Skill India Research Articles

NEW SKILL DEVELOPMENT POLICY ‘SKILL INDIA’ －POSSIBILITY AND ISSUES－

In India, the new skill development policy has started and expectations from stakeholders including multi-national companies, non-governmental organizations, and people who suffer from unemployment are mixed towards the training policy ‘Skill India (SI)’.The government expects the country to have a drastic change to skilled nation. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) investments in the country tend to shift from philanthropy to create new social values, e.g. skill development and social business (SB) promotions with appropriate trainings for young people. The aim of this article is to find out what exactly the tendencies of Indian Corporate Social Responsibility investments regarding the new policy and issues are based on the interview data. And also it tries to find out some possibilities to make the policy work better. The author will explain and analyze the results of the survey conducted to companies and schools who are main actors to carry out the mission and discuss possible solutions based on suggestions made by CSR personnel, student trainees, school teachers, staffs including social workers.

Bridging the skill gap: An overview of skill India campaign

India is home to the second largest population in the world. Various studies estimate that by 2025, a larger proportion of Indian population will be of working age. The young Indian working population has unlimited potential and could give India an edge over other countries. However, the picture in Indian economy is ironic. The shortage of skills in workforce has resulted in huge unemployment and skill mismatch. Against this background, this study explores the Skill India campaign of Government of India. The present study aims to elaborate the concept of skill and to trace the emergence and need of Skill India and to cover various schemes under Skill India campaign. The study finds the gaps between skill needs, skill measurement and skill production along with the absence of coordinated actions among those in power. Based on the findings, some suggestions have been provided. This paper will be helpful in deepening the understanding of the present skill development scenario in India.

India and Central and Eastern Europe

The end of the Cold War and subsequent geo-political developments had transformative impact on India’s relations with the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Consequently, India and CEE countries recalibrated their foreign policies, but changed external orientations did not augment their bilateral relationships. Their political interactions became less frequent and economic linkages relatively modest. Despite a positive mutual perception, cultural and people-to-people contacts are not so vibrant and extensive. Since the 1990s, India and CEE have registered reasonably impressive economic growth. They have been pursuing economic reforms and taking initiatives for building digital and physical infrastructure for facilitating further growth and development and greater integration with the global economy. Therefore, an urge for enhancing India–CEE partnership now seems gradually gaining momentum, and positive measures, new synergies have been evolving. India’s multiple programmes ranging from ‘Make in India’, ‘Clean India’ to Skill India’ offer opportunities for enhancing cooperation. While taking a brief account of historical relationship between India and the CEE, the article analyses contemporary status of their relations. Finally, it examines the untapped potential of India–CEE cooperation, major challenges and prospective policy orientations.

Skill development in rural india- A step towards rural development

Globalized economy intensified the competition in the market that enhanced the need of skilled workers in the organization. Thus skill development has been emerged as the prime need of the economy of every nation. Majority of Indian population lives in rural areas and unemployment has become a burning issue for rural youth. Unemployment in the rural areas leads to poverty. To generate employment opportunity and to make the rural people self dependent it is the crucial need of the government to focus on the skill development of the rural people. Skill training program should be conducted among the rural people that will build up different skills among the people and will make them self dependent to earn their livelihood. It will be a step towards skill India mission. This study has been undertaken to understand and analyse the problem and prospects of skill development in rural India. The study is descriptive in nature and the source of data used for the study is secondary. The study analysed the different skills which are very important for the rural masses for sustainable development of Indian villages such as Plantation skill, Entrepreneurship skills, Marketing Skills, Technical Skills and so on. The study also analysed the different challenges in the rural India such as poor infrastructure, remoteness, illiteracy etc. Study concludes that it is the responsibility of the government to overcome all these challenges and develop skill among the rural people which will bring sustainable development of economy of the nation.

Editorial

We are pleased to publish five essays as part of our co-sponsorship of the MAGIC (Methods, Aesthetics, & Genres in Communication) conference organized by the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. This conference was organized by Center for Professional Communication under the aegis of the College of Engineering Studies. The purpose of the conference was to bring together academicians and researchers to deliberate and discuss upon developing communication skills. The emphasis was on empowering the workforce with effective and sustainable communication skills. The conference also supports the efforts of Skill India to help enhance the skills of its populations.

