Prez Mukherjee to inaugurate 'India Skills' competition on July 15

President Pranab Mukherjee will be inaugurating the first edition of 'India Skills' competition here on July 15 on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day, an official statement said on Friday.

The occasion will also mark the first anniversary of Prime Minister's Skill India mission which aims to train over 40 crore youth in India in different skills by 2022.

Around 4,820 candidates have registered to compete at the competition.

'India Skills' is a national competition organised by Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to select the best talent who will lead India at the biennial World Skills International Competition, scheduled in Abu Dhabi, Dubai in 2017, said the statement.

Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said: "We plan to celebrate the day with great enthusiasm. We believe that initiatives like these will go a long way in according pride and respect to skills."

The shortlisted candidates from these events will qualify for the final selection for World Skills International Competition.

At the last event organised at Sao Paulo, Brazil, in August 2015, a team of 29 candidates (all below 23 years of age) participated in 27 skills and won 8 medallions of excellence for India.