Impossible to skill 500 mn by 2022 under old policy: Rudy

As the government prepares a new Skill Development Policy, Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy today said it is "impossible to achieve" the target of skilling 500 million people by 2022 as envisaged under the existing policy announced in 2009 during the UPA regime.
"There was a National Skill Policy which was announced in 2009. The 2009 policy talked about training 500 million people. When I took over, I saw these numbers and I said Thank You. It is almost impossible to achieve," Rudy said at an IIT Delhi event here.
The Minister of State for Skill Development (Independent Charge) had last week said that the Centre would announce a new national policy on skill development in three months.

The government formed the National Policy on Skill Development in 2009, with a target of training 500 million people by 2022.
Of these, National Skills Development Council (NSDC) was mandated to skill 150 million people by catalysing creation of large, quality, for-profit vocational training institutions across the country. The remaining were to be skilled through various initiatives by 19 Ministries under the Central Government.
Rudy said railway stations across the country can become the training grounds by roping in retired defence personnel to impart skills to all.
"Indian Railways has the largest optical fibre network which is 43,000 kms. These 8,000 railway stations can be captured to become training points with infrastructure of electricity, water, in the catchment area after mapping the requirement of those areas," he said.

"Defence is the largest employer in this country which has about 1.5 million workforce. About 3 per cent retire every year. I talked to the Defence Minister, talked to the Railway Minister and they said great idea. I have mentioned these to the Prime Minister," he added.