Rural Development and Employment through Skill Development

India has around 600,000 villages with around 64% of its 1.3 billion people living in them. It is absurd to imagine growth without the country-side growing as fast as India's towns and cities. This nation has one of the largest pools of unskilled labor waiting to be trained and utilized. In the absence of proper training, awareness and motivation, it is commonplace for the rural unemployed youth to adopt alternative means of livelihood, many of which are shunned by civil laws. Through this paper the author wishes to throw some light on the importance of Skill Development programs, their current status, the gap that exists between the demand and supply of skilled labor and how employability of rural youth is enhanced by imparting skill oriented training to them. Finally, the paper also emphasizes on how skilled and employable youth contribute to overall development of a rural economy in particular and the nation in general. Data has been gathered from reliable secondary sources. On assumed lines, it was also concluded that the need of the hour for India is to aggressively pursue innovative government programs like Skill India and Make in India so that by the turn of the decade, close to half of the projected eligible population could be employed in various state-run schemes, private organizations. Entrepreneurship is also an outcome of innovative skill development that has immense potential for employment and thus, development of the rural landscape. The paper limits itself to the schemes launched by the respective state governments and central governments thus leaving room for improvement as far as measures taken by privately owned organizations and NGOs are concerned.

Reformation in mining sector: a national perspective

The Indian mining reform (IMR) adopted by the government in 2015 reflects a paradigm shift from a first-come-first basis resource development model anchored on extractivism (Extractivism generally refers to an economic model centred on the large-scale removal (or ‘extraction’) of natural resources for the purposes of exporting raw materials) to one in which mineral resources are harnessed through e-auction and which would enable to accelerate broad-based development and build resilient, diversified and competitive sectorial economies. The reform is premised on a broad understanding of value beyond mineral revenues and management of mining through a transparent digital technologically driven process. The IMR calls for strong economic and social linkages between the extractive sector and other sectors of the local economy as evidenced by the share of wealth that is retained locally and higher levels of value addition and local content. The successful implementation of the IMR requires strong and well-coordinated institutions and coherent and well-administered policies and regulatory frameworks pitched broadly at a country-wide level that concurrently would enable building multi-stakeholder platforms for dialogue and decision-making. This paper discusses the mining reforms in India as an instrument that would facilitate implementation of Make in India, Digital India, Clean India, Skill India and Sab ka sath sab ka vikash programmes as envisaged by the government of the day.

Globalizing Higher Education in India : Brain Drain in Reverse – A Review

India's bold initiative “Educate in India, announced in May 2015 to attract international students and make India a quality higher education hub in Asia is closely linked to Prime Minister Modi's other initiatives namely “Make in India, “Digital India, “Skill India, “Start-up India, “Stand-up India,” and “Swatch Bharat” (clean India), all aimed towards empowering India and making it a global economic superpower. The initiative recognizes the fact that despite being among the world's youngest countries, India will not be able to reap its demographic dividend if its higher education remains in its current dismissal state. India aspires to transition from having the second highest student population leaving its shores to study abroad to becoming a premier educational destination attracting more international students to its shores. The paper reviewed the current status of India in the global higher education sector, recognized the benefits of globalizing higher education, and identified some of the prerequisites required to internationalize. Drawing inspiration from the experience of Asian countries like Singapore, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, it is expected to encourage more debate and future research on ways to attract a higher proportion of international students to India. If India is able to provide the capacity and quality required for its expanding young population while also competing globally to attract inbound international students, then the 'Educate in India' initiative will truly complement other initiatives. While the Govt. of India has already embarked on the journey, a lot more needs to be done to “liberalize, privatize, and globalize” higher education in India to attract and retain international students.

Challenges in STEM education for 'Skill India'

Challenges in STEM education for 'Skill India'

Pragmatism Meets Benevolence in a Globalized Economy for New Labor Reforms: An Exploration

Background/Objectives: The basic objectives of this research paper are to explore about the challenges of the people management and understand its implications on the current workforce and changes in labor law. Methods/Analysis: This paper deployed exploratory research and the information regarding the various policies of the companies and the labor reforms have been gathered. Two hypotheses have been proposed for carrying on research. The findings were known after careful analysis of both the important issues. Findings: One of the major findings of this paper is that handling people related issues is very challenging because the system in which they work has its own set of requirements and expectations which is constantly changing, and people have their own set values, beliefs, desires and influences impinging on them and the manager as a person has his or her own style of functioning. Thereby leading the pack of his followers and also those who constantly are looking for finding faults in him is all the challenging. Another important finding is that it is understood that labor reforms as a part of overall reforms policy are essential only when the employees concerns are taken care of in totality. Applications/Improvements: One of the applications can be that legal aptitude tests to be made mandatory for employees belonging to secondary sector so that it smoothes the process of hiring and both employee and employer are aware about the legalities involved. The companies should try to create a brain pool destination which will stop brain drain and also be in consonance with the skill policy as per the Skill India program advocated by the Government of India.

The Seventh Finance Commission and Its Fault Lines

<p>Bureaucracy is a vital institutional cog to foster Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and promote Human Development Index (HDI) in India. Of late its dysfunctionality and sub-serving character has been dismaying discerning sociologists like Merton & Parsons. The Seventh Finance Commission has also lamented this aspect while providing a bonanza to all, extending One Rank One Pension (OROP) to all categories of pensioners and improving the living conditions of the Group “C” employees. The paper brings out the novel aspects of the report like its emphasis on Skill India but laments about its inadequate attention to aspects like burgeoning Fiscal Deficit (FD) and lack of concern to improve productivity. The paper calls upon bureaucracy to follow the Weberian approach of being apolitical, rational and foster the process of shared prosperity through Rule of Law. </p>

Skill Development is Meaningless without Adequate Job Creation: An Issue and Challenge

Skill development is a continuous process to improve knowledge, skills, attitude and social behaviour of human resources for doing a particular job. Skill is the ability to exercise one's knowledge on a particular job, whereas skill development fuels improvement of this ability. Here, implementing a particular skill on a particular job is very important because without practice, the ability wanes in sharpness very rapidly nixing skill development. The Union ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, has taken an initiative to develop a plethora of human resources, keeping in view the need for skilled manpower for the country as well as to develop skills among the huge population for rendering them employable and productive. India already spends $50 billion each year to step up human resources for adequate employment. Moreover, recently the Modi Government announced a plan for ‘Skill India’, under which many institutions will be inaugurated for skill development and training at operational level, supervisory level and also at managerial level. But unfortunately, no plans for adequate job creation were announced. This obliviously leads to agrave situation. Skill developmentwithout adequate job creation has no meaning. Therefore, both steps would have to be taken to develop skills and to increase adequate jobs. In fact, skill development and adequate job creation programme should be driven forward simultaneously.

Sustainable Development in India-Issues and Challenges

Despite achieving remarkable progress on growth fronts, India could not do much to improve the quality of life of its people. The recent step undertaken by NDA to accelerate growth process through ‘Make in India’ is promoted as an effort to achieve a balanced, sustainable and all inclusive development. This paper aims to highlight the key issues and challenges for achieving sustainable development in India through ‘Make in India initiative’ keeping in mind the performance of Indian economy on growth and development fronts. With this purpose, an attempt is made to assess India's performance in the first section of the paper. The compound growth rates of GDP are calculated based on official data available. India's performance on development fronts is evaluated through various studies and reports available. Second section of the paper critically examines the newly launched scheme and highlights the key issues and challenges. It is found that while economic growth can be realized following this route, sustainable development is difficult to achieve this way. The success of this program will largely depend upon the government policies to resolve these issues. However, few initiatives like generation of renewable energy, green technology and skill India are steps towards better environment for development and inclusiveness.

Occupation and Dignity of Unseen Population: Yes They Are Manual Scavenger

The present paper explores one of the socially unseen population, and they are engaged in most crude occupation in the digital and skilled India. The life never changed to them associated with traditional and caste-based occupation for generations. They have barely been studied and never been recognised in most discussion on ‘polluted’ occupation in India. The question of dignity and inclusion is still a dreamlike Make in India project similar to Swacch Bharat campaign that has merely put in any effort on those groups who have been cleaning the Bharat for centuries. Paper discuses the identity of their occupation, identity of their community and putting crudely identity of their caste while studying the manual scavengers. This paper explores the various dimensions of manual scavengers and relies on an ethnographic study conducted on Hadi Caste in Bokaro who are one of the Scheduled Castes listed in the Census of India documents. Hadis are settled across the states but with varied jobs. Further, this paper also informs the presence of such groups with different nomenclature across the country, namely in large numbers, in Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and others. The paper does take help and refer another study conducted on manual scavengers in the city of Hyderabad, Telangana.

IITs and Skill India: An incomplete dream

For commuting within New Delhi where I live, I often travel in an auto rickshaw (a three wheeler and a popular means of transport in India). While travelling, I usually strike up a conversation wit...