Remodeling the Landscape of Education & Skill Development towards creating Viksit Bharat through India Inc.

Abstract

In 2047, India will celebrate its centenary year as India@100, marking the post-independence era. Hence, the Government of India aims to make the nation a ‘Viksit Bharat’, a fully developed India by that time. To achieve this status, India is taking concrete and progressive steps towards the holistic development of the country, resulting in inclusive growth. However, the ‘India – Bharat’ divide persists despite of 77th year of Independence. One of the major areas where a more focused approach and interventions are required revolves around youth and their education and skill development, as in India, approximately 65% of its population is under the age of thirty-five, which makes it the largest young population globally. The realisation of ‘Viksit Bharat’ is contingent upon the successful empowerment of women. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (UNSDG-4) on Quality Education also focuses on improving the percentage of people with relevant skills, comprising vocational and technical skills, for employment, entrepreneurship, and decent jobs. It also calls for the full participation of women and men for equal opportunities for education and skill building. Skill development is imperative for the young adults as it equips them with industry-relevant experience along with practical learning making them more employable in the progressively changing job market. With the growing industry demands, advancements in technology, the conventional education system alone is insufficient to bridge the skill gap between theoretical learning and real-world practical requirements. The skill-building process also enables youth to create their own opportunities through entrepreneurship and contribute to financial growth and stability. The focus on skill development may take the nation to a different level by reducing unemployment and building an inclusive country where young people from the marginalised communities may observe economic upliftment, leading to the holistic development of the society. As the need for the skilled workforce continues to increase for improving the economic growth, this study is imperative for exploring the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, which may act as a catalyst for enhancing the sustenance and support of the government’s skill development agenda. To address this, this research wishes to study the impact of CSR programmes in bridging the skill gaps in India and acting as a driver for the Skill India Mission.