The education system in India is one of the best education systems in the world. The HRD ministry is constantly trying to implement reforms to improve its quality. The result of this is a well-established education system with three levels – primary, secondary, and higher. Though the education system is efficient, over the past few years, there has been an exponential increase in the number of graduates who are unable to find a job. It has been pointed that this is because the graduates gain only theoretical knowledge in their colleges. They are not exposed to skill-based knowledge. This is the main reason that they are unable to find jobs in the country.
Current Scenario
India has a skill-based workforce of about 480 million. They are the driving force for a country as they are responsible for highways, malls, bridges, buildings, etc. Almost 67% of the employers in these sectors are looking for skilled employees. Human resources for physical labour is easily available but skilled carpenters, mason, and welders are difficult to find.
Demographic conditions
A decade ago, the major reason for unemployment was considered to be the huge population of the country. Today, the scenario is very different. The current population of India is 1.26 billion and youngsters (below 35 years old) make up 600 million of the 1.26 billion. This is an advantage as the working population of the country is huge. The government needs to focus and invest in this segment of the population in order to gain the best profits in the form of economic growth and the advancements in the research field.
Future Statistics
The western world is popular for its skilled labour sector. According to a recent survey conducted by international agencies, the western countries will face a large deficit in the skilled labour sector. This deficit can create a demand for 50 million jobs. The only other country in the world which can cater to such an enormous demand is India. Hence, it is necessary to train the students in skill-based labour in order to gain job opportunities in foreign countries.
Initiative by Government
The government is aware of this issue and is working towards fixing the problem. It has introduced a number of schemes and skill universities for the betterment of the society. To successfully run these schemes, a large portion of the public funds is being utilised. In 2009, the National Policy on Skill Development was introduced. Due to the successful implementation of this policy, institutions like National Skill Development Corporation and Prime Minister’s National Council were built and are successfully imparting knowledge to the students. At present, all the schemes put together have a capacity of educating 3.1 million candidates. Over the next decade, close to 78 million candidates will benefit from these schemes.
Bridging the gap between skill and knowledge is the need of the hour. Students who work hard to complete their graduation are unable to find jobs due to their lack of skills. Hence, the government is looking into this matter actively and sorting it out at the earliest.