Industry, Academia Must Work Together to Create Future-ready Workforce: Education Minister

Academia, industry, and policymakers must collaborate to build a future-ready workforce and drive the country’s economic growth and social welfare, the union minister of education and skill development, Dharmendra Pradhan said while calling for a collaborative effort for India’s growth. He was speaking at the National Council Meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Monday.

The union minister added that the educational system must break barriers and empower students. To make the educational ecosystem more inclusive, he said, the government is introducing education in the mother tongue and regional languages. Pradhan urged wealth creators to take active participation in developing the workforce of the 21st century. In line with the spirit of the NEP 2020, the industry should create an enabling ecosystem, he added.

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Speaking about National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the minister stated that it is a philosophical document in accordance with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The policy is under implementation. From early childhood to higher education and skill development, the government is working to ensure holistic learning at all levels,” Pradhan said.

He asserted that by creating the right knowledge demand, focusing on re-skilling and up-skilling the existing workforce, and investing more in R&D, industry members can help to build a more vibrant workforce and India’s future.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 proposes numerous reforms in school and higher education. Among the major changes, is the focus on promoting local languages in higher and technical education. In line with the recommendations of the NEP, several state governments and varsities have begun introducing technical and medical education in local languages.

The NEP aims to make India a “global knowledge superpower” by revising and reworking various aspects of the education structure, including regulation and governance. NEP 2020 also promises to increase the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in preschool to secondary level to 100 per cent by 2030, whereas increasing the GER in higher education, including vocational education, from 26.3 per cent (2018) to 50 per cent by 2035.

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