Skill development must for growth, says Pallam Raju - The Hindu

Demand for skilled manpower outpacing rate of supply

NEED OF THE HOUR:Union Minister for Human Resources Development M. Mangapati Pallam Raju addressing a function at Gandhigram Rural Institute.— PHOTO: G. KARTHIKEYAN.

Skills should be developed along with education to meet global standards and develop rural economy, and higher educational institutions like Gandhigram Rural Institute should strive to achieve that goal, said M. Mangapati Pallam Raju, Union Minister for Human Resources Development.

Inaugurating the Eleventh Plan buildings constructed at a cost of Rs.4 crore at the institute in Gandhigram near here recently, he said even as the world witnessed an economic slowdown, the country had registered 4 per cent growth owing to sustainable agriculture.

But the country, which would become the most populated nation in the world by 2020, had witnessed a substantial decrease in area under cultivation, he added.

Mr.Raju said skill development along with education was essential, as the rate of requirement of skilled manpower was outpacing the rate of supply throughout the world.

To balance demand and supply, higher educational institutions should adopt large-scale vocationalisation, he added.

For example, maintenance of power lines for the agriculture sector was a biggest challenge for the electricity department, he said, and added that shortage of manpower was the biggest problem in providing quick service.

The Minister said the higher educational institutions could create skilled workforce through proper training to maintain these power lines locally.

The district administration could fund the training programmes. Creation of skilled workforce would help extend quick and timely service to the farmers, and unexpected delay in sanctioning of funds and manpower would not affect agriculture, he stated.

Mr.Raju said universities should think out of the box and create talented workforce. They should work for academic excellence, focussing more on the needs of rural people, he said, and added:

Earlier, declaring open new buildings for Kendriya Vidyalaya School at Gandhigram, he said the noon meal scheme introduced by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Kamaraj had been implemented throughout the country, benefiting 11 crore children.