'50% girls to pass class 12 by 2026 to have expertise in 1 job-apt skill'

The Centre aims that at least 50 per cent of girls who are passing out from class 12 by 2025-26 become an expert in one skill relevant to the job market, Ministry of Education officials said on Monday.

Vipin Kumar, Additional Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, emphasised the importance of providing quality education to girls in India, focusing on vocational education as a means to ensure employability and relevance to the demands of the industry.

"To achieve this, the Ministry of Education is in discussions with state governments to identify requirements for specific geographical areas and industries. Alluding to the government's ambitious target for girls' education. At least 50 pc of girls who are passing out from class 12 standard by 2025-26 should be expert in one skill relevant to the job market," he said.

Kumar made the comments at the conference 'IDEATE 2023' which brought together policymakers, industry leaders and experts to discuss transformative strategies for empowering India's adolescent girls a demographic representing a quarter of the nation's population.

"India has the largest adolescent population in the world, with every fifth person in the 10-19 age group. Given that approximately 47 pc of this cohort are girls, the need of the hour is their technical and educational upliftment, so they go on to have skill sets which enable them to tackle any challenges and be equal partners in India's progress," said Subhrakant Panda, President of FICCI.

Panda emphasised the importance of closing the gender gap in education, health and job opportunities, boosting economic growth and inclusivity.

"With young women joining the workforce, society as a whole benefits. It is estimated that if adolescent girls continue their education, delay early marriage, and avoid early pregnancy, they could add around USD 110 billion to India's GDP over their lifetimes," Panda said calling for a holistic approach, focusing on empowerment by seeing women as agents of change rather than just beneficiaries of health and development programs.