Necessity for upskilling Rural youth in India

Necessity for upskilling Rural youth in India

Context:
• Despite the UN’s projection that nearly 50% of India’s population will reside in urban areas by 2047, many rural youths express a preference to stay in their villages.
• Thus it necessitates policies that focus on Rural youth, their skilling, better education, better job opportunities.

What is Upskilling?
• Upskilling refers to the practice of acquiring new skills or enhancing existing skills to stay competitive in the job market. It is specifically focused on obtaining knowledge, expertise, or capabilities related to your current field or industry in order to advance your
career or adapt to changes in the job market.

Rural India:
• Farming is the predominant source of income in rural areas, often supplemented by children working on family farms.
• Agrarian Crisis Indicators: A significant shift from agriculture to non-farming jobs is occurring, with National Sample Survey Office data showing 34 million farmers moving to other sectors between 2004-05 and 2011-12.

What is the present state of Vocational education in India?
• Industrial Training Institutes: They aim to upskill rural populations; but they often lack placement opportunities.
• Lack of Skill Development Focus: Rural education currently does not emphasize skill development, which is crucial for the majority of youth who depend on schools for life skills.
• LSC Voices 2023 Survey Findings: The survey revealed that two-thirds of youth aged 19-22 had never taken any vocational training, with only 5% enrolled in such courses.

What needs to be done?
• Providing vocational training in rural areas is key to controlling migration. The training should focus on skills relevant to rural life.
• Rural education should integrate technical and life skills, making them accessible through formal education.
• Mexico’s tele-schools and Bhutan’s well-being-infused curriculum offer valuable models. Tele-schools provide value-based education, improving attitudes and aspirations, which can benefit the local economy.
• In India, organizations like NIIT Foundation and Pratham Institute are providing upskilling opportunities in rural areas. Hybrid life skilling programs are offered, focusing on industry-specific skills and life skills.
• Offering skills in areas like agricultural mechanisation, pollution monitoring, nursing, and digital technologies, rural India can enhance employability in both traditional and non-traditional trades. Drone Didi scheme by central government is one of the right measure to create jobs, provide training in Drone sector.