Page 54 - EW August 2025

Cover Story

trywide, CSIR has failed to ideate any
global game-changing product, ser-
vice or disruptive technology.
Wider and deeper cooperation
between industry and the academy
is the self-evident solution to India’s
massive skilled personnel deficit. Al-
though shortage of adequately skilled
personnel is the common complaint of
every industry leader, industry-acad-
emy cooperation has proved a bridge
too far. As a result, India Inc has ac-
quired a global reputation for produc-
ing cheap shoddy goods and services.
Therefore, a renewed effort has to be
made to usher in a new era of coopera-
tion between industry and academy,
not only in New Delhi and state capi-
tals, but in cities and towns with col-
leges and universities connecting with VET trainee: social acceptance problem
local business and industry to shape
curriculums, provide internships, and become involved with VET and skill- gratulatory essay in the Times of India
to commission faculty and students to ing institutes to design curriculums to mark the fifth anniversary of NEP
improve and upgrade their products and provide internship to students. 2020 (July 29, 2020) has touched
and services. Third, the number of Technical Teach- upon, is increasing rock-bottom bud-
r. A.S. Seetharamu, the eru- er Training Institutes which are barely getary expenditure for realizing the
Ddite former Professor of Educa- a dozen countrywide need to not only objectives of NEP 2020. None of the
tion at the Bangalore-based Institute be multiplied but be fully equipped skilling mandates of NEP 2020 or
for Social and Economic Change to provide AI, IoT, computer-based the constructive expert suggestions
(ISEC) and education advisor to the and online training. And fourth, it’s made above can be realized without
Karnataka government, is of the opin- high time to introduce VET degree substantially larger budgetary outlays
ion that 10-20 percent programmes to pro- for the world’s largest child and youth
of the annual expen- duce professionals population.
diture of state govern- with deep training On this metric, the record of the
ments on subsidisation in vocations such as BJP/NDA government at the Centre
of government arts, plumbing, electrical which provides the lead for states to
science and commerce wiring, carpentry, follow, is dismaying. The annual out-
(ASC) colleges can be machining, roads- lay of the Union Ministry of Skills De-
more productively ca- building and bridges velopment and Entrepreneurship in
nalised into promoting maintenance. Highly Budget 2025-26 is a mere Rs. 6,100
and upgrading VET skilled professionals crore (capex included). In addition
institutes and skilling should be incentiv- under a new Centre, states and in-
programmes. ised to promote cor- dustry programme, Rs.60,000 crore
“First, there is an ur- Dr. A.S. Seetharamu porate enterprises is expected to be spent on upgrading
gent need for the Cen- with large numbers 1,000 ITIs and VET institutes over five
tral and state governments through of trained employees. That’s the way years, adding up to a Rs. 16,000 crore
family literacy programmes to dissem- to take the India Skills Mission for- per annum. This works out to Rs.762
inate the message that graduates of ward,” advises Dr. Seetharamu. per capita per year for the country’s
VET and skills programmes are most Undoubtedly these are valuable 260 million school and 30 million col-
likely to earn higher incomes than ASC and excellent suggestions to develop a lege/university children, all of whom
college graduates. Second, industry skilled and productive national work- require a modicum of skills education.
and business leaders who constantly force. Yet the elephant in the room It will be a long haul before 25 per-
complain about shortage of skilled issue that neither the Press Informa- cent of India’s workforce (equivalent
workers and technicians, need to re- tion Bureau’s 11 Saal publication, nor to China) will boast formally acquired
alise that it’s in their own interest to Union education minister’s self-con- skill qualifications.

54 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2025