Centre, states to allocate Rs 3 trn for Samagra Siksha 2.0: Pradhan

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said that the Centre and state governments will collectively allocate Rs 3 lakh crores to implement Samagra Siksha 2.0.

He was speaking virtually during the Confederation of Indian Industry's (CII) annual meeting 2021, plenary session on 'Job Creation and Entrepreneurship.

"To create a formal mechanism for early childhood education and nutrition, the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Women and Child Development will work together to implement Samagra Siksha 2.0 in the next 5 years. Centre and state governments will collectively allocate Rs 3 lakh crores to implement Samagra Siksha 2.0," said the union minister.

Pradhan further said that the agenda of the Government is to ensure the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) at the ground level.

"The government was working towards bringing all children above three years of age into the formal education system and plan for their about twenty years of education; currently about 15 crores of youth between the ages of three and twenty-three are out of this system," he said while explaining that this was necessary to ensure a productive workforce in the economy.

The minister further said that the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a shift towards the digital medium of education.

"A vibrant digital ecosystem in education will expand learning opportunities and spur innovation and entrepreneurship in the education sector," added the union minister.

Earlier, speaking on the integrated approach towards education and skill development Pradhan said that for the first time, the government has combined the education and skill departments, creating a new approach for good livelihoods and for better implementation of policies.

Ajay S Shriram, Past President, CII, and Chairman and Senior Managing Director, DCM Shriram Limited in his Opening Remarks said, "The energy of our youth needs to be channelised through education & skill development, preparing them for newer job and entrepreneurship opportunities." This, he said will drive India's future growth.

Making suggestions on employment generation and skilling, Shriram suggested a four-point agenda including implementing an Urban Employment Guarantee Programme, giving impetus to skill development courses for labour-intensive industries, extending the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana beyond the COVID-19 period, including the components on training and entrepreneurship in the school curriculum and setting up an accelerated digital skilling program.