Page 62 - EW November 2024

ANNIVERSARY ESSAY

Viksit Bharat dependent on

skilling success

NEERAJ KAUSHAL

NDIA ASPIRES TO BECOME A DEVELOPED NATION Skill levels below a thin top layer
by 2047, to mark a century after independence from
almost two hundred years of colonial British rule. plummet. India needs a second, third and
IIt’s an exhilirating goal. A lot will depend on global fourth layer of well-educated and skilled
conditions. If the world economy staggers or turns tepid,
India is unlikely to attain this objective. youth to keep the economic growth
Yet, given the momentum of India’s growth over the momentum going
past three decades, this goal is not beyond the realm of
possibility. My calculations indicate that we will likely
miss the target by 10-15 years. But even that would be a Simultaneously, business and industry leaders complain
commendable achievement — a feat that no nation of about shortages of skilled workers. Indian engineering
India’s size has accomplished so fast! colleges graduate 1.5 million engineers every year, the
To acquire the status of Viksit Bharat by 2047, the largest number worldwide. This should be sufficient to
Indian economy would need an annual real (adjusted for fulfill the economy’s need for engineers. Alas, no. Only 10
inflation) GDP growth of close to 10 percent for almost a percent of these graduates have the skills to be hired as
quarter century. We are aspiring for nothing less than a engineers, according to a report by the National Association
miracle that has happened only once in global history — of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM).
the Chinese economy recorded a double-digit annual GDP NASSCOM estimates that Indian industry will need
growth in the 1978-2010 period, before coming down to more than one million engineers in AI and other advanced
more earthly levels of growth, 6-7 percent thereafter and engineering fields in the next two-three years. Unless
even lower, 4 percent in the 2020s. My projection of India engineering colleges determinedly change their programs
becoming a viksit (developed) country by 2060 assumes to impart industry specific skills needed in future, millions
real 7 percent annual GDP growth, a target that should not of engineers will remain unemployed and engineering
be taken for granted. vacancies will remain unfilled.
The promise of India rests on investment made in he root problem is that a majority of engineers who
education and skilling of its children and youth. Currently, Tgraduate from Indian colleges lack real-world skills that
India has a thin creamy layer of talent at the top, trained employers need. According to Bhaskar Chakravorti, Dean of
from a handful of IITs and top universities in India and Global Business at The Fletcher School of Tufts University,
abroad. This thin top layer outcompetes the rest of the only 5 percent of India’s workforce has received formal
world and is in high demand globally. Many from this top skills training. In Japan and South Korea, the proportion
layer have joined Fortune 500 companies with several is over 80 percent.
running them. This problem is not limited to engineering. The same
Thus far this top crust has been sufficient to provide goes for other professional schools. Thousands of nurses
stimulus for an average long-term GDP growth of close to 7 graduate from Indian nursing schools, but most don’t
percent a year since 2000. But skill levels below this veneer have the basic skills to provide care in nursing homes
plummet. India needs to create a second, third and fourth and hospitals. The challenge in the coming decade is how
layer of well-educated youth to keep the growth momentum to improve the quality of education in universities and
going. professional schools across the country.
What has been done so far in raising the skill levels of Development has many dimensions. India cannot
workers below the creamy layer is disgraceful. Over the past become a developed country if a quarter of youth, aged
two decades, a large number of professional universities 14-18, enrolled in rural schools are not able to read class
have mushroomed to train engineers, doctors, nurses, II texts in their own language, as reported by the Annual
managers, and professionals in other fields. Over 10 million Status of Education Report (ASER). India cannot be a
youngsters graduate from Indian universities every year. Viksit nation if 57 percent of its 14-18 year-olds cannot do
But a vast majority lack marketable skills. simple math calculations expected from class III students.
Meanwhile political parties and pundits are groaning that The gaps in learning get wider as these youth move to
India is suffering a jobs crisis. The argument is that while higher classes. The sad reality is that while this problem was
the Indian economy has been growing at record high rates, detected at least a decade ago, the remedy has not yet been
it has failed to create jobs for millions of aspiring youth. found. All innovations to address education quality have
Yet the crisis is more of a skills deficit. There are millions been at the margins. A skilled workforce is the foundation
of youngsters with degrees in engineering, management, of a Viksit nation, without which India will remain in the
nursing who lack the requisite skills and hence, they don’t gaga land of slogans and unfulfilled dreams.
get the jobs for which they have paper qualifications. (Dr. Neeraj Kaushal is professor of social policy at Columbia University, USA)

62 EDUCATIONWORLD NOVEMBER 2024