Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Saturday asserted that unskilled and semi-skilled youth of the country should be imparted market-oriented vocational, business and life skill training. He also insisted upon establishing a credible institutional mechanism for aligning skill development.
Addressing the first meeting of the Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on Skill Development at Niti Aayog in New Delhi, Singh said Skill Development University should be established in each State of the country to generate more employable manpower.
Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and ministers from Orissa were present at the meeting.
During the meeting, Convener of the Sub-Group and Chief Minister of Punjab Prakash Singh Badal and other member chief ministers appreciated appropriate steps taken by Chhattisgarh Government in the field of skill development.
Raman Singh proposed that the next meeting of the Sub-Group should be conducted in Chhattisgarh. He invited all the members to give their suggestion after reviewing the work done in the State in skill development.
Giving a presentation at the meeting, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister said that skill development programmes of Central Ministries/Depart-ments should be brought under the ambit of a new Skill Development Ministry to ensure more coordination and effective implementation. He said practical skill training should be considered more significant than the conceptual knowledge.
He added that unskilled and semi-skilled youth should be imparted practical skill training in the market or at worksite for the foundational levels of skill development (levels 1 to 4 of the National Skill Qualification Framework).
He further stated that participation of market and industries should be maximised to ensure training for these levels for large numbers. He suggested that high-level committees should be established under the leadership of Prime Minister at the national level and under the leadership of chief minister at the State level with representatives from industrial associations such as CII and FICCI in order to link industries with skill development training.
He further suggested that industries should recognize skill development as corporate social responsibility and obligation towards rehabilitation of those who have been displaced by acquisition of land.
Raman Singh also suggested that an industry should be given tax concession by the Finance Ministry if it contributes more to skill development than necessary for fulfillment of CSR or rehabilitation obligation.
He added that a National Skill Testing Authority should be set up to facilitate recognition of skilled youths, having foundational level skills, and their entry into higher-level skill education programmes.
He maintained that on the lines of State Skill Development Authority established in Chhattisgarh by law, a National Skill Development Authority chaired by the Prime Minister should be set up to establish coordination across foundational and higher level of skill development in industries and through NSUs respectively.
Raman Singh also gave detailed information on the Chhattisgarh Right to Youth to Skill Development Act implemented in Chhattisgarh in 2013 at the meeting.
He said that initiatives have been taken to open livelihood colleges in every district of the State and added that so far 18,000 youth have been imparted training. He emphasised that to ensure equitable access to quality skill training, residential training facilities in the form of livelihood Colleges should be established at the district level.
He suggested that trainees, trained by training providers securing high accreditation from National Skills universities should be made eligible for loan on same terms as under the Education loan Scheme and the scheme be called as Skilled India loan Scheme.
Chhattisgarh Secretary (Finance) Amit Kumar Agrawal, Resident Commissioner B V Uma Devi and OSD Vikram Sisodia were also present during the meeting.