speak to children following a predesigned, pre-set module agreed upon and continuously refined by the Sparsh team. Children in the age group of 5 - 14 years are the targets of this campaign.

And, none of the volunteers go unprepared. It’s after undergoing orientation, teams start off to have school sessions. First, they all join as team members supporting the team leader and under-experienced ones they catch all points to carry on themselves independently but as part of a larger whole. This is how it has spread to other districts through chain-reaction and involvement of self-driven concerned citizens.

Training-Guide: Clarity is Key Initially, the training of the teams was all verbal and one on one, now all FAQs, process, methods and key messages based on understanding and experiences are compiled in Sparsh-Guide. It elaborates on every aspect of the campaign and how to make an impact, as that is the larger goal. It also explains how to build a conversation with children of tender age and mature ones and how to

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make them understand the nuances of this issue without leaving any scope for confusion or fear. Clarity is the key on part of the trainer and receiver both to complete the loop of communication. As the matter is so grave and serious, nothing can be left to chance. The guide contains all answers to possible queries from children and suggests the best solutions based on the reference material from expert agencies and inputs from child psychologists. Jain passionately keeps sharing his views and addresses queries directly or through teams from trainers and schools on social media and beyond.

Happier-Safer The campaign has reached more than 2.88 lakhs children in the state in 100 days educating them to differentiate between ‘Safe and Unsafe Touch’ and using protection methods. During this time span, more than 1,060 sessions were conducted in 16 districts while the numbers are growing each day and the journey is at full pace still. Jain shares that ‘I want every child to grow up safe and choose best of everything that life has to offer with no childhood burnouts, hence teaching them the basics of good touch and bad touch to ensure they do not become victims of child sexual abuse’. He is leading a team of young dynamic volunteers spread across different districts of Rajasthan and together they are making the best use of their time and energy for this noble cause and sense of commitment to not let their children suffer anymore. Everyone is assured that this massive effort will help build a safety zone around children and they will grow up happier and safer.

In his earlier portfolio as Managing Director of National Health Mission, Rajasthan, Jain has also successfully led ‘Daughters are Precious’ campaign to save unborn girl child fruits of which are visible in improved statistics of sex ratio.

With inputs from Sparsh Team.

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ACADEMIA PERSPECTIVE

Craft-Centric Courses

Enable Creative

STIMULATION AND

Self-Expression

NIFT Jodhpur conducts eight to 10 skill development programmes every year for artisans from Rajasthan through the State Government. We are involved in design intervention programmes to them with knowledge of trends and marketing strategies to improve livelihood of artisans, especially women, says Vijaya Deshmukh, Director, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Jodhpur in an exclusive interview with Sreetama Datta and Shivani Babbar of Elets News Network (ENN).

Vijaya Deshmukh Director, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Jodhpur

What makes NIFT Jodhpur different from the other NIFTs across India?

NIFT Jodhpur is a fully residential campus. It has students from all parts of India. Here students have space to follow their passion and showcase their talents. There is provision for sports and cultural activities along with other extracurricular activities.Students here celebrate festivals from different states along with national and international festivals. They pursue their dreams here.

We encourage innovation. The learners are motivated to find out whether the education they acquired has had an impact on their goals and what were the levels of satisfaction.

What are the flagship programmes offered by NIFT Jodhpur?

Our flagship programmes are Master of

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Fashion Management (MFM), Bachelor of Design (B.Des) and Bachelor of Fashion Technology (BF.Tech). Among these courses, MFM is a PG course for two Years and B.Des and BF.Tech are UG courses for four years and in B.Des there are four streams Accessories Design (AD), Fashion Communication (FC) , Fashion Design (FD) and Textile Design (TD).

What is the total strength of the institute?

There are 800 students study in the NIFT Campus, Jodhpur.

What are the basic skills a prospective candidate must possess in order to get

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ACADEMIA PERSPECTIVE

admission in NIFT Jodhpur?

In MFM, candidates should be graduates from any discipline with no age limit, and in BF.Tech, the eligibility is 10+2 with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics with age up to 23 years, and for admission in B.Des, 10+2 from any discipline with age up to 23 years. Creativity is the main factor that candidates must possess along with critical thinking skills and how you do it differently.

and strategic alliances with 34 leading international fashion institutes and organisations that share the same academic direction. This integrates NIFT students with the global mainstream of fashion. The international Exchange programmes have been further strengthened to provide opportunities for students and faculty exchanges and joint research projects.

According to you, how can the skill of craftsmanship are inculcated from an early age?

What is your message for the academia and policymakers for the same?

Craft-centered education creates a balance between theory and monotonous learning through creative stimulation and self-expression. It helps in reducing discrimination between manual and intellectual skills and overcoming prejudices through respect for socially meaningful work that meets the needs of urban and rural Indians.

Academia and policymakers should understand the learners and give them time and space. Learning should be complementary and interconnected.

How is NIFT Jodhpur instrumental in promoting India’s rich artistic treasure in the international market?

Has NIFT Jodhpur collaborated with the MSDE or RSCDL in order to impart specific art and crafts skills among the youth? If not, is there any such plan in the pipeline?

NIFT Jodhpur conducts eight to 10 skill development programmes every year for artisans from Rajasthan through the State Government.We are involved in design intervention programmes to them with knowledge of trends and marketing strategies to improve livelihood of artisans, especially women.

