Skill ministry eyes 1990s-style reforms for vocational education

The new national policy on skill development will be “transformative” and akin to the liberalisation reforms of the 1990s in terms of vocational education and training in the country, said Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, on Tuesday.

 

The skill ministry is currently working on introducing a new national policy on skilling, replacing the previous version launched in 2015. A draft was released last month, inviting suggestions from the general public and domain experts.

 

“Like the new education policy launched in 2020 was a landmark for the education sector, the new skilling policy will achieve the same results for vocational education in the country and transform it. It will be a significant step and akin to the liberalisation reforms [of the 1990s.] It will redefine the way we skill, upskill, and reskill our people — preparing them to thrive and lead in an increasingly dynamic global economy,” Chaudhary said, responding to a query on the objective of the new policy. 

The new policy aims to have 50 per cent of the country’s labour force skilled (including skilling, upskilling, and reskilling), assessed, and certified by 2035, with 50 per cent participation from women and other minority groups.

 

Among other changes, the new policy proposes to tweak the definition of skilling to align with international standards. “A critical starting point is to reflect on the definition of skilling,” the draft says. It cites the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s definition of skilling, which also emphasises technical, transversal, and behavioural skills — collectively enabling lifelong learning.

 

The policy also suggests financial and non-financial incentives such as Skill MUDRA, Skill Impact Bond 2.0, a corporate patronage programme, and grassroots engagement programmes to encourage all stakeholders to undertake large-scale, outcome-oriented skilling, with an emphasis on quality and employability.

 

ALSO READ: Youth unemployment rises to 15.3% in June, labour participation dips

 

Chaudhary also called on industry to participate in the ₹60,000 crore Industrial Training Institute (ITI) revamp scheme approved by the Cabinet, which includes ₹10,000 crore from corporate social responsibility contributions. He added that nearly 99,000 ITI seats that have remained vacant for more than two consecutive years will be de-affiliated.

 

“We want to move beyond funding — we want the industry to shape the curriculum, certification, and training standards. This is how we create employable youth and make ITIs future-ready,” he added.

 

Highlighting the ministry’s vision for 2047, Chaudhary said India is on track to emerge as the global skilling hub, with sectors such as pharmaceutical, artificial intelligence, and machine learning leading the way.