NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, JULY 16
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the world belongs to the youth due to their ability to acquire new skills all the time. Addressing a digital conclave on World Youth Skills Day and the fifth anniversary of ‘Skill India’ mission, PM Modi also presented a new mantra for the youth which will help them stay relevant in this time of Covid-19 crisis.
Skill is timeless.
Skill is unique.
Skill is a treasure that nobody can take away.
Skill is self-reliance, it not only makes one employable but also self-employable. #5YearsofSkillIndia pic.twitter.com/1DxjvNsEfr
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 15, 2020
“The mantra to remain relevant is – skill, re-skill and up-skill. Skill – Learn a new skill and value add to things. Re-skill – Add to your skill every day by learning something new. Up-skill – Widening your skillset is upskilling yourself,” he said.
The digital conclave was organised by the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
The Prime Minister also warned that if a person is not “inquisitive” about learning new skills, life may become “mundane.” “Irrespective of your age, learning new skills fills your life with enthusiasm and energy,” he added.
He stated that the Skill India Mission launched five years back on the same day has led to the creation of a vast infrastructure for skilling, reskilling and upskilling and enhancing opportunities to access employment both locally and globally. It has led to hundreds of PM Kaushal Kendras being set up across the country and an increase in the capacity of the ITI ecosystem. Due to these concerted efforts, more than five crore youth have been skilled in the last five years. Referring to the portal ASEEM (Atmanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping) launched recently for mapping the skilled employees and employers, he stated that this would help the skilled workers, including the migrant workers who have returned to their homes, to access jobs easily and the employers to contact skilled employees at the click of a mouse. He emphasized that the skills of migrant workers would also help in changing the local economy.
The Prime Minister also brought out the distinction between ‘knowledge’ and ‘skills’ in his address. He illustrated this with an example – that knowing how a cycle runs is ‘knowledge’ while actually being able to ride a cycle was a ‘skill’. It is important for the youth to realize the difference between the two and their different contexts and implications. With an example from carpentry, he explained the nuances between skilling, reskilling, and upskilling.
Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dr. MahendraNath Pandey, said, “Our youth is the biggest asset and an important force in the economic growth, and social development of the country. While we have made some significant strides over the last five years to develop and empower our youth with relevant skills, we are further guided by the vision of our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. We will focus our energies on increasing the versatility of different skills, making them suitable to meet the industry demands with the support of new technologies, nationally and globally.”
Minister of State of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, R.K.Singh, and Group Chairman, Larsen & Toubro Ltd.,A.M.Naik addressed the conclave. All stakeholders of the system, including the extensive network of trainees going into lakhs, participated in the conclave.