The core activities of the institute have enhanced its international visibility and standing. NIFT has entered into MoUs

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Our exchange programmes and students taking internships and working abroad in decision-making positions are instrumental in shaping the future of fashion, promoting Indian design sensibility in order to bring India on the global, domestic and export sector of in India in global markets. NIFT Jodhpur also works with exporters in providing design intervention for making the products in line with the latest trends, improving quality and adding aesthetic and functional value.

What is your message for the readers of eGov magazine?

An institute should have innovative courses which add value, encourage critical thinking, lead to innovations and are unique. The institutions also have the responsibility for socio economic development of the region and not just become degree granting institutions.

The courses should have a multidisciplinary approach and should lead to holistic development where knowledge,

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research, consultancy finally lead to betterment of the society. Instruction based learning is scuffling creativity and there is no space to think, explore, practice, observe, develop and stimulate the brains leading to lack of problem solving approach.

We need to end the long academic feud and isolation and glorification of our disciplines and learn to see what is good in others and respect other disciplines if we are really interested in doing something good for the society.

Students with their young minds should be respected as partners and their ideas and concepts should be encashed. Student with their fresh, creative and innovative ideas will make research more fruitful. The ability to think laterally and synthesise information has no limits, because we are unburdened by experience and conventions. As we grow up, our education and experience clutter our ability to think in an unrestricted fashion and at times, we make solution seems difficult than they are. Solving problems with the help of creative, lateral methods or ideas with an aim to achieve desirable solutions is needed.

Thinking of solutions comes only after synthesizing the foundation of problem.

Education is not about facts. In information age they come free. It’s about encouraging creativity and empowering students to change the world for better. Institutions need to become storehouses of ideas and not storehouses of facts. It’s about Openness.

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SPOTLIGHT: IICD

IICD manifests India’s heritage of craftsmanship The Indian Institute of Craft and Design is a unique institute as it focuses on the understanding, promotion, design development, design intervention, marketing intervention and sustainability of Indian crafts, writes Nivedita Narayan, Assistant Professor, IICD Jaipur for Elets News Network (ENN).

Dr Toolika Gupta Director, IICD Jaipur

The role of design education is vital in bridging the gap of understanding, connectivity, information and empathy existing between the craftsmen, consumer and contemporary generations, by bringing about the synthesis of the functional practicality of design and the efficient aesthetics of crafts.

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The imagination of India invokes in every heart, an unadulterated image of vibrancy. This colourful rainbow is painted by its dynamic geography, diverse people, distinct culture and a million sparkles of a thousand unique crafts, beaded in the threads of utility, aesthetics and emotions.

Crafts in all their manifestations constitute a greater part of the Indian

heritage, and in the lack of proper preservation, promotion, research and integration a great many of them are facing the fear of oblivion. Here the role of design education becomes very vital in bridging the gap of understanding, connectivity, information and empathy existing between the craftsmen, consumer and contemporary generations, by bringing about the synthesis of the

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SPOTLIGHT: IICD

functional practicality of design and the efficient aesthetics of crafts.

The Indian Institute of Craft and Design is a unique institute as it focuses on the understanding, promotion, design development, design intervention, marketing intervention and sustainability of Indian crafts. In today’s world where globalisation and mass consumption are the buzz words, the craft sector faces a threat of extinction without proper support. India is rich in its handicraft traditions, IICD wishes to acknowledge the contributions made and issues faced by a huge number of its craftsmen. Many NGOs and institutes are working towards saving India’s languishing crafts. They have their challenges, as one needs to not only save the crafts but solutions should be sought to make the crafts self-sustainable.

IICD offers courses that target various crafts practiced in the country that

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IICD offers courses which target various crafts practiced in the country, that include soft materials like textiles to hard materials like wood and metal along with fired materials like pottery and ceramics.

IICD offers a holistic view to aspiring designers. include soft materials like textiles to hard materials like wood and metal along with fired materials like pottery

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and ceramics. IICD offers a holistic view to aspiring designers. The focus is on the aesthetic along with the functionality of the design. Like the 19th century ‘Art and craft movement’ which shunned the mediocrity of mass production and focused on the niche qualities of the handcrafted, the Indian Institute of Craft and Design inculcates the love for quality, design and craftsmanship in its students. In November 2017, IICD had organised its first international conference, with the view to increase the visibility of researchers in this area. Students benefit from the various platforms that IICD has to offer, international exchange for mutual benefit, exposure to talks by national and international craftsmen and an environment seeped in creativity!

IICD invites all enthusiastic aspiring designers to be a part of IICD, to quench their thirst for knowledge and to explore their potential in a healthy environment.

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UNIVERSITY PERSPECTIVE

IIHMR UNIVERSITY STRIVING TO ACHIEVE OPTIMAL EDUCATION

The challenge of improving the quality of teaching by training teachers and supporting them with modern teaching aids, tools and methodologies need to be taken up, says Pankaj Gupta, President, IIHMR University, in conversation with Shivani Babbar of Elets News Network (ENN).

Pankaj Gupta President IIHMR University

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With almost 25 years of experience in teaching, leadership and institution building, how has been your experience in the industry so far? What is your vision after joining IIHMR as the President?

I believe in living mindfully in the “now” and living ‘One day at a time’ and for all these years I have lived by this. Now when I look back, it seems like a beautiful canvas.

I strongly believe that fulfilment in life can be achieved by the right knowledge, quality education and inner journey.

