News | India Cabinet approves National Policy on Skill Development
Th e U n i o n C a b i n e t h a s approved the National Policy on Skill Development proposed by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The objective is to create a workforce empowered with improved skills, knowledge and internationally recognised qualifications to gain access to decent employment and ensure India’s competitiveness in the dynamic global labour market.
The policy aims at increasing the productivity of workforce both in the organised and the unorganised sectors, seeking increased participation of youth, women, disabled and other disadvantaged sections. This is the first ever Policy in the country and has been evolved after multiple rounds of consultation among different ministries of Central and State governments, industries and employer organisations, trade unions and other stake holders. It aims to synergise efforts of various sectors and reform the present system. The salient features of the Policy are : • Demand driven system guided by labour market signals thereby reducing skills mismatch, • Expansion of outreach using established as well as innovative approaches, • National Vocational Qualifications Framework which will inte-ralia include opportunities for horizontal and vertical mobility between general and technical education, recognition and certification of competencies irrespective of mode of learning, • System to deliver ‘competencies’ in line with nationally and internationally recognised standards, • Focus on new emerging occupations, • Focus on pre-employment training and Life-long learning, • Equity consideration – adequate participation of women, disabled persons and disadvantaged groups including economically backward and minorities – enhancing their access to training; improving employability and increasing employment opportunities, • Stress on research, planning and monitoring, • Involvement of social partners – responsibility for management and financing of the system would be shared with all stakeholders and provide greater space for Public Private Partnership, • Promoting excellence, • Use of modern training technologies including distance learning, e-Learning, web based learning, • etc, and, • Skill upgradation of trainers, their quality assurance, and improvement of status.
Parliament gives nod for setting up 12 Central varsities Parliament has given its nod for setting up 12 Central universities in as many states. Th e C e n t ra l Digital Learning | Vol 5 Issue 3 March 2009
Universities Bill 2009, which also seeks to upgrade some existing universities to that status, was approved by the Rajya Sabha after rejecting amendments moved by the Opposition. The Bill, passed by Lok Sabha earlier, aims at creating one new central university each in Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand,
Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. It also seeks to convert Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya (Chhattisgarh), Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya (Sagar, MP), and Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna University (Uttarakhand) into Central universities.
IIM-C hikes its fees to INR 9 lakh
Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM-C) has decided to hike its fee to INR 9 lakh for the 2009-11 batch. This is more than double the fees paid by the batch passing out this year. Under the revised fee structure,
students will have to pay INR 4 lakh in the first year and INR 5 lakh in the second year. Current students, who will be promoted to second year in 2009, will need to pay Rs 4 lakh. In spite of the hike, IIM-C fees are still lower than those of IIM-Ahmedabad (INR 11 lakh) and IIM-Bangalore (INR 9.5 lakh). ‘The reason behind this fee hike is an increase in expenditure and skyrocketing prices,’ said IIM-C Director Shekhar Chaudhuri.
After IIT, Rajasthan to get an IIM
With the UPA government announcing the setting up of an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Rajasthan, the state is set to join the elite ranks of states boasting an IIT as well as an IIM. The largesse at the end of the UPA’s term comes as a surprise since the state did not figure on the list of states slated to get an IIM announced by the Ministry of HRD in March 2008. An IIT was set up in the state last year and is currently being mentored by IIT Kanpur which also houses its campus. The interim Budget has announced that four of the six new IIMs planned for the 11th Plan period would be located in Haryana, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu and would start their academic session in 200910. Continuing its thrust on the education sector, the Government has allocated INR 8,000 crore for the Mid-day Meal Scheme
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