Government to launch skill development centres

The government will launch skill development training centres on a large scale to address the problem of unemployment, particularly in rural India, Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari said Thursday.

"Skills imparted under the programme will now be bench marked against international standards," he said while launching the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana here.

The new scheme will complement the prime minister's 'Make In India' campaign, he said.

Gadkari said that by 2020, developed countries will have a shortfall of over 57 million semi-skilled workers while India is expected to have a surplus of 47 million, and hence there is a need for tapping international players for partnership in imparting skills to the country's rural youth population and offering them suitable jobs.

The new programme aims to train 10 lakh rural youths by 2017.