Rajiv Pratap Rudy asks corporates to contribute to skilling initiatives

NEW DELHI: Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy today asked the corporate sector and PSUs to contribute to skilling initiatives of the new Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).

He was speaking at the signing of the tripartite agreement between National Skill Development Fund (NSDF) and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCI) that will see PGCI contribute its CSR funds for national skill qualification framework aligned with skill development activities in the country.

Rudy said India has focussed in the domain of education for many years and needs to now place focus on skilling people and creating jobs so that the large demographic dividend is employed. He said such initiatives require public-private partnerships.

"We are lagging behind in skill development in India for at least 50 to 55 years. We have been focussing on education but not on skill development. The next 5 to 10 years are crucial to meet the emerging challenges in making India a great power amongst the comity of nations. India has merely 2 per cent skilled people vis-a-vis many growing and developed economies," Rudy said.

After the first of its kind partnership, the Minister said "this is the first time ever that a corporate has funded the skill qualification framework."

He said more companies will be encouraged to contribute for skill development from their CSR funds.

The MoU was signed by NSDF chief executive officer Pawan Agarwal, PGCI director (projects) I S Jha and NSDC MD and CEO Dilip Chenoy in the presence of the Minister and Skill Development Secretary Sunil Arora.