National policy on skill development in 3 months: Rajiv Pratap Rudy

LUCKNOW: Expressing concern over the "low number" of skilled workforce in the country, Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy today said the Centre would announce a national policy on skill development in three months.

"The skilled work force in South Korea is 96 per cent, 80 per cent in Japan, 75 per cent in Germany and 70 per cent in Britain. Compared to this the skilled work force in India is only two per cent. The biggest challenge is to increase it," Rudy told reporters here.

The Minister of of State for Skill Development (Independent Charge) said that earlier work on skill development was divided in 34 ministries and departments under which total 80 schemes were being operated.

The minister said that to bring uniformity Prime Minister Narendra Modi has constituted a new ministry.

He said that in 2009 a target of training 50 crore people, was fixed.

Rudy said, of these five crore were supposed to be trained by the end of 12th Five year plan and remaining 45 crore between 2017-2022.

"These figures were impractical. We are refixing it. Once the work is complete a white paper will be issued. We will announce a national policy in three months," he said.