I decided to enter the world of academics at a young age of 21 with the credence that this is the way for change. Over the years, I realised the importance of spirituality and mindfulness and the long time I have spent in silence solitude at Chopta, near Kedarnath, has changed my perspective and way of living life. My personal focus now is not just academic excellence but also achieving human excellence based on ethics, truthfulness and a need for self-realisation. My core area of teaching was Financial Accounting, Management Accounting and Strategic Cost Management. But now

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I am more focused on life related courses such as, Self-awareness and Mindfulness, Ancient Wisdom, Money to Meaning etc.

Aspiring to bring in a moral compass to healthcare management education, we have recently launched, “Centre for Wellness, Mindfulness and Ethics” at IIHMR University. I have also introduced the students to the basic tenets of this ancient Indian discipline through various workshops and training sessions.

Tell us the challenges that the education ecosystem is still facing in today’s time.

Today, it is very difficult to predict over half the expertise and skillsets which will be required in the next 5 years. The concept of lifelong learning will have to be embedded in the way we teach our youth. Education institutions have been made accessible to all through various schemes and initiatives undertaken by the government. We face the challenge of student’s enrolment and learning. To enable this, an enabling ecosystem should be developed which attracts students, teachers who have a passion for their chosen vocation, pedagogy that transitions from routine learning to conceptual methods that can keep both teachers and students engaged and engrossed. The challenge of improving the quality of teaching by training teachers and supporting them with modern teaching aids, tools and methodologies need to be taken up with creating self-inspired ‘Gurus’.

How is the curriculum designed at your institution? What are the special features that make IIHMR different from other universities?

We try to make classes more interactive in nature which is a healthy mix of formal lectures, case studies, presentations and lots of experiential workshops. The teaching methodology is supplemented with lectures and sessions from industry experts. Apart from this, we have introduced practicum which is followed

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one day in a week where we conduct field visits, guest lectures, quiz sessions and case studies leading to a high-quality educational offering. This was introduced to develop ‘rigor and relevance’ in their ongoing Modules.

innovation using a 360-degree approach to enable start-ups. The focus is on producing venture ready workforce and transforming Job seekers to job creators.

IIHMR University is South Asian region’s premier knowledge institution specialising in research, postgraduate education and training exclusively in the healthcare Sector. The University offers MBA in Hospital and Health Management, Pharmaceutical Management and in Rural Management.

It also offers master’s in public health (MPH) programme, in cooperation with John Hopkins University, USA. Apart from this, the institution also runs doctoral programs, executive education, research and consultancy in a variety of fields related to the health care sector.

IIHMR University here has been ranked first amongst the cleanest higher educational institutions in India in the Swachh Campus rankings 2019. What were the initiatives taken to be one of the cleanest universities?

Over the past decades the institution has conducted more than 800 research projects and studies in health policies and programs at the national and international levels. Our vision is to make a visible impact on improvement of health services management, produce world-class research output and emerge as the one of the leading academic centres of excellence in the Asian region.

What are your future endeavours in shaping the future course of the University?

We at IIHMR have been striving to achieve optimal education, creating a formidable framework for healthcare.

IIHMR University is arming its students with the right kind of tools to create a positive interference in serving the public. To enhance this, we intend to expand our scope to multidisciplinary factions, aiming for global expansion.

IIHMR-U has recently launched ‘Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship’ (CIIE) on 26 September, 2019. CIIE aims to promote entrepreneurship and

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IIHMR University has been ranked first amongst the cleanest higher educational institutions in India in the non-residential universities category in the Swachh Campus Rankings 2019 organized by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Govt. of India. We are elated and proud to receive the award for being the cleanest university in India. cleanliness is one of the most important goal of real education and we must adopt it.

The basic aim of education must be to make a complete human being. Our University is a green-clean institution that also promotes a culture of cleanliness, health, sanitation, waste management, rainwater harvesting, solar power, and a green eco system.

The University is committed to the cause of environment conservation.

Recently, we also declared our campus ‘plastic and smoke-free’. Our students, faculty and staff have played a very important role in this regard and we are very proud of the team. The use of plastic is detrimental to the environment and human body. Keeping this in view the university has taken an important decision to ban plastic in the university. Henceforth single-use plastic items like bottles, cups, glasses and other items, polythene bags and plastic items have been banned. Our University fared well with all the parameters of Swacchta Ranking and here we are!

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ACADEMIA PERSPECTIVE

IICD: Where Creativity is the Way of Life DR TOOLIKA GUPTA Director, IICD

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With sharp focus on creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, IICD is different from other institutes in the country as here craft is not one subject, but the complete focus is on crafts. Its strength lies in imparting hands-on work experience and its focus on designing in the crafts sector, says Dr Toolika Gupta, Director, IICD, in conversation with Shivani Babbar of Elets News Network (ENN).

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What is the vision of Indian Institute of Crafts and Design?

The Vision of the Indian Institute of Crafts and Design (IICD) is to continue to invigorate the craft sector and to become a centre of excellence in crafts and design, encouraging research and bringing new life to the languishing crafts of India.

While conducting the admission process, what kind of skills or talent you look for in the applicants as basic eligibility and selection criteria?

We focus on creativity and out-of-thebox thinking, which are the key factors required in the field of design. We look for qualities like: How observant is the student? How good is he/she is in expression? Does he/she have empathy? Do they have an understanding of Crafts? Thus we have a written and a drawing test, which is also a test of creativity. Once the students pass this test, then they are tested on their 3D skills by creating some object/installation with the given materials. This is followed by a personal interview. We really want only the most deserving and the most interested students to join our courses.

What are the factors that make IICD stand out from the other institutions offering programmes in design and crafts?

All the design institutes in India teach

What is the total strength of the institute?

Currently, it is 384 students and 48 staff and faculty members.

What is the scope of pursuing programmes in crafts and design? crafts. It is important, as our country can proudly boast of many handicrafts even in today’s age and time. But IICD is different from other institutes as here craft is not one subject, but the complete focus is on crafts. Its strength lies in imparting hands-on work experience and its focus on designing in the crafts sector. Our focus is on crafts, and we work with all handicrafts, be it textile, wood, metal, stone, terracotta or others. We are a materials based institute and our focus is on materials—designing with them, understanding them, selling them and carrying out research on sustainably producing them.

The scope is unlimited. We create job givers more than job seekers. Many of our students turn entrepreneurs. Many of them go to companies that value crafts and craftsmen, the salaries are good, and more than that the impact on the environment and the world is very large.

Does your institute conduct placements at the end of the course? Which are the top recruiters?

Yes, we conduct placements in November. Companies like Fab India, Anokhi, Tatas are among the top recruiters of students passing out every year.

What is your message for the readers?

Be empathetic towards the craftsmen, only buy what is needed, and buy sustainably. Low-cost items imported from across the world have huge negative impacts, buy local, buy less.

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UNIVERSITY PERSPECTIVE

Rajasthan Technical University Kota: An Engine For Societal Growth In an exclusive interview with Prathana Dutta of Elets News Network (ENN), Prof R A Gupta, Vice-Chancellor, Rajasthan Technical University (RTU), Kota, gives his insights on how RTU, Kota is working towards a bright future for the youth of Rajasthan and fostering a culture of high quality research in the institute.

What is the vision of RTU that makes it an engine of societal growth in the state of Rajasthan?

The state’s first technical university, Rajasthan Technical University at Kota has been developed with a vision to provide opportunities to the youth of the state, particularly those from humble village backgrounds. The university endeavours to provide the youth with a platform to groom their personality, improve their technical education, develop their entrepreneurship skills and make them employable. The students are encouraged to face the challenges of the competitive world by taking up projects based on solving social/industrial problems. The university adopts villages for upliftment by spreading education through mentoring and motivation.

What are the initiatives taken by you to foster a culture of the high-quality research at your institution?

Initiative of high quality research: A type of research which is oriented to solve industrial and social problems for the benefit of the society is being promoted.

To provide better opportunity and ease of access to the upcoming areas of research, various research centres have been established across the state of Rajasthan.

To ensure quality and to establish a firm place in emerging technological fields, examiners are appointed from premier

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institutes and scholars are encouraged to work with pioneers in the relevant fields.

A plagiarism checking software has also been adopted.

Education is evolving rapidly to keep up with the needs of industry and markets. In view of this, are you making regular changes to the curriculum of popular courses like B.Tech?

To incorporate global industrial requirements in the present education system, the syllabus/curriculum has been revised as per the modular curriculum prepared by AICTE with inputs from people in industries, premier institutes and alumni of the institute.

Do you follow a student-centric approach to learning? If so, what are the initiatives taken in this regard?

Due weightage is given to interdisciplinary courses, elective courses and open electives to provide flexibility to the students to opt for courses as per their interest and inclination. A six-week industrial training is ensured for students to familiarise them with the current trends in industries and in areas of their interest.

Various innovative teaching methods are being adopted to make the education learning based.

Do schemes like the Technical Education Quality Improvement

Prof R A Gupta

Vice Chancellor Rajasthan Technical University

Programme (TEQIP) offer any remarkable assistance, or is something more required to make significant improvements to the quality of education?

TEQIP has supported the technical education on various fronts by providing faculty members to institutes, thereby improving the Student to Faculty Ratio (SFR); providing funds to establish state-of-the-art laboratories and by providing opportunity to students and research scholars to work at premier institutes.

In order to enhance the employability of students, the grant for internship may be increased.

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UNIVERSITY PERSPECTIVE

Bikaner Technical University Ensuring Affordable Quality Education To Students Prof H D Charan

Vice Chancellor, Bikaner Technical University

Established in 2017, what is the vision of Bikaner Technical University that makes it stand tall amongst other universities in the state of Rajasthan?

Our vision is to provide knowledge and develop skills along with proper etiquette in the students and make them more employable for the future.

What are the initiatives taken to achieve excellence in innovation and research at your institution?

The university aims to develop more job creators in place of job seekers, thus developing the syllabus and curriculum, with more emphasis on practical and fieldwork, says Prof H D Charan, Vice Chancellor, Bikaner Technical University, in conversation with Prathana Dutta of Elets News Network (ENN). present and future market. Eventually students will be more employable and land with good jobs. We have also started some new courses like Bachelor of Design, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science & Computing, etc.

What are the guidelines for the recruitment at Bikaner Technical University, in order to create transparency in the recruitment process?

Apart from MTech and MBA, what are the other courses introduced?

How well is the curriculum upgraded to suit the industry demands for the students?

As per the strict guidelines by AICTE & UGC, qualifications and eligibility for the desired position should be checked from time to time. The university will follow the process for the screened candidates and they have to pass through a written examination and interview process of the weightage of 70% and 30% respectively. The written exam is based on testing the depth knowledge of the subject, while the interview comes with the presentation, discussions etc in front of the interview board. All the processes are recorded and can be reviewed.

The University has started some new courses fulfilling the demand of the

What are the future schemes for Affordable Quality Education

The university aims to provide knowledge and develop skills in the students. Therefore, keeping the priorities straight, it is developing the syllabus and curriculum with more emphasis on practical and fieldwork including universal Human Value Education and Professional Ethics.

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that will enable students to professional skills and develop a perspective globally?

Bikaner Technical University is working mainly in three ways mentioned below: It is developing the syllabus and curriculum, with more emphasis on practical and fieldwork. Fieldwork includes the rigorous work performed by the students at the working site or industry of their respective fields. \ Since a very long time, Bikaner Technical University has been working continuously to develop its syllabus and curriculum in the emerging areas of the technology i.e. Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science & Computing, and Design, etc, that meet the demands of present and future markets and industries with an ideology favorable to humanity.

Simultaneously, the university is working to update the knowledge and skills of the faculties also by organising regular ‘Faculty Training Programs’ with AICTE in the field of the present and future technology and emerging areas also. The university has successfully organised 8 FTPs and 06 Workshops for HVE and trained around 350+ Teachers in each.

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ADVERTORIAL

Hydrocarbon Sector Skill Council Hydrocarbon Sector Skill Council (HSSC) has been set up for the Oil & Gas sector, in line with the National Skill Mission of India, under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoP&NG) to achieve its primary objective of skill development in Hydrocarbon Sector of INDIA and to meet the entire value chain’s requirement of appropriately trained manpower in quantity and quality on a sustained and evolving basis.

The council became operational in Oct’2017 upon signing the agreement with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) 4.0-Best in Class Employer scheme under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) HSSC is executing RPL-4 Best in Class Employer (BICE) Scheme in association with best in class PSUs [IOCL, HPCL, and BPCL] and is in process for certifying the large number of uncertified workforce engaged with the dealers, distributors and contractors of IOCL, HPCL and BPCL in Retail Outlet Attendant (Oil & Gas), LPG Delivery Personnel & Tank Lorry Driver (Petroleum Products). HSSC has covered One Lakh Twenty Thousand Eight Hundred Eighty-Seven (120887) candidates under the scheme till date.

(RPL-4 On Site Assessment)

(RPL-4 Certificates to successful candidates)

MoU with Industry Partners

HSSC has signed MOU with IOCL, HPCL and BPCL for PMKVY RPL 4.0-Best in class Employer Scheme

(MoU with IOCL)

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(MoU with HPCL)

(MoU with BPCL)

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ADVERTORIAL

Development of Qualification Packs/National Occupational Standards (QPs/NOS): In start, 12 high priority job roles of Hydrocarbon Sector/subsectors (2 trades of Upstream, 2 of Midstream, 7 of Downstream and 1 in Construction and Services) were identified by the Industry Task Force Committee, constituted by MoP&NG from Oil & Gas PSUs. Short Term Training (STT) Program in Skill Development Institutes (SDI’s) The Skill Development Institutes (SDI’s) promoted by CPSE’s under MoP&NG and are state-of-theart Institutes to cater the need of skilled manpower in Hydrocarbon sector.

As on Nov 2019, training in SDI’s have been imparted to over 12780 trainees in various trades with over 80% placement record.

SDI-Bhubaneswar

SDI-Vizag

SDI-Kochi

SDI-Guwahati

SDI-Raebareli

SDI-Ahmedabad

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) under GAIL Urja Ganga Project •

Under the GAIL Urja Ganga Pipeline project, a bridge training is provided by the Training Partner i.e. LabourNet followed by assessment and certification

•

Till Sep 2019, training have been imparted to over 1200 workers in various trades including in Industrial Welder (Oil & Gas) & Pipe Fitter-City Gas Distribution trades of HSSC under the project and training have been imparted to over 900 workers at GAIL work centers

Skill Development under City Gas Distribution (CGD) project: Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) launched 9th and 10th City Gas Distribution (CGD) bidding round in 86 and 50 Geographical Areas (GA’s) respectively.

The requirement of skilled, semiskilled and unskilled manpower in different occupations and job roles involved in CGD network were estimated by an intra-industry committee constituted by HSSC. The total employment generation of skilled, semiskilled and unskilled manpower in CGD industry is projected at 329346 over a period of 25 years in 9th round of bidding Gas. Qualification Packs (QPs) as per the requirement in City Gas Distribution Industry has been identified and HSSC is in process for their development and approval.

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POLICYMAKER’S PERSPECTIVE

OUR FOCUS IS TO PORTRAY HARYANA AS KNOWLEDGE HUB OF NORTH INDIA Ankur Gupta

Principal Secretary, Department of Higher & Technical Education, Electronics & Information Technology, Government of Haryana

Haryana has gradually evolved as knowledge based economy due to the abundance of capable and qualified human capital. It has immense opportunities to establish its distinctive footing not only in the country but in the world.

Empowering the students and making them educated and self- reliant has always been one of the prime concerns and focus of the Department of Higher Education, says Ankur Gupta, Principal Secretary, Department of Higher & Technical Education, Electronics & Information Technology, Government of Haryana in an interview with Priya Yadav of Elets News Network (ENN).

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What is the vision of the Department of Higher Education, Government of Haryana?

Department of Higher Education, Haryana acknowledges the importance of reforms that need to be taken overhaul education system in the state. Accordingly, the department is working on various initiatives, which will not only improve the overall education scenario but also help in portraying Haryana as an education hub in North India.

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POLICYMAKER’S PERSPECTIVE

Haryana has gradually evolved as knowledge based economy due to the abundance of capable and qualified human capital. It has immense opportunities to establish its distinctive footing not only in the country but in the world. Empowering the students and making them educated and selfreliant has always been one of the prime concerns and focus of the Department of Higher Education. The Department understands that Entrepreneurship plays a very important role in the economic development of the state and this objective can only be achieved by providing the Entrepreneurial Education to the youth, who wants to build their enterprises and become job creators of the nation.

“The Department has decided to provide an ecosystem to students where they become independent and earn by themselves through the promotion of entrepreneurship and freelancing opportunities.”

How is the Department working towards creating an ecosystem of entrepreneurship among the students?

The Department has decided to provide an ecosystem to students where they become independent and earn by themselves through the promotion of entrepreneurship and freelancing opportunities. Students will be provided those skills and technical know-how which will help them in utilising various freelancing platforms and generate income parallel to their studies. It is believed that empowering the students and making them educated and self- reliant can only be achieved by providing the Entrepreneurial Education to the youth.

We have signed a contract with an agency to execute this project.

We have also formulated a policy to establish Entrepreneurship Development Clubs (EDC) within the existing placement centres in all the State Universities, Government, aided and self-finance colleges of the state to inculcate ‘Entrepreneurial Culture’ amongst its youth and equip them with

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skills to act as job creators instead of being job seekers in future.

The EDCs are set up within the existing placement centres in all the higher educational institutions in the state.

This would be a part of the Department’s drive to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in the state. Through these EDCs, the Department of Higher Education, Haryana envisions a society of selfmotivated individuals’ kernel with a constructive and intense entrepreneurial drive leading to

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positive outcomes for the state. These EDCs would also facilitate campusindustry linkage on the higher education institutes of the state.

As per another policy, we are setting up Startup Incubators in Government colleges. At present, we have set up an incubator in Government College, Sector-1, Panchkula with overall 3,000 square feet of shell space. Various events including mentoring, pitching evenings, boot-camps, workshops for building the network of entrepreneurs are taking place which has witnessed huge responses from the students of Panchkula, Raipur Rani and Barwala colleges. The objective of these incubators is to encourage young entrepreneurs to build startups as well as create an innovation-centric atmosphere in various institutes of Higher Education, Haryana. The Department is setting up four more incubators in the Government Colleges of Karnal, Gurugram, Hisar, and Faridabad. Similarly, Incubators are set up in all State Universities.

To ignite the passion for Entrepreneurship amongst Higher Education students, the department has come up with annual startup

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POLICYMAKER’S PERSPECTIVE

competition - Startup Pratyogita (SUPRATI) from June 2019 in all the colleges and universities in the state.

This competition is held in 31 colleges of excellence. The state-level committee will shortlist five startups and will be provided Rs 5 lakh seed money.

What is the role of Information Technology in the Department? Please share some of the major digital initiatives taken in this regard.

Haryana has recently launched its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution under IT plan intending to automate its front-end and back-end processes. Some of the modules of this ERP are online admissions, web-portal, Mobile App, Human Resource Management System (HRMS), Learning Management System (LMS), Asses Management, Complaint and Grievances, examination, scholarships, placement, Fee Management etc. Not only the department but other stakeholders (like students) are being highly benefitted with the ERP. To make information and tasks more accessible, we have developed a mobile App, Shiksha Setu, for its teachers and students. It offers features like Dashboards, Circular / News/ Events, Feedback, Notifications, Mark Attendance, Fee Detail, Health Detail, Results, Student Profile & Search, Image Gallery, Student Dashboard. Basically,

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Shiksha Setu is a common platform connecting teachers, students and administration for the Department of Higher Education.

To be a Door Opener for the students in a rapidly globalising world, it is important to follow the emerging Technological Trends that are shaping the future educational landscape.

Evidently, enough latest interactive teaching is changing the role of education with the introduction of multimedia, and an innovative effort of an institution helps in its academic excellence.

The technology of online education and all the digital initiatives can revolutionise higher education scenario in the near future. Accordingly, the department has devised a programme, DRISHTI (Digital Revolution in Information Studies in Haryana for Transformation and Innovation) to boost digital and e-learning in all

colleges. Department has signed an agreement with CEC for developing e-content for various subjects.

Workshop for more than 400 teachers of various subjects has been conducted in SUPVA for the use of e-content in teaching pedagogy.Â

How are you supporting the students of the state who are keen on pursuing higher education abroad?

To create awareness among students regarding premier Universities and Colleges outside India where further higher education can be explored, the department launched a project called PATANG. Principals to sensitise students of international courses and jobs and passport requirements and to appoint one teacher as Passport Officer in the college who will facilitate application procedure, appointment at the nearest passport office, faster police verification etc.

What are the major challenges of the education sector of Haryana and how are you planning to curb those?

One of the key concerns faced by our students is that the majority of them lack appropriate proficiency in soft skills and digital literacy. The lack of competence in soft skills and digital literacy is one of the major issues for

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the students to land with better job opportunities in leading National/ Multi-National companies in the private sector.

Hence, a clear intervention is necessary to facilitate them in equipping with Industry is driven soft skill and digital literacy skills and enhance their employability to required levels. The Department is taking various initiatives to overcome these shortcomings and augment the opportunities available for students in the state by working closely with the Academia, Industry Associations and individual consultants.

The state plans to include mandatory components of soft skill and digital literacy for its degree students to enable them to face the job market in a better manner and secure gainful employment of their choice.

How do you plan to bridge the gap between skill demand and supply? What are your plans to make the students job-ready from the very first day?

The Department of Higher Education is proposing a programme for Apprenticeship in Higher Education and Learning (PAHEL) for the youth of Haryana, to align the education curriculum with the needs of industry and service sectors, and promote an On-The-Job exposure to all students in skill sets of their choice and aptitude. A combination of classroom and hands-on learning would equip students with professionally relevant skills, boost their employability, and thereby contributing immensely to their self-confidence, apart from improving the overall human resource in the country.

What are your initiatives to strengthen the skill set of academia or educators?

To address comprehensively all issues related to teachers, teaching, teacher preparation, and professional

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development, the Department is preparing a Human Resource Development programme for teachers by collaborating with the premier Center of Excellence of various Universities and Institutes. It will help in upgrading knowledge and inculcating leadership and management skills.

Accordingly, the Department has devised programme named Scheme for Academic Staff in Higher Education & Administrator for Knowledge Transfer (SASHAKT) under which faculty members will be required to mandatory training of five to six days in a year in fields of pedagogies and techniques, leadership, management, development skills, and other relevant areas. This annual training programme will be a blend of online and offline mode. The Department is in process of signing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with various reputed universities, the centres of excellence and other institutes to provide training to our faculty members.

performance of Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in the state to improve the overall quality and enable them towards the path of excellence.

The framework has three components covering state and private universities, Government aided and self-financing colleges of the state. There are various parameters under 10 following components with a total weightage of 500 based on which the quality of the institutes are assessed: l Academic quality ( 30 Marks )

r Teaching and learning quality (95

marks)

r Research Quality and Impact (

25 Marks )

r Collaboration/Strategic Alliances

( 10 marks )

r Employability ( 80 Marks ) r Infrastructure ( 135 Marks ) r Inclusivity, Representation and

Diversity ( 20 Marks )

r Student Engagement/ Support

Services ( 40 Marks )

r Outreach activities and Social

Impact ( 30 Marks )

How does the Department ensure the quality of education provided by the institutes of the state?

r Governance and Management (

The department has developed a framework for quality Improvement in Higher Education Institutes termed as Performance Rating Yardstick for Academic Audit Standards (PRaYAAS).

The objective is to facilitate strict and continuous monitoring of the

Through PRaYAAS, we aim to identify gaps and challenges which are being faced by institutes. The overall objective of this framework is to encourage healthy competition and ensure a rewarding experience for Higher Education students.

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35 marks)

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SPOTLIGHT: AFGHANISTAN

C AFGHANISTAN’S CONNECTIVITY SETTING TOWARDS PROGRESSIVE DIRECTION Connectivity plays an important role in wider neighbourhood policy that entails cooperation, harmony and inclusiveness, market orientation and mutual benefit. Afghanistan hopes to play a substantial role in the increasingly globalised world, writes Neelapu Shanti for Elets News Network (ENN).

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onnectivity plays an important role in wider neighbourhood policy that entails cooperation, harmony and inclusiveness, market orientation and mutual benefit.

Afghanistan hopes to play a substantial role in the increasingly globalised world.

Central Asia and South Asia have vast potential to become a new global centre of economic dynamism in the years to come in spite of a host of development challenges. Afghanistan is seeking encouraging steps in raising regional prospects.

In context to connectivity by road and rail in Afghanistan, it is promising, like the Five Nation Railway project, Four-Nation Railway project, Lapis Lazuli, ZyedanDelaram road (Chabahar project), one belt one road between Afghanistan and China, Afghanistan-India Air Corridor programme.

Five Nation Railway Project Afghanistan provides the shortest and most cost-effective routes for Central, South and South-West Asia. Trade networks between Central, South and South-west Asia are the most crucial component of connectivity of these regions. Afghanistan’s Railway network aims to establish a trans-Asian rail

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SPOTLIGHT: AFGHANISTAN

network throughout the country.

The trans-regional corridor will encompass mainly railways and highways, which will connect the city of Torghundi in the Afghan province of Herat with the port of Turkmenbashi on the shore of the Caspian Sea via Ashgabat. On the side-lines of the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCAVII), the Lapis Lazuli Agreement was signed in November 2017 aiming to establish greater connectivity for enhancing trade in the RECCA region.

The Five Nation Railway project has the potential to connect with China and Iran over a distance of 2,100 Kilometers and traversing the countries of Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

Over 1,000 kilometres of the rail corridor will stretch through the Afghan provinces of Herat, Badghis, Faryab, Jawozjan, Balkh and Kunduz.

The Chabahar-Zaranj-Farah railway is underway. The third Section of KhafHerat Railway (62 km) Iran-Afghanistan railway networks through Khaf-Herat Railroad will be completed in the next few months. AttaMorad-Aquina railway line started in 2016 connecting Turkmenistan and other Central Asian countries.

The other railway line project construction in- progress in Afghanistan includes:- Aquina- Andhkoy – Shiberghan (108 km), Torghundi –Herat (173 km), Chaman – Spinboldak to Kandhar (96 km), Jalalabad –Torkham (75 km), and Lashkargah – BahramChah (258 km).

Afghanistan’s 135-mile long Zaranj – Delaram Highway is the key component which helps to establish a North-South transport corridor linking the Indian Sub-continent and Central Asia.

Lapis Lazuli Lapis Lazuli transit route is set to emerge as an economic corridor for an inclusive development by which Afghanistan could connect to Europe via Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. The first track of Lapis Lazuli project was inaugurated by His Excellency, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in Herat, Afghanistan on December 13, 2018. The first shipment of Afghan products which include more than 175 tons of cotton, dried fruit and sesame will be exported through the route within the frame of TIR Carnet. A shipment of 17 tons of cashmere that values up to USD 1 million was sent to the United Kingdom through the Lapis Lazuli Corridor in May this year.

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The Chabahar port project is creating robust connectivity for landlocked Afghanistan. Giving an impetus for enhanced trade and transit opportunities, Iran-Afghanistan-India can exercise economic potential and viability across the region. Chabahar port will add a new dimension in the bilateral cooperation with India-IranAfghanistan.

The Lapis Lazuli Corridor aims to connect with Turkey’s Middle Corridor Project and will also compliment other regional transport corridors such as the

The trilateral pact signed between India-Iran-Afghanistan in 2016 gave a clear indication of prioritising economic engagement in bringing prosperity and engineering trade relations in the region.

Regional cooperation is the key to development and growth. There are

Five Nations Railway Corridor. The corridor has the potential to transform trade and transit dynamics in the region that would open up opportunities for development and cooperation.

immense investment opportunities available in this zone that will not only enhance business and trade between India-Iran and Afghanistan but also connecting to other regions of the world.

The Lapis Lazuli corridor’s key priorities under the initiative in the medium to long term include: 1) Improving road conditions and transit facilities along major highways 2) Expanding rail links between Afghanistan and Turkey and beyond 3) Improving multi-modal land ports in priority places in each of the five Lapis Lazuli Route countries; and 4) Undertaking a Cost-Benefit Analysis on establishing Cross-Border Economic Zones between the countries along the corridor.

Air Corridor Programme

Chabahar Port Project

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The expansion of the air corridor programme marks significant importance for Afghanistan’s economic development. The implementation of the first air freight initiative between Afghanistan and India in 2017 has given a major impetus to increase its footprint to other countries namely; Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Dubai and soon to be connected to Indonesia. Focusing in on the economic improvement of Afghanistan, the air corridor programme has set a progressive benchmark within two years.

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SPOTLIGHT: MICROSOFT

We’re Putting AI to Work. For a Better Planet

C

limate change is upon us – we’re seeing it happen. It’s a race against time – the effects are outpacing our combined efforts to combat the issues. Four among the top five risks in the World Economic Forum’s 2018 Global Risk Report are linked to our environment. Scientists have been warning us about carbon emissions and climate change for decades now. The urgency is now multiplying.

Take for example, our forests. We’re losing 18.7 million acres of forests every year. Agriculture is a prime driver of deforestation. It is also the world’s largest industry, producing more than USD 1.3 trillion worth of food annually. Food production is no easier today than in the past – there’s less arable land, weather conditions are extreme, and harvests have lower nutritional value, thanks to climate change. What if we observed the impact of our land use practices more closely?

That data could lead us to overcome major challenges.

Having data and insights around what’s happening on the planet can enable us to take better decisions and develop our ecosystems sustainably. That’s exactly what AI for Earth has set out to do. It

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Climate change is upon us – we’re seeing it happen. Having data and insights around what’s happening on the planet can enable us to take better decisions and develop our ecosystems sustainably. That’s exactly what AI for Earth has set out to do, writes Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India for Elets News Network (ENN).

aims to empower people and organisations to solve environmental challenges with technology. Through this program, Microsoft is democratising access to AI for everyone who seeks to contribute to protecting the planet’s natural resources in the areas of climate change, agriculture, biodiversity, and water.

The USD 50 million, five-year programme provides access to Microsoft Azure and AI computing resources, opportunities for education and training on AI, mentorship and investments in innovative, scalable solutions. Over the past year, AI for Earth has helped over 147 sustainability projects in more than 45 countries. Earlier this month, seven green warriors from India received AI for Earth grants as they stepped up to solve some of our most pressing environmental issues.

We’re using our natural resources as if we had 1.7 Earths. Action isn’t just an imperative; there’s also opportunity waiting to be unlocked. Changes in agricultural practices, for instance, will not just reduce carbon emissions; they can lead to increased crop yields. The technology revolution is here to help: what will also help is a cultural revolution.

Anant Maheshwari President, Microsoft We need the support of an informed and engaged society aware of the challenges and keen to contribute in solving them.

Albeit difficult, it is crucial now to create fundamental mindset shifts and appreciation of sustainable development.

Together, one step at a time, we have the power to alter the course of this disastrous trend and build a better and safer tomorrow. That cannot happen on a depleted planet. We can’t sit still on this ticking time bomb. It is incumbent on our generation to prevent the climate disaster, and every action counts now.

This article was originally published in LinkedIn.